In this fascinating BBC Radio series, Katie Hickman examines the lives of 'diplomatic women' through their letters and diaries. From the first exploratory expeditions into foreign lands, through the heyday of the British Empire and still today, the foreign service has been shaped and run behind the scenes by the wives of ambassadors and minor civil servants. Accompanying their spouses in the most extraordinary, tough, sometimes terrifying circumstances, they have struggled to bring their civilization with them. Their stories - from ambassadresses downwards - never before told, are a feast of eccentricity, genuine hardship and genuine heroism, and make for a hilarious and compelling series.
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"Great read full of historical detail and oddities of the life of diplomats abroad, often full of hardship. A definite must-read for everyone interested in British diplomatic life in the 19th and 20th century. Fantastic pictures, very authentic." — Dagmar (4 out of 5 stars)
"Great read full of historical detail and oddities of the life of diplomats abroad, often full of hardship. A definite must-read for everyone interested in British diplomatic life in the 19th and 20th century. Fantastic pictures, very authentic."
" Dinah said it all... And I could not have said it better! "
" It's interesting but, after the Courtesans debacle, I'm never quite sure how accurate Katie Hickman is. "
" Lovely reading about the perils and adventures of British diplomatic wives. Entertaining and instructive. "
" Although a bit repetitive, it does give quite an interesting overview of the life of diplomatic wives from the 17th century on. Some fascinating descriptions. A good bus read that you can dip in and out of. "
" Stories of diplomatic wives starting in the 1600's - incredible! "
" Entertaining history of the diplomatic life from the viewpoint of the wives and daughters. I enjoyed reading it, but not sure I would read it again. "
" Diary entry book group choice from 2000..only got half way through "
" A history of trailing spousehood. Interesting for me on a personal level, though at times too Brit-focused. "
" An easily readable and well researched book exploring the lives of some of the ambassadorial wives from the 16th century onwards. The author can also give the added insight of having been a diplomat's daughter herself. Fascinating reading. "
" This book reminds us just how much nowadays we take travel (especially by aircraft), transcontinental telephone lines, and e-mail utterly for granted. The isolating properties of disease in foreign parts are still feared today. "
Katie Hickman is the author of five books, including two bestselling history books, Courtesans and Daughters of Britannia. She has written two travel books, Travels with a Circus, which was shortlisted for the 1993 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award, and Dreams of the Peaceful Dragon. She is the author of the novel The Quetzal Summer, for which she was listed for the Sunday Times Young British Writer of the Year Award. Katie lives in London with her two children and her husband, the philosopher A. C. Grayling.
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