Diplomaten

Diplomaten is the second installment in Alexander Ahndoril's planned trilogy of novels based loosely on the lives of three living Swedes. Despite the author's denials, the main character is clearly modelled on Hans Blix. The first part of the novel depicts the childhood of the narrator as a 10 year-old in the Uppsala of 1938, where he is forced to engage in a battle of wits with the playground bullies who use the school as their powerbase. It is here that he begins to understand the links between power, violent behavior and cowardice. The novel moves to the Manhattan of the early 21st century, where the narrator in adulthood is in charge of the UN's weapons inspection team and is working round the clock to prevent a devastating conflict. The playground bullies of the narrator's childhood have their counterparts as international law- and policy-makers including George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Colin Powell, et al. The build-up to the war in Iraq becomes an extension of the playground in which the power games, lies and intrigue are the same.