The Foreign Service Journal, November 2005

Greene’s work. It tells the story of one of the central events of the Vietnam War, the overthrow of the South Vietnamese government and the assassination of its pres- ident, Ngo Dinh Diem, through the eyes of a young Foreign Service officer on a first posting as aide to the American ambassador. We see from the inside — and in colorful detail — how the United States would reach the point of no return in Vietnam. The book is well-crafted and engagingly written. The cast of characters is broad— all types of Vietnamese, ram- bunctious young newspapermen, shrewd diplomats and military men, elegant ladies in the elite of Saigon society and rowdy bargirls, all of whom mix with and influence those making policy about the war. The author draws on factual records and declassified documents to establish the story’s historical veracity. Marshall Brement served for 12 years in various Southeast Asian posts and spent six more years dealing with the Soviet Union. He capped his Foreign Service career with a posting as ambassador to Iceland. Following retirement, he taught Cold War history and diplomacy at the University of Virginia. Brement lives in Tubac, Ariz., and is working on a new novel set in Washington and Moscow. A Spy Sat Down Beside Her Ken Byrnes, AuthorHouse, 2005, $16.95, paperback, 296 pages. This novel, set in the early 1940s when Hitler’s armies are ravaging Europe, tells the story of Ian Steele and Margaret Whitcombe, two British Secret Intelligence Service officers who meet in London and fall in love but are soon sent on separate assignments: Margaret to the SIS office in Zurich, and Ian on an intelligence-gathering mission into occupied France. The two meet again in Tours, and are then sent on a special mission through the death swamps of Poitou to the Bay of Biscay. There a British F O C U S N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 5 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 37 The Embassy Plan Overseas Insurance Personal Auto & Contents Coverage Experience that helps you avoid the pitfalls of a highly complex business. Repeat business that results from providing what’s best for the customer not the agent nor the insurance company. Since 1969, Harry M. Jannette International has provided dependable coverage with U.S. carriers with a financial rating of A+ or higher to thousands of Foreign Service Personnel worldwide. Thus you gain the broadest U.S. terms and conditions and flexible value limits often not available from other insurance carriers. MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: SEE OUR WEBSITE APPLICATIONS Harry M. Jannette International, L.L.C. 8111 LBJ Freeway, Suite 585 Dallas, Texas 75251-1334 Toll Free (800) 256-5141 (972) 783-4915 Fax (972) 783-0545 E-mail: hmjintl@jannetteintl.com www.jannetteintl.com • WORLDWIDE COVERAGE Fire, theft, comprehensive and collision protection are available at foreign posts. • U.S. AUTO LIABILITY Available for short term on home leave, change of assignment, and new auto purchase prior to foreign departure. This coverage must be issued in combination with an “Embassy Plan” policy. • FOREIGN LIABILITY Contact your post for compliance with local laws, Excess liability limits are available over local liability coverage. • PERSONAL COVERAGE Household goods and transit, valuable articles, personal liability, life insurance . • EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION INSURANCE Employee association insurance Including directors and officers. Your Reliable Choice