The Triumph of Improvisation by James Graham Wilson

Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington and the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm. Frederick Starr is the founding chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and Silk Road Studies Program, a joint trans-Atlantic research center affiliated with the Paul H. Central Asians gave algebra its name, calculated the earth’s diameter with unprecedented precision, wrote the books that later defined European medicine and penned some of the world’s greatest poetry. Lost Enlightenment recounts how, between 8, Central Asia led the world in trade and economic development, the size and sophistication of its cities, the refinement of its arts and, above all, in the advancement of knowledge in many fields. Frederick Starr tells the fascinating but largely unknown story of Central Asia’s medieval enlightenment, exploring its rise and the competing theories about the cause of its eventual demise. In this sweeping and richly illustrated history, S. Frederick Starr, Princeton University Press, 2013, $39.50/hardcover, $23.17/Kindle, 680 pages. During a distinguished career in the British Diplomatic Service he served as ambassador to Ethiopia, the Republic of Benin and Poland, and as high commissioner to Nigeria and Australia. Sir Brian Barder is an honorary visiting fellow at the University of Leicester Department of Politics and International Relations. Henrikson of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

“Barder’s account is informative, humanly sympathetic, distinctly British and thoroughly engaging,” says Alan K.

Each chapter contains case studies, based on the author’s 30-year diplomatic experience, such as the role of the diplomat during emergency crises and as part of a national delegation to a permanent conference such as the United Nations. What Diplomats Do follows a fictional British diplomat from his application to join the Foreign Office through different postings at home and overseas, culminating with his appointment as ambassador and retirement. Brian Barder, Rowman & Littlefield, 2014, $44, hardcover, 216 pages.

The Triumph of Improvisation by James Graham Wilson