Why am I passionate about this?

I am a speaker, author, and academic. Originally from Rome, I now live in the Netherlands, where I lecture and do research on international and diplomatic history. My book examines the ethical and pragmatic dilemmas that characterized the making of the German-Israeli relationship after the Holocaust at the outset of the global Cold War. I value good reads and excellent conversations, and I held visiting fellowships in, among others, Berlin, Jerusalem, and Oxford. My work won a Dutch National Research Council grant, a major research grant from the Alfred Landecker Foundation, and the LNVH award for ā€˜Distinguished Women Scientists.ā€™ These days, I divide my time between Rome, Berlin, and Utrecht. 


I wrote

Israelpolitik: German-Israeli Relations, 1949-69

By Lorena De Vita,

Book cover of Israelpolitik: German-Israeli Relations, 1949-69

What is my book about?

How and when did the process of reconciliation between Germany and Israel begin? How is it possible that, after theā€¦

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Embassies in Crisis: Studies of Diplomatic Missions in Testing Situations

Lorena De Vita Why did I love this book?

When one thinks of diplomats and what they do, one often conjures up scenes of fancy cocktail parties and elegant dinnersā€“and understandably so. It is exactly for this reason that I will never forget how Jane Marriott recalled what it felt like, during her time as British Ambassador to Yemen, to sit inside an embassy that was under attack.

She shared this and other stories during a workshop held at the British Academy in London, where both academics and practitioners were involved. This is a recommended volume for all those interested in how embassies work in times of crisis. 

By Rogelia Pastor-Castro (editor), Martin Thomas (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Embassies in Crisis as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Embassies are integral to international diplomacy, their staff instrumental to inter-governmental dialogue, strategic partnerships, trading relationships and cultural exchange. But Embassies are also discreet political spaces. Notionally sovereign territory 'immune' from local jurisdiction, in moments of crisis Embassies have often been targets of protest and sites of confrontation. It is this aspect of Embassy experience that this collection of essays explores and Embassies in Crisis revisits flashpoints in the recent lives of Embassies overseas at times of acute political crisis.

Ranging across multiple British and other embassy crises, unusually, this book offers equal insights to international historians and members ofā€¦


Book cover of In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

Lorena De Vita Why did I love this book?

Set in 1933-1934 Berlin, the book follows the U.S. Ambassador to Nazi Germany, William E. Dodd, and his daughter Martha, as they witness and experience the early years of Hitlerian rule in Germany.

It is a work of novelistic history that reads like a thriller assessing the dilemmas of diplomacy in the face of dictatorships.

By Erik Larson,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked In the Garden of Beasts as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It's Berlin, 1933. William E. Dodd, a mild-mannered academic from Chicago, has to his own and everyone else's surprise, become America's first ambassador to Hitler's Germany, in a year that proves to be a turning point in history. Dodd and his family, notably his vivacious daughter, Martha, observe at first-hand the many changes - some subtle, some disturbing, and some horrifically violent - that signal Hitler's consolidation of power. Dodd has little choice but to associate with key figures in the Nazi party, his increasingly concerned cables make little impact on an indifferent U.S. State Department, while Martha is drawnā€¦


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Book cover of The Fornax Assassin

The Fornax Assassin by J.C. Gemmell,

In 2038 a devastating pandemic sweeps across the world. Two decades later, Britain remains the epicenter for the Fornax variant, annexed by a terrified global community.

David Malik is as careful as any man to avoid contact with the virus. But when his sister tests positive as an asymptomatic carrier,ā€¦

Book cover of The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914

Lorena De Vita Why did I love this book?

This is a book on one of the most dramatic periods in international history. Why were political leaders and diplomats in the 1910s unable to stop the worldā€™s descent into chaos and global conflict?

In addition to providing exceptional detail on key historical episodes, the book also highlights how easy it is for localized conflict to escalate and expand, with disastrous consequences. 

By Christopher Clark,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Sleepwalkers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In The Sleepwalkers acclaimed historian and author of Iron Kingdom, Christopher Clark, examines
the causes of the First World War.

SUNDAY TIMES and INDEPENDENT BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2012

The moments that it took Gavrilo Princip to step forward to the stalled car and shoot dead Franz Ferdinand and his wife were perhaps the most fateful of the modern era. An act of terrorism of staggering efficiency, it fulfilled its every aim: it would liberate Bosnia from Habsburg rule and it created a powerful new Serbia, but it also brought down four great empires, killed millions of men and destroyedā€¦


Book cover of Cyberdiplomacy: Managing Security and Governance Online

Lorena De Vita Why did I love this book?

The cyberspace is one of the new frontiers of global diplomacy, this is clear.

What this book also makes clear is that the core tenets of diplomatic practiceā€“for example, about how to coordinate policies and maintain dialogue with partners and competitors alikeā€“remain valid in times of massive online disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks. 

By Shaun Riordan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cyberdiplomacy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The world has been sleep-walking into cyber chaos. The spread of misinformation via social media and the theft of data and intellectual property, along with regular cyberattacks, threaten the fabric of modern societies. All the while, the Internet of Things increases the vulnerability of computer systems, including those controlling critical infrastructure. What can be done to tackle these problems? Does diplomacy offer ways of managing security and containing conflict online?

In this provocative book, Shaun Riordan shows how traditional diplomatic skills and mindsets can be combined with new technologies to bring order and enhance international cooperation. He explains what cyberdiplomacyā€¦


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Book cover of No Average Day: The 24 Hours of October 24, 1944

No Average Day by Rona Simmons,

October 24, 1944, is not a day of national remembrance. Yet, more Americans serving in World War II perished on that day than on any other single day of the war.

The narrative of No Average Day proceeds hour by hour and incident by incident while focusing its attention onā€¦

Book cover of Arthashastra

Lorena De Vita Why did I love this book?

This is a classic ancient Indian text on diplomacy and one of the earliest books written in secular Sanskrit.

This book is many thingsā€“including one of the most comprehensive manuals on statecraft, which makes for a fascinating read and an important corrective to Western-centric conceptualizations of the history of diplomacy.   

By Kautilya,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Arthashastra as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about the principles of politics, statecraft, and warfare tactics. What makes a king powerful? What makes a kingdom undefeatable? What makes a government efficient? Kautilya' s Arthashastra answers all these questions and explores much more in this beautiful deluxe edition.A timeless classic from one of the greatest thinkers and strategists!ā€¢ An easy-to-understand translation of the ancient Sanskrit textā€¢ A treatise on politics, philosophy, and military strategyā€¢ Discover why we need laws for efficient governanceā€¢ A peak into one of the best minds of the Indian subcontinentā€¢ Text that had a majorā€¦


Explore my book šŸ˜€

Israelpolitik: German-Israeli Relations, 1949-69

By Lorena De Vita,

Book cover of Israelpolitik: German-Israeli Relations, 1949-69

What is my book about?

How and when did the process of reconciliation between Germany and Israel begin? How is it possible that, after the Holocaust, these two countries could become such strong partners across a variety of domains, including security, economics, and scientific cooperation? I traveled through the Middle East, Europe, and the United States to find out, interviewing eyewitnesses and examining documents in many different archives.

The result is an international history weaving together sincere efforts at reconciliation, cunning diplomatic moves, secret arms deals, and excruciating personal stories. Or, as Kirkus put it, a fresh, exceptionally well-researched perspective on Cold War diplomacy. 

Book cover of Embassies in Crisis: Studies of Diplomatic Missions in Testing Situations
Book cover of In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
Book cover of The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914

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Two women, a century apart, seek to rebuild their lives after leaving their homelands. Arriving in tropical Singapore, they find romance, but also find they havenā€™t left behind the dangers that caused them to flee.

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