On Distant Service: The Life of the First U.S. Foreign Service Officer to be Assassinated

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The murder of Robert Whitney Imbrie, the first political murder of a U.S. foreign service officer, outraged the American people in 1924. Susan M. Stein's book "On Distant Service" explores the life and career of Imbrie, a State Department officer who witnessed the October Revolution, fled ahead of a Bolshevik arrest order, and tracked communist activity in Turkey. His fateful assignment to Persia led to his death and set off political repercussions that cloud relations between the United States and Iran to this day.

Format: Hardback
Length: 376 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2020
Publisher: Potomac Books Inc

On July 18, 1924, a mob in Tehran assassinated U.S. Foreign Service Officer Robert Whitney Imbrie, marking the first political murder in the history of the service. The American people were deeply outraged by his violent death, which sparked widespread outrage. While Imbrie's loss briefly made him a cause célèbre, subsequent events quickly overshadowed his remarkable life and career.

Susan M. Stein delves into the captivating story of a figure steeped in adventure and historical significance. Imbrie, driven by a desire for adventure rather than pursuing a legal career, volunteered as an ambulance driver during World War I and later joined the State Department upon the United States' entry into the war. His assignments took him to various countries, including Russia, where he witnessed the October Revolution and narrowly escaped a Bolshevik arrest order. Even as Turkey's war of independence unfolded, he continued to track communist activity, demonstrating his commitment to safeguarding national security.

Imbrie's tragic fate was sealed when he was assigned to Persia, where he met his untimely end at the age of forty-one. His assassination set off political repercussions that continue to cloud relations between the United States and Iran to this day.

In her book, On Distant Service, Stein uncovers a wealth of untapped materials, providing readers with a fresh perspective on an era when diplomacy and daring went hand in hand. Through meticulous research and compelling storytelling, she brings to life the remarkable life and career of Robert Whitney Imbrie, a man who left an indelible mark on the history of the Foreign Service.

Weight: 692g
Dimension: 165 x 237 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781640121942