By 1990, as the state-controlled Algerian economy careened toward the brink of bankruptcy, its government began to turn away from one-party rule and toward democracy. But after the government canceled an election that Islamist parties were poised to win, the ensuing Islamist insurgency killed as many as 100,000 and threatened the country's stability. As ambassador to Algeria from December 1997 to September 2000, as the government in Algiers grappled with the insurgency, Cameron Hume led the U.S. effort to promote democracy, the rule of law, and a market economy in this key Arab country.

Though the United States initially cut back its engagements there, Ambassador Hume helped carry out a policy of expanding bilateral relations to encourage political and economic change and a reduction in terrorist violence. Drawing upon careful records he kept of what he did, he provides a hands-on case study of an important period in U.S.-Algerian relations and, at the same time, of what an ambassador actually does on a day-to-day basis.

An astute observer and unusually creative diplomat, Cameron Hume provides timely insight into dramatic developments in Algeria. He also recounts both progress and setbacks in U.S.-Algerian relations and the parts played by the leading Algerian and U.S. political, diplomatic, and military actors. In Mission to Algiers, Hume recounts the course of events, the challenges inherent in operating a U.S. mission at a time of crisis in a Muslim country, and lessons learned.