Jamsheed Marker's memoir is a thoroughly educational yet highly engaging read for anyone interested in honing their worldview. Not only has Ambassador Marker proven his mettle in diplomacy, but through his book he has also demonstrated his prowess as a scribe.

The book covers a journey spanning three decades in world capitals, succinctly conveying complex and concurrent world events, measuring leaders as well as defining political climates, both domestic and international.

Destiny took Ambassador Marker from the office of his family's business to a newly independent Ghana in 1964 as an ex-cadre appointment. The career move was inspired solely by a patriotic zeal to serve Pakistan at a time when the foreign ministry needed representatives of high calibre.

However, what was meant to be a three-year sojourn culminated in a 30-year career of representing Pakistan and rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers of international politics. The career move meant giving up on his passion for cricket commentary — an area in which his fame extended countrywide. Spinning a unique narrative, the ambassador recalls national and international developments whilst relating his personal and professional experiences as a Pakistani diplomat.

Ghana, Guinea and Mali of the 1960s represented the post-colonial epoch in Africa; the author's experiences included dealing with Nkumrah, the charismatic but megalomaniac leader of Ghana who rode battered airplanes loaded with goats and dynamite over the romantic Sahara desert and meeting police commissioners who consulted Juju men for protection against spells by criminals.

At the time Pakistan was shifting the capital from Karachi to Islamabad and experiencing the fallout of the 1965 war, which included the creation of the Pakistan People's Party in West Pakistan and the Awami League in East Pakistan.

Ambassador Marker's career path prodded him in the direction of Romania, at a time when Marxist ideology governed the state. He credits Zulfikar Ali Bhutto for his decision to establish an embassy in Romania which distinguished itself from the other Communist capitals under the leadership of Nicolae Ceausescu.

Career obligations then led him further behind the Iron Curtain; this time to Moscow where night meetings were common for diplomatic dealings and the KGB lived up to its fearsome reputation. His diplomatic finesse was apparent during this assignment as he skilfully handled the two-fold crisis that invoked the ire of Moscow Pakistan's role as a conduit between the historic Beijing-US contact and the political and humanitarian crisis that led up to the secession of East Pakistan.

His personal sense of loss at the eventual division of Pakistan is testimony to the fierce patriotism of the pioneering generation of Pakistanis. This sentiment was echoed two years later by the Bangladeshi ambassador to Germany, a lawyer who had been active in the 1947 struggle for independence. Mr Marker recalls how during a courtesy call the Bangladeshi envoy grew emotional at the sight of Quaid-i-Azam's portrait hanging on his office wall.

Ambassador Marker went on to serve the nation in Japan, Geneva and France with many concurrent accreditions. He was eventually appointed to Washington, DC — the epitome of a diplomatic career. His appointment by an overtly Islamic Gen Ziaul Haq at the tumultuous and crucial time of the Soviet-Afghan war is a testament of his impeccable record.

Whilst showing a high regard for the personal humility of Zia, Ambassador Marker is discretely critical of his policy of Islamisation. He also highlights Bhutto's imperious quest for power, while making clear his appreciation for the late prime minister's foresight and word wizardry.

The ambassador served with distinction uniformed bosses such as Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan, as well as democratically-elected leaders, Z.A. Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif and finally Benazir Bhutto. His distinguished career ended only when he tendered a resignation to Benazir Bhutto — as was his practice every time the government changed in Islamabad, only this time it was accepted.

However, only a year later President Ghulam Ishaq Khan engaged his meritorious services once again to serve as Pakistan's permanent representative to the United Nations in New York. The position befitted his diplomatic experience and he orchestrated the resolutions of both the Bosnian and the North Korean conflicts as president of the Security Council.

The book ends at this juncture, but it may be added that Ambassador Marker's final diplomatic assignment was the negotiation of peace in East Timor through a special appointment by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. The appointment was a great honour and privilege for both Jamsheed Marker and Pakistan.