Eliza Manningham-Buller

The Foreign Office’s long war on women

A review of Women of the World: The Rise of the Female Diplomat, by Helen McCarthy. Until the second half of the 20th century, female diplomacy meant wives and dresses

Gertrude Bell with Sir Percy Cox on a visit to Mesopotamia in 1917. ‘She was never actually a member of the Foreign Office; rather a semi-detached and useful wartime extra’. mansell/time&life pictures/getty images
  • Comments

  • Women of the World: The Rise of the Female Diplomat

    Helen McCarthy

    Bloomsbury, pp. 416

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Subscribe today to get 3 months' delivery of the magazine, as well as online and app access, for only £3.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

  • Weekly delivery of the magazine
  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Read next

Trending

Also in Book Reviews

Latest

Comments

A blooming good offer

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting the next 3 months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in