The Foreign Service Journal, November 2013

24 NOVEMBER 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL DACOR Diplomats and Diplomacy Series. While the two coun- tries did not formally open embassies until 1987, they have been interacting for more than 150 years. Nested between Russia and China, Mongolia is often over- looked. But as the author notes, much like the United States, Mongolia was once a great power born out of decisive leadership and the unification of various peoples. For this reason, U.S.-Mon- golian relations have grown deep and fruitfully positive. The author makes use of his extended time and experience in the region to give the book a personal flavor. As a result, it reads more like a historical narrative than a political piece. Readers searching for a simple history of the ties between the two coun- tries, rather than a critique, will enjoy this. Jonathan S. Addleton, a career USAID FSO, was U.S. ambas- sador to Mongolia from 2009 to 2012 and USAID country director there from 2001 to 2004. He received the Polar Star, Mongo- lia’s highest honor for foreign civilians, in 2012 for his work in strengthening ties between the United States and Mongolia. Mr. Addleton is the author of Undermining the Center (Oxford Uni- versity Press, 1992) and S ome Far and Distant Place (University of Georgia Press, 1997). Sharing Power: Colombia’s Dramatic Surge of Women Leaders (1957-1998) Barbara Frechette, iUniverse, 2012, $15.95, paperback, 172 pages. Impressed by the prevalence of women leaders in South America, Barbara Frechette decided to investigate further. Originally published in Spanish, Shar- ing Power contains biographies of seven Colombian female leaders in fields ranging from art to jour- nalism, law and more. These powerful women all managed to achieve success and elevate their stature considerably in society. Frechette was intrigued that these leaders were not satis- fied with miniscule roles in their communities. They aspired to attain power in Colombia despite the threatening environment created by the drug wars, at a zenith during the mid 1990s. She provides compelling information on the individual women, as well as an analysis of the wave of gender reforms as a whole. Her contrast of Colombian and American progress in terms of gender equality is striking and contains valu- able insights about both societies. In particular, she believes American women could benefit from an understanding of the Colombian model for women in politics. Sharing Power will appeal especially to those who have an interest in women’s studies, government or policymaking, but is an enlightening read for anyone. This revised edition received a Five Star Award from Clarion Review in 2012. Barbara Frechette, a journalist, editor and author, is the wife of career FSO Myles Frechette, who served as U.S. ambassador to Colombia from 1994 to 1997. Timeless and Transitory: 20th-Century Relations Between Romania and the English-Speaking World Ernest H. Latham Jr., Editura Vremea, 2012, $14.55, paperback, 480 pages. In his foreword to Timeless and Transitory , Paul Michelson of Huntington University characterizes one of Ernest Latham’s most notable contributions to Romanian stud- ies as “the kind of skillful ‘short essays on small subjects’ that comprise this welcome collection.” With one of the best personal libraries of Romanian historical and cultural materials in the United States, Latham has access to surprising and eclectically chosen resources. One set of engaging essays feature American and British writers on 1930s and 1940s Romania such as Henry Baerlein, Sylvia Pankhurst, Rosie Waldeck and Olivia Manning. Two essays concern American POWs in Romania, and a third deals with American Jews and Romania. Three more essays center on diplomats, namely Marcu Beza, Donald Dunham and Dimitrie Demetrius Dimancescu. Others address Romanian nationalism during World War II, Romania in the Encyclopaedia Britannica and business dealings in the post-World War I period. “The abiding sense emanating from the studies in this volume is that of a gentle beguilement by Romania and the Romanians, not only of the figures in the studies themselves, but also of their author,” says Dennis Deletant, Visiting Ion Ratju Professor of Romanian Studies at Georgetown University. Ernest H. Latham Jr. is the coordinator of advanced area stud- ies for Romania and Moldova at the Foreign Service Institute. A retired FSO, he was cultural attaché at Embassy Bucharest from 1983 to 1987. He also completed his Ph.D. in Romania, and has written and lectured on that country ever since.