About me
I’m Leigh Turner, writer, inspirational speaker and former ambassador. Thanks for visiting.
My book “Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and Parties” is available from Bristol University Press, from Amazon, or from all good bookshops.
You can buy my thrillers and other books from Amazon or leading bookshops. Read about them here.
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Latest Articles

My upcoming talks: Vienna, Bonn, Düsseldorf
Places are still available for my talks in Vienna, Bonn and Düsseldorf in late October and early November. I’ll also be signing books! Full details

Natural gas: how it poisons politics
Natural gas has a corrupting influence on politics. Politicians hoping for a bonanza from lifting sanctions on Russia should take take note.

A Trump sell-out of Ukraine – and US interests?
A Trump sell-out of Ukraine to give President Putin everything he wants looks the likeliest outcome of the 15 August Alaska summit. The costs of any such sell-out for the rest of the world – and the US itself – would be high.

Cocaine Nights – JG Ballard
“Cocaine Nights” is one of the last novels by English writer JG Ballard. It is a rich, ravishing, blackly comic indictment of modern life.

Trump-Ukraine: a new policy?
Trump-Ukraine: on 14 July 2025 the President threatened major new sanctions against Russia and promised to “massively supply” arms to Ukraine. Is this significant?

Salonica, City of Ghosts
“Salonica – City of Ghosts” is an eery, elegiac portrait of a city that – in many respects – had a completely different identity to
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