Breaking Protocol

"Diplomacy is the one field of public political life that has been relatively open to women—we need only think of Hillary Clinton, Condoleeza Rice, and Madeleine Albright. In Breaking Protocol, Philip Nash reminds us of the history of their achievements with an enduring and enticing record of the much longer, surprising history of female diplomats and their individual efforts to shape American and international politics."—Glenda Sluga, University of Sydney

"In this highly readable, timely, and well-researched addition to the scholarly research on American diplomacy, Nash engages in a much needed act of 'historical recovery' featuring the first six female US Ambassadors, expertly weaving biography with contextual analysis of a slowly evolving US Foreign Service from the 1930s to the 1960s."—Molly Wood, Wittenberg University

"Breaking Protocol is another important, pioneering book by Philip Nash. This thoroughly researched and gracefully written history of America's first six female ambassadors provides new insights into diplomatic history, Women's Studies, and the conduct of American foreign policy over the course of three of the most critical decades (1933–1964) of the twentieth century. Pathbreaking!"—Martin J. Sherwin, Pulitzer Prize winning coauthor (with Kai Bird) of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer

"Breaking Protocol is a lively and entertaining read; the depth of the sexism it depicts in the encrusted male world of twentieth century diplomacy is astonishing and revelatory, even when we should be prepared for it. The first women to break the diplomatic glass ceiling are a tough and spirited bunch, well worth resurrecting and remembering!"—Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America

"Nash's well-crafted study...recounts the pathways to power and the major accomplishments of the first six female ambassadors who served the interests of their presidents and the United States abroad in the middle of the twentieth century."—The Journal of American History

"Researching an extensive array of material, Breaking Protocol breaks new ground in the history of women in US diplomacy and offers a balanced evaluation of the 'Big Six.'"—Diplomatica: A Journal of Diplomacy and Society