A Spy Story Well Told

Canada is fortunate to have on its international front line a diplomatic team of exceptional individuals: highly intelligent, well-educated men and women, devoted to their country and willing to live just about anywhere.

But diplomatic life, seen from the outside as full of glamour and excitement, usually is not. Despite the rounds of luncheons, cocktail parties, receptions and dinners that are written right into the job description, day to day is hard work, and pretty routine at that. Diplomats are responsible for identifying and getting to know people in the host country, not all of them interesting, who can be useful to Canada. They act as “passive” intelligence sources, passing back to Ottawa their observations on the political and economic state of play in their host country, often pretty dull but dutifully recorded. They shop visiting Canadian business people and cultural groups around. They get into hard bargaining on immigration and trade matters. They open...