1. www.troubador.co.uk
“Somehow the mantra became that I went to the embassy to shake my briefcase.”
Alan Charlton couldn't describe diplomacy to his small children beyond saying he went to the Embassy to shake his briefcase.
His new autobiography tells stories about his career in foreign affairs.
Shaking my Briefcase explores the serious and comical sides of Alan’s life as a British diplomat in the Middle East, Germany, the
Home Front (including peace negotiations on Former Yugoslavia), the United States and Brazil. He learned Arabic and was
posted first to Jordan, where he supported the Queen’s ground-breaking visit in 1984. He was then Israel desk officer in the
Foreign Office, where he was also involved with the British hostages in Lebanon. He served in Berlin before, during and after
the Fall of the Wall and met Rudolf Hess. He was Deputy Chief of the Cabinet Office Assessments Staff during the Iraq-Kuwait
war before his toughest assignment, working on Former Yugoslavia including at the Dayton Peace talks in 1995. After spells back
in Germany as Deputy Head of Mission and as HR Director in the Foreign Office, he concluded his career as Deputy Head of
Mission in Washington and finally British Ambassador to Brazil.
Shaking my Briefcase will appeal to anyone who enjoys a stimulating autobiography including fascinating stories and a twist of
humour. It will also appeal to those interested in diplomacy and some of the key foreign affairs’ issues of our time.
ALAN CHARLTON enjoyed a diplomatic career in the Foreign Office dealing with the great issues of the time. As part of his role,
he has travelled to the Middle East, Germany, Washington and Brazil where he was British Ambassador. Alan wanted to write
Shaking my Briefcase to share his stories whilst they are fresh in his memory. His personal stories tell specialists and general readers
what a diplomat shakes his briefcase at.
PUBLISHED 28th April 2016
£10.99
ISBN 9781785890222
Distributor:
Troubador Publishing Ltd, 9 Priory Business Park, Wistow, Kibworth, Leics LE8 0RX
BIC subject category : BGHA – Autobiography: historical, political & military
Paperback 216x138 mm 448pp Portrait
ADVANCE INFORMATION
please contact Sian Orrell
Tel: 0116 279 2299 Email: sian_orrell@troubador.co.uk
troubador publishing ltd, 9 priory business park, kibworth, leicester le8 0rx
SHAKING MY BRIEFCASE
Alan Charlton
Matador®
Local Author