History Shock, John Dickson
History Shock, John Dickson
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

History Shock
When History Collides with Foreign Relations

Author: John Dickson

Narrator: Paul Boehmer

Unabridged: 9 hr 54 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 05/11/2021


Synopsis

For over twenty-five years John Dickson served the United States as a Foreign Service officer. Dickson organizes History Shock around a country-by-country series of lively personal experience vignettes, followed by compelling historical analysis of the ways in which his inadequate understanding of the host country's history lead to history shock: where dramatically different interpretations of history blocked diplomatic understanding and cooperation.

John Dickson offers these stories to highlight the interaction between history and foreign relations and to underscore the costs of not knowing the history of our partners and adversaries, much less our own. In both Mexico and Canada in particular our lack of knowledge and understanding of how our long history of military interventions continues to complicate our efforts at developing mutually beneficial relationships with our two closest neighbors. In Nigeria and South Africa, Dickson experienced firsthand how the history of racism in the United States plays out on a world stage and clouds our ability to effectively work with key African nations.

The Foreign Service has long sought to provide some form of "operating manual" for its officers. Dickson provides not only a model for such case studies, but also recommendations for strengthening historical literacy in the Foreign Service.


About John Dickson

John Dickson is a retired Foreign Service officer with the US Information Agency from 1984-1999 and with the US State Department from 1999-2010. He lives in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Maria on September 01, 2022

Dickson served in the State Department for decades. This is his story of living abroad and experiencing the other sides of US history that isn't taught or remembered at home, and is still remembered, judged and lived around the world. Why I started this book: I love history, living abroad and interna......more

Goodreads review by Alison on April 10, 2024

Ok highly recommend. Probably the best book I’ve had to read for class so far. Understanding the history of US relations with other countries is so important. And this is an easy, interesting read.......more

Goodreads review by Maura on February 07, 2022

Not my usual genre but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this well written work relating the author’s personal experiences as a Foreign Service Officer with historic perspectives of the various countries in which he served. Would highly recommend.......more

Goodreads review by Jackson on April 02, 2025

Strikes a good balance between personal narratives and analysis. I found the chapter on Haiti to be really interesting.......more