No longer content to fade away into comfortable retirement, a
growing number of former political leaders have pursued diplomatic
afterlives. From Nelson Mandela to Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton,
to Tony Blair and Mikhail Gorbachev, this set of highly-empowered
individuals increasingly try to make a difference on the global
stage by capitalizing on their free-lance celebrity status while at
the same time building on their embedded ?club? attributes and
connections.
In this fascinating book, Andrew F. Cooper provides the first
in-depth study of the motivations, methods, and contributions made
by these former leaders as they take on new responsibilities beyond
service to their national states. While this growing trend may be
open to accusations of mixing public goods with private material
gain, or personal quests to rehabilitate political image, it must ?
he argues ? be taken seriously as a compelling indication of the
political climate, in which powerful individuals can operate
outside of established state structures. As Cooper ably shows,
there are benefits to be reaped from this new normative
entrepreneurism, but its range and impact nonetheless raise
legitimate concerns about the privileging of unaccountable
authority.
Mixing big picture context and illustrative snapshots,
Diplomatic Afterlives offers an illuminating analysis of the
influence and the pitfalls of this highly visible but
under-scrutinized phenomenon in world politics.

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