Sir Nicholas Barrington was a career diplomat for 37 years prior to his retirement in 1994. He has served in a variety of posts overseas including Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt and Pakistan, where he ended as High Commissioner. He also served in Japan and Brussels. His home postings included three and a half years as a private secretary to two British Foreign Secretaries. In retirement he has been active in building bridges between East and West. He is the author of A Passage to Nuristan (I.B.Tauris) an account of his travels to remote areas of Afghanistan in the 1960s.

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• CONTENTSPage No.PART IChapter 1Joining the Foreign Office and Language Student1Chapter 2Oriental Secretary in Kabul12Chapter 3Desk Officer and Resident Clerk in London26Chapter 4Brussels and the European Community30Chapter 5First Tour in Pakistan. The Kashmir War38PART IIChapter 6Home Again. HMS Fearless 56Chapter 7The Private Office with Michael Stewart62Chapter 8 The Private Office with Alec Douglas-Home76Chapter 9 EnjoyableTokyo. Also Hanoi88Chapter 10Head of Department in London112PART IIIChapter 11Cairo, with Sadat120Chapter 12With the Ayatollahs in Iran138Chapter 13A Session in New York164Chapter 14Ringmaster of the London Summit170Chapter 15Under Secretary at the Foreign Office (1)179Chapter 16 Under Secretary at the Foreign Office (2)192PART IVChapter 17First Months in Islamabad (and Cricket)200Chapter 18Leading to a Ceasefire, and a Death213Chapter 19Prime Minister Benazir225Chapter 20Afghanistan234Chapter 21Nawaz Sharif and the Gulf War243PART VChapter 22Visit by the Princess of Wales250Chapter 23Life in Islamabad. Drugs and other Responsibilities259Chapter 24Another Prime Minister Dismissed, including Nuclear Issues270Chapter 25Kashmir277Chapter 26Goodbye to Pakistan287Chapter 27Coda: Policies after 9/11297ILLUSTRATIONSAPPENDIX ILessons of IraqAPPENDIX IILetters to the TimesINDEX

Sir Nicholas Barrington was a career diplomat for 37 years prior to his retirement in 1994. He has served in a variety of posts overseas including Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt and Pakistan, where he ended as High Commissioner. He also served in Japan and Brussels. His home postings included three and a half years as a private secretary to two British Foreign Secretaries. In retirement he has been active in building bridges between East and West. He is the author of A Passage to Nuristan (I.B.Tauris) an account of his travels to remote areas of Afghanistan in the 1960s.

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• CONTENTSPage No.PART IChapter 1Joining the Foreign Office and Language Student1Chapter 2Oriental Secretary in Kabul12Chapter 3Desk Officer and Resident Clerk in London26Chapter 4Brussels and the European Community30Chapter 5First Tour in Pakistan. The Kashmir War38PART IIChapter 6Home Again. HMS Fearless 56Chapter 7The Private Office with Michael Stewart62Chapter 8 The Private Office with Alec Douglas-Home76Chapter 9 EnjoyableTokyo. Also Hanoi88Chapter 10Head of Department in London112PART IIIChapter 11Cairo, with Sadat120Chapter 12With the Ayatollahs in Iran138Chapter 13A Session in New York164Chapter 14Ringmaster of the London Summit170Chapter 15Under Secretary at the Foreign Office (1)179Chapter 16 Under Secretary at the Foreign Office (2)192PART IVChapter 17First Months in Islamabad (and Cricket)200Chapter 18Leading to a Ceasefire, and a Death213Chapter 19Prime Minister Benazir225Chapter 20Afghanistan234Chapter 21Nawaz Sharif and the Gulf War243PART VChapter 22Visit by the Princess of Wales250Chapter 23Life in Islamabad. Drugs and other Responsibilities259Chapter 24Another Prime Minister Dismissed, including Nuclear Issues270Chapter 25Kashmir277Chapter 26Goodbye to Pakistan287Chapter 27Coda: Policies after 9/11297ILLUSTRATIONSAPPENDIX ILessons of IraqAPPENDIX IILetters to the TimesINDEX