Government Studies – Page 2

Iran Hostage Crisis I

Oct 9, 2025

—

by

in Books, Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Government Studies, Middle East, Movies, Nonfiction, Peace Corps, Profiles in Service, Terrorism, War, Washington

Peace Corps Nepal in the 1960s could feel slow. Adapting to the boredom turned out to be good preparation for enduring 444 days of tedium as a hostage in Iran

Profile: Victor Tomseth

Oct 7, 2025

—

by

Ben East

in Books, Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Government Studies, Middle East, Peace Corps, Profiles in Service, Terrorism, Washington

Four of the 52 Americans held hostage in Tehran for 444 days had served as Peace Corps Volunteers: Victor Tomseth, John Limbert, Michael Metrinko, and Barry Rosen

Negotiating the Peace Corps into China

Oct 2, 2025

—

by

Ben East

in Books, China, Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Government Studies, Peace Corps, Profiles in Service, Washington

No communist country had hosted a Peace Corps program until Peter Tomsen negotiated a role for Volunteers in China, an objective that would take over a decade to fulfill

Thoughts on a Departure

Sep 27, 2025

—

by

Ben East

in Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Government Studies, Saudi Arabia, Washington, Work, Writing

An author and former diplomat contemplates familiar Washington haunts, including the Kennedy Center, after his last act in service: cancelling his passport

A Spy of the Egyptian Spies

Sep 26, 2025

—

by

Ben East

in Africa, Books, Conspiracies, Diplomacy, Egypt, Foreign Affairs, Government Studies, history, Nonfiction, Peace Corps, Profiles in Service, publishing, Saudi Arabia, Terrorism, War, Washington, Writing

Not your typical Peace Corps-to-Foreign Service path, this rendering of an ambassador’s tale twists amid my own fascination with the era’s social influences.

Profile: Franklin Pierce “Pancho” Huddle, Jr.

Sep 23, 2025

—

by

Ben East

in Africa, Books, Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Government Studies, Non-Fiction, Peace Corps, Profiles in Service, publishing, Reading, Terrorism, Travel, War

Sketch profiling Ambassador Franklin Pierce “Pancho” Huddle, Jr. from a forthcoming nonfiction boook of profiles that explore Peace Corps roots in American diplomacy.

Joe McCarthy & Arthur Miller

Sep 16, 2025

—

by

Ben East

in Conspiracies, Crime, Government Studies, history, Nonfiction, Politics, Terrorism, Washington

Joe McCarthy led a witch hunt that in turn led to required reading for all U.S. high school students: Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible.

Profile: Brenda Brown Schoonover

Sep 16, 2025

—

by

Ben East

in Africa, Books, Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, Government Studies, Peace Corps, Philippines, Profiles in Service, Washington, Writing

As a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines, Brenda Brown Schoonover found people were interested in her views as an American, not as an African American.