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Blundering Emissaries

William Boyd's 'A Good Man in Africa' Satirizes the World of Diplomacy

There seems to be a lot of high-profile diplomacy happening lately -- Israel and the Palestinians; Syria and Lebanon; North Korea and the U.S. When I picture the scene at the negotiating tables, I often wonder how diplomats converse.

Do they start with chitchat, exchanging horror stories about their recent winters? Do they try to think of one nice thing to say about the other, even if they are lying through their teeth? Do they make sly, acerbic remarks about heads of state that aren't there? Or do they cut right to the chase:...