{"product_id":"parting-shots-9780670919291","title":"Parting Shots","description":"\u003cp\u003e • Author(s): Matthew Parris\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMatthew Parris's \u003ci\u003eParting Shots \u003c\/i\u003eis a treasure trove of wit, venom and serious analysis. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUp till 2006 a British Ambassador leaving his post was encouraged to write what was known as a valedictory despatch, to be circulated to a small number of influential people in government. This was the parting shot, an opportunity to offer a personal and frank view of the host country, the manners and morals of its people, their institutions, the state of their cooking and their drains. But it was also a chance to let rip at the Foreign Office itself and to look back on a career spent in the service of a sometimes ungrateful nation.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCombining gems from the archives with more recent despatches obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, \u003ci\u003eParting Shots\u003c\/i\u003e sheds light on Britain's place in the world, revealing the curious cocktail of privilege and privation that makes up the life of an ambassador.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'Wonderful ... a glimpse of that lost world of private eloquence and erudite candour' Matthew d'Ancona, \u003ci\u003eEvening Standard\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e'Unbuttoned, indiscreet and very funny' \u003ci\u003eYorkshire Post\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMatthew Parris had a short career in the Foreign Office where one of his tasks was to distribute incoming valedictory despatches. He was a Conservative MP from 1979 to 1986, since when he has worked as a journalist. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eA Castle in Spain\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eParting Shots\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eA Spanish Ambassador's Suitcase\u003c\/i\u003e. He divides his time between Derbyshire (where his old constituency was situated) and east London.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":45085664575639,"sku":"9780670919291","price":770.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0666\/3471\/1191\/files\/9780670919291.webp?v=1767638286","url":"https:\/\/atlanticbooks.com\/products\/parting-shots-9780670919291","provider":"Atlantic Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}