{"product_id":"parting-shots","title":"Parting Shots","description":"Matthew Parris''s \u003ci\u003eParting Shots \u003c\/i\u003eis a treasure trove of wit, venom and serious analysis.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Wonderful ... a glimpse of that lost world of private eloquence and erudite candour'' Matthew d''Ancona, \u003ci\u003eEvening Standard\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Unbuttoned, indiscreet and very funny'' \u003ci\u003eYorkshire Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\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.","brand":"MediaPlace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57318889783678,"sku":"NW9780670919291","price":11.67,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1379\/1261\/files\/9780670919291.jpg?v=1778639296","url":"https:\/\/mediaplace.com\/products\/parting-shots","provider":"MediaPlace","version":"1.0","type":"link"}