The Foreign Service Journal, June 2008

J U N E 2 0 0 8 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 93 One Hale of a Book Nine Lives: A Foreign Service Odyssey Allen Hansen, New Academia Publishing, 2007, $28.00, paperback, 452 pages. R EVIEWED BY J ACK G ALLAGHER Nathan Hale, the American revo- lutionary who regretted having only one life to give for his country, would have considered Allen Hansen, the author of Nine Lives: A Foreign Service Odyssey , the luckiest man on earth. Multiply Hale’s patriotic sacri- fice by nine, and the product of that mathematical calculation will equal the “nine lives” given to his country more than two centuries later by a dedicated diplomat, Allen Hansen. The title for this book — the latest entry in the Association for Diplo- matic Studies and Training’s Memoirs and Occasional Papers Series — refers to the author’s career in the nine countries where he served as a Foreign Service officer with the United States Information Agency during the Cold War: Venezuela, Mexico, Guyana, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Uru- guay, Bolivia, Peru and Pakistan. Hansen also served in Washington, D.C. He and his fellow “public diplo- mats” manned our ideological battle stations during that historic competi- tion for the minds of this planet’s inhabitants. Hansen’s autobiographi- cal account provides an insider’s view of how our operatives combated Soviet propaganda by telling Ameri- ca’s story to the world — a strategy that contributed mightily to ripping down the infamous Iron Curtain not long after Hansen’s 1987 retirement from the Foreign Service. Hansen’s account of his role in that crucial era reveals the dedication required of our diplomats, who — then as now — often served in the most inhospitable environments. And, yes, sometimes in great danger. On occasion, Mother Nature made the going even tougher; for instance, a monstrous earthquake in Mexico threatened Hansen and his wife Char- maine. Fortunately, they survived that calamity. In contrast to that and other dire events, Hansen adds some happy bal- ance by writing about meeting and courting his wife, with whom he fell in love during his first overseas tour, in Caracas. He highlights the account of those blissful but frequently hectic days with understated humor about the ubiquitous bureaucratic road- blocks that he and his bride-to-be encountered as they sought to wed. The couple had to jump through so many hoops that it would not have surprised the wedding guests if, instead of a diamond, the bureaucrat- ically battered groom had slipped a loop of red tape onto Charmaine’s ring finger. Whether he is discussing serious policy matters or sharing personal moments, the author’s honesty shines through the writing. Hansen makes no effort to conceal or downplay any mistakes he may have made while serving abroad. Yet he also demon- strates in his comments about individ- uals and societies a characteristic which a few of his colleagues, sorry to say, may be lacking: tact. Nine Lives truly has something for everyone. Retired FSOs will be able to identify with Hansen’s true-to-life reporting on the Cold War, while new entrants to the Foreign Service can benefit by learning from the horse’s mouth the qualities necessary for suc- cess in such an adventurous life. Now that I have read this fascinat- ing memoir, it wouldn’t surprise me if a reincarnated Nathan Hale with nine lives chose to spend one of them fol- lowing in Hansen’s footsteps. Jack Gallagher was a Foreign Service officer with USIA from 1954 to 1986, serving mostly in Latin America. He is now a freelance writer, among other retirement pursuits. B OOKS Whether he is discussing serious policy matters or sharing personal moments, Hansen’s honesty shines through the writing.