Designed to present insiders' views on how consular activities work, this collection of oral history interviews with consular officers is an invaluable resource for diplomatic historians and political scientists. The interviews reveal the tasks these officials perform and how they view the substance of the consular function as part of the American role in international affairs both in the Department of State and at embassies abroad. Among the multitude of topics covered are leadership, training, junior officers, Communist regimes, the political milieu in which the consulates operate,...