The Foreign Office Mind The Making of British Foreign Policy, 1865 1914

'Otte opens up our understanding of the role of the diplomatic professionals in the long nineteenth century, keeping a careful balance in his analysis of the role of the professionals and that of their political masters. Meticulous in its scholarship, written with great clarity, this work demonstrates with ease a mastery of a complex and intricate subject.' Erik Goldstein, Boston University 'This is an outstanding book. Otte has used an extraordinary number of sources and found personal papers which most historians did not know existed. He covers an extended period of time, clearly showing how different generations of officials and diplomats reacted to changes in the shifting world scene. This is an authoritative study which will be used by generations of future historians of British foreign policy.' Zara Steiner, University of Cambridge 'This book gives food for thought as well as much historical enlightenment.' Times Literary Supplement 'By delving into the interaction of policy debates and office politics, this book provides an often fascinating institutional history of the Foreign Office and is a treasure trove of biographical information on many of the ministry's key personnel during this period.' Phillip Dehne, Journal of British Studies 'The Foreign Office Mind is an excellent source for providing a deep examination of the inner workings of the British diplomatic corps interaction with other European powers leading up to the First World War ... [Otte] clearly demonstrates that the commencement of the conflict and its horrific cost over the next four years was not inevitable, but rather the result of diplomatic and political manoeuvring by European powers for over half a century for dominance on the European continent and in their colonial spheres.' Eric Haas, H-Net Reviews (h-net.org/reviews)