Diplomacy of a Tiny State by Lee Khoon Choy

The Author is the first elected politician since Singapore's independence to be sent overseas as an ambassador halfway through his elected term. In his book he narrates his experience as the ambassador of Egypt, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Yugoslavia, Indonesia, Korea and Japan.

Lee Khoon Choy is frank in the sharing of his experience. It was not an easy task for a diplomat of a young country. It was not as glamorous a job as what Ministry of Foreign Affairs is right now.

This book is a good read for anyone who wants to understand how it's like to be an ambassador and the many little details that could affect diplomatic ties positively or negatively.

Overall Rating: 10/10

Beyond the Age of Innocence by Kishore Mahbubani

Beyond the Age of Innocence is a book that explains how America benefits the World and has harmed it concurrently. The Author, Kishore Mahbubani, is a Singapore's former Ambassador to United Nations.

By exploring into the topics of America and Islam, America and China, the nature of American Power and Managing American Power, Kishore Mahbubani writes about the unintended consequences of American policy actions.

He then wraps up by suggesting the direction for the way ahead.

The book is simple to read and good for Political Science dummies.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Across the Causeway: A Multi-dimensional Study of Malaysia-Singapore Relations

Across the Causeway is a compilation of essays by Singaporean and Malaysian academia, edited by a Japanese, Takashi Shiraishi.

This is an ideal book for anyone who wants to learn more about the history between Singapore and Malaysia and how history had played a dominant role in present bilateral relations between both states.

Not to fret if you do not have prior political knowledge as the book starts with the history of both states, focusing mainly on the merger and separation. It then proceeds on to essays pertaining to more current bilateral boons and banes.

It is a good read, and I personally can't put it down once I read it.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

When Presdients Lie by Eric Alterman

Eric Alterman digs into the history of official deception and its consequences in his book, When Presidents Lie. He recognises the necessity of Presidents to lie under certain circumstances but dread the lies that result in war and subsequently the cause of unnecessary deaths. Yet those lies were created by American Presidents for self politically motivated purposes.

The case studies include Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman and the Yalta Conference; John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis; Ronald W. Reagan, Central America and the Iran-Contra Scandal; George W. Bush and the Post-Truth Presidency.

Eric Alterman draws on many sources in this heavily footnoted book to display a convincing portrayal of the Presidents. After reading When Presidents Lie, I felt disgusted and remained puzzled why someone of great power would want to wrest it this way...

Overall Rating : 10/10

The European Union : a guide through the EC/EU maze by Alex Roney and Stanley Budd

After reading The European Union: a guide through the EC/EU maze, I found myself slightly overwhelmed by the complexity of the European Union.

This book is useful for one to derive a basic understanding of the European Union, i.e. hierarchy, institutional bodies, memberships, etc.

For me, I thought that it served better as a reference than a leisure read due to the dryness of the writings.

Overall Rating: 3/10

Foreign Policy and International Law by Charles G. Fenwick

Published in 1968, Foreign Policy and International Law is written by Charles G. Fenwick, a member of Pan American Union.

Foreign Policy and International Law looked into the following:

1. Character and Scope of Foreign Policy
2. The Community of Nations
3. Who speaks for whom in the World of Nations
4. National Security: 1776-1920
5. National Security: 1920-1942
6. The United Nations
7. The Rule of Law under the Charter, 1945-1968
8. Problems of National Self-government: Citizenship
9. Responsibility of the State for the Protection of Aliens and their Property
10. Special Obligations towards neighbouring States
11. Titles to Territory; National Boundaries
12. The High Seas
13. International Cooperation in the Enforcement and Administration of National Law
14. Treaties and Conventions
15. Diplomatic Agents; Consuls
16. Economic and Social Problems
17. The Settlement of International Disputes: Arbitration and Judicial Decision
18. Forcible Procedure by War

Foreign Policy and International Law is written from an American perspective and majority of it relates to the foreign policies of the United States.

Referring to case studies, Fenwick poses many questions for the reader to stipulate and think about the irrationality and abnormacy of certain acts by states.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10