Mark MacGuigan was appointed Canada's Secretary of State for External Affairs in a tumultuous period of renewed East-West tensions, challenging Canadian-American relations, and regional conflict in the early 1980s. In this perceptive mix of autobiography and study of foreign policy under Pierre Elliott Trudeau, MacGuigan surveys a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues, weaves together an intriguing cast of national and international characters, and offers important insights into the making of foreign policy from a ministerial perspective.

In chronicling the events in which he participated, MacGuigan describes his motivations, reactions, and decisions which illuminate Trudeau's approach to foreign policy and governance. An Inside Look at External Affairs during the Trudeau Years reflects on the interplay between domestic and international agendas and individual personalities in caucus that ultimately shape foreign policy.