A personal, perceptive, witty and sometimes very funny account of living and working in countries as diverse as Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Ethiopia, Chile, Tonga, Bolivia, Fiji, the Maldives, Tanzania, Australia, Gilbert and Ellice Islands and many others. Besides providing a fascinating account of the many countries he lived in with his family, the book also includes an insight into what it was like living as a privileged member of the United Nations. Not only does the book cover such personal hair raising experiences as being required to steer a 10,000 ship across the Atlantic, and his wife having to drive through a military coup in Addis Ababa waving a white flag made from one of her pillow cases, but it also provides an insider's experience of working for international and national aid agencies. Finally it also explains how he ended up as Mayor of Guildford.