"In the Shadows" is Mickey Bergman's memoir of his time working with Bill Richardson on shadow diplomacy projects--acting as private parties, attempting to find a way to secure the release of prisoners abroad.

What's good: Bergman's story is genuinely fascinating. He explains in detail just how careful one must be in these negotiations, and how every move, every gesture, is thought out in the meetings. (Even down to messaging in the press!) He shows a different angle to diplomacy, one beyond the traditional government job.

What's iffier: Bergman's writing is competent but doesn't set a new standard of literary power in memoirs. That's fine, as this isn't the goal of the book--but an FYI. In addition, because he focuses tightly on what he knows, this isn't a space for extended discussion of various cases (like Otto Warmbier) where we might want to know more than just how negotiations for freedom worked, or didn't.

With gratitude to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is an incredibly well written, thoughtful account of a side of international diplomacy I’ve never considered before now. I was absolutely riveted by Bergman’s firsthand accounts of the sorts of negotiations and compromises that go into bringing Americans home, especially the multifaceted deals that extend beyond prisoner swaps - I’d never heard about those angles before but they make a lot of sense.

Even though my career couldn’t be further from fringe diplomacy, this book taught me a lot about how to relate to and communicate empathetically with people who are different than I am, and it’s led me to a lot of independent research digging deeper on the cases it addressed.

A non- fiction account from an American of the behind the scenes diplomacy and negotiation that can occur between governments for American hostages. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

In the Shadows offers a gripping look into the world of high-stakes negotiations to free Americans captured abroad. Mickey Bergman and his team at the Richardson Center for Global Engagement navigate the treacherous waters of international diplomacy, often succeeding where government efforts fall short.

The book starts strong, detailing intense and emotional rescue missions, but loses some momentum in the later chapters, becoming somewhat repetitive. Despite this, it provides valuable insights into the complexities of global hostage negotiations and the personal toll on those involved. It's a solid read for anyone interested in international relations and the hidden struggles behind diplomatic efforts.

The book reads like a charm for the first 15 chapters. Post that, I felt a little monotonous. But, a great read for anyone who's interested in understanding the nuts and bolts of International diplomacy. Definitely a recommendation!

This was a fabulous title that I got to review from Netgalley. Mickey's stories about American hostages being rescued through non- governmental attempts-what he calls a "fringe diplomacy" - is absolutely riveting.

The different real life stories is the book are almost like thriller fiction tales.. Its mindblowing to know that these are from real attempts. I am also glad that Mickey starts off the book with his background and reasons for getting into this line of work. It helps us understand the context-especially of his Israeli roots and the political situation
in that region.

I believe this book is a treasure trove for students of geopolitics and negotiations. such great examples of how politics plays roles in peoples' lives and how even the best laid plans do not work just because of political will, or lack of.

Mickey's emotional situation is also brought out well - where he has to deal with many setbacks ever after well laid plans-but he controls his anger & also the way he feels part of the families that unjustly suffer in situations of hostage- gives a very human connect to the whole narrative. Also guv ‘s leadership style is worth learning from.

I highly recommend this book!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Center Street for an ARC copy of this book. My review is mine alone.

This rating is much more a 4.5 than a direct 4. This was an extremely engaging and easy to read discussion of the concept of "fringe diplomacy" and the story of a man at the right hand of arguably the best to ever do it, Governor Bill Richardson. The insight into the work that these diplomats do, the hurdles they face, the obstacles they must surmount, and the assistance they receive from a variety of sources, provides tremendous insight into the plight of Americans detained in hostile countries and the delicate dance that is often occurring between our government, hostile governments, and third-parties trying to assist. It was particularly interesting hearing the backgrounds on certain high profile cases, such as that for Brittney Griner. My only complaint is that in some cases it felt like the examples breezed by too quickly, without a lot of detail. Wrapping up months or years of a detainee's story and the efforts used to recover them in a single chapter felt rushed in some occasions. At the same time I think it is likely that there are details that simply cannot be told and the nature of the subject matter may limit how detailed the specific cases can get.

Ultimately, this was a fascinating story about a topic that I don't imagine many of us are terribly aware of. It was a quick, easy read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in international affairs, recent American history, or related matters.

First of all, a big thank you to NetGalley and Center Street for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, I love a book that details the behind the scenes of a career they you wouldn’t normally know much about. I remember a few of these cases, where you would hear about someone who was arrested in a foreign country but reading this book reminded me that I never found out how those situations ended.

A inspiring and thought provoking insight into what really goes into not only negotiating the release of these prisoners but the care of the families left behind.