Enfilade

Distributed by The University of Chicago Press for Reaktion Books:

G. R. Berridge, Outposts of Diplomacy: A History of the Embassy (London: Reaktion Books, 2024), 256 pages, ISBN: 978-1789148497, £25 / $35.

A profusely illustrated history of the diplomatic embassy, from antiquity to today.

This compelling history traces the evolution of the embassy, from its ancient origins to its enduring presence in the modern world. Beginning with its precursors in antiquity, the book explores the embassy’s emergence on the cusp of the Italian Renaissance, its pinnacle during the nineteenth century, and its navigation through the challenges of twentieth-century conference diplomacy. G. R. Berridge investigates how this European institution adapted its staffing, architecture, and communication methods to changing international landscapes, including the tumultuous wars of religion and encounters in the Far East. He also describes the expansion of the embassy’s responsibilities, such as providing diplomatic cover for intelligence operations. Infused with vibrant anecdotes of remarkable individuals and the creation of influential family dynasties, and illustrated throughout, this book offers a fascinating exploration of the embassy’s rich history.

G. R. Berridge is professor emeritus of international politics at the University of Leicester and a senior fellow of the Geneva-based DiploFoundation. He was associate editor of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, to which he still contributes, and his most recent book is the sixth edition of Diplomacy: Theory and Practice.

c o n t e n t s

Preface

Introduction
1  Fifteenth-Century Beginnings
2  Expanding Duties
3  Household and Buildings
4  Pre-Telegraphic Communications
5  Nineteenth-Century Highpoint
6  Enter the Americas
7  The Middle East and Africa
8  Far Eastern Compounds
9  Backseat after the First World War
10  Stubborn Institution
Epilogue

Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index