On Six Continents

On Six Continents: A Life in Canada’s Foreign Service 1966-2002
By James Bartleman

This book is a memoir of James Bartleman’s four decades of service with the Canadian Foreign Service. He recounts a career that took him from Ottawa to New York, Columbia, Bangladesh, Brussles, Cuba, Israel, South Africa, Australia and finally back to Canada as Ontario Lieutenant-Governor.

Bartleman offers a behind-the-scenes look at diplomacy and the evolution of Canadian foreign policy from the Cold War era to today. The book follows Bartleman from his impoverished childhood in Port Carling, Ontario throughout his remarkable career, which included meetings with such historic figures as Nelson Mandela and Fidel Castro. Bartleman’s writing style is direct and honest, sometimes self-deprecating and often funny. I found On Six Continents to be enjoyable and inspiring.