Remember much praised FCO blogger Philip Barclay, who achieved some distinction in writing about Zimbabwe when he was posted there despite the inevitable constraints of working in the UK mission?

He’s written a book about Zimbabwe, which maybe gets closer to the heart of what was happening there (and how the civilised world responded, or not) than his blog did.

Here it is:

Buy it. It’s sure to be vivid – and readable.

And to be an interesting contrast to Craig Murray’s writing. Both were dealing with grisly, torturing regimes. Philip stayed the course, even though he must have had many qualms about the wisdom and energy of UK policy towards Mugabe.

Who – if either of them – will be seen to have made any difference for the better?