| Description | Manuscript notes written by Shuckburgh on 15 Aug 1959, looking back on his first year as Political Advisor to Paul-Henri Spaak, Secretary-General of NATO. He describes his difficulties in getting access to Spaak and Spaak's reluctance to take minutes; his relations with other NATO staff; Spaak's character and political judgement; the difficulties of communicating with other departments of NATO, giving an example of an interview with Charles de Gaulle in which Spaak made 'proposals which the Americans and British and other members of the Alliance could not possibly accept'. Despite these problems, he finds the job very enjoyable because his Division is 'so well staffed and efficient'. |