Patrick J Davies OBE is a writer, adviser and long distance walker/charity fundraiser. He is a former senior British diplomat who served as UK Deputy Ambassador to the United States from 2013-18. He is an engaging commentator and public speaker with a deep understanding of the US, UK, Middle East and Europe.
Reaching a major crossroads in 2021, Patrick Davies did the only thing he could think of – he set off alone with a pair of walking boots and a tent to walk the length of Britain in the hope of finding escape and answers.
In sharing his 1400-mile journey from the southernmost point of England to the northern tip of Scotland, Patrick explores issues of identity and belonging, anticipatory grief and the meaning of home against the backdrop of a world turned upside down.
Eight hundred miles across the Pyrenees in 55 days, climbing the equivalent of Everest more than 6 times.
More than 700 miles in 41 days along France’s eastern border, crossing the Vosges, Jura and Alps.
Something has been going badly wrong in America. But what is really happening, why, and what does it mean? Could the US itself now be the greatest threat to the future of the West? What does Joe Biden need to do to get America back on track?
In my new book, I set out to understand how the US, blinded by myths of its own exceptionalism, has failed to tackle serious political, social and economic problems which are exacerbating divisions in its society, poisoning its politics and ultimately risk fuelling America’s decline.
The Great American Delusion asks whether, with global power shifting eastwards, the US can save itself and, with it, the Western world before it’s too late.
In July 2021, I set off from Lizard Point in Cornwall (the most southerly point on the British mainland) to walk to Dunnet Head in Scotland (the most northerly) to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK, climbing the three highest peaks in the UK – Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis – along the way.
74 days and 1400 miles later, I arrived at my destination having raised more than £30,000 for vital research into the leading cause of death in the Western world. I am grateful to the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation and everyone else who donated for their generous support
Book Talk: In conversation with Karen Donfried, President of the German Marshall Fund, on 25 February 2021 about the myths of American exceptionalism and their impact on America and the world. Click on the images to watch the video.
On US Inauguration Day 2021, I spoke at the Intellectual Forum about the new US administration and what it means for America and the world.
⬅️ My interview with The Cambridge Student about working with Donald Trump, the prospects for the Biden/Harris administration and the future of the UK/US relationship. Read the article here.
Following President Trump’s suspension from Facebook, my interview with LBC’s Nick Ferrari about social media and the danger it can present to our democracies. You can listen here. ➡️
Just after the 2020 American presidential elections, I was guest on the United States of Dramerica podcast to talk about Joe Biden’s victory, the unique challenges of working with the Trump administration and my hopes for America under the Biden/Harris administration. You can listen here.
