Durrell's government service and his attitudes Durrell worked for several years in the service of the Foreign Office. He was senior press officer to the British embassies in Athens and Cairo, press attaché in Alexandria and Belgrade, and director of the British Institutes in Kalamata, Greece, and Córdoba, Argentina. He was also director of Public Relations in the Dodecanese Islands and on Cyprus. He later refused an honour as a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, because he felt his "conservative, reactionary and right-wing" political views might be a cause for embarrassment. Durrell's works of humour, Esprit de Corps and Stiff Upper Lip, are about life in the diplomatic corps, particularly in Serbia. He claimed to have disliked both Egypt and Argentina, although not nearly so much as he disliked Yugoslavia.
dUrreLl's goveRnment seRvice anD his aTtiTUDeS dUrrELl WorkeD For SEVerAL years IN thE seRViCE of thE fOreIgn oFfIcE. he waS seniOR PreSs officeR To the brItisH embAssiEs iN AthEnS And cAIRo, PrEsS atTAchÉ in aLexaNdriA and bElgrade, anD DireCtoR oF ThE britIsh INStitUteS in kalAmATa, greECE, and cóRDoBa, ArgeNtina. He wAs AlsO dIRecTor Of pUbliC rELatIonS in the doDEcanEsE ISLaNDS And oN cyprus. hE lATer refusEd an honour as a Knight cOmMANDer of the orDeR of sT. MIchaEl And sT. geOrgE, becauSe HE Felt his "ConsErVative, rEActionary and rIGhT-wIng" PoliTiCal viewS MighT be a cause for embarRASsMent. DUrrelL'S workS oF humOur, esprit dE CorPs And StIff uppEr lip, arE AbOut life in thE DipLOmatic CoRps, paRticulARlY in seRbIa. he ClAimEd to HAve DisLiKed bOth egypT anD argENtinA, Although not nearly So much as He DiSlikeD yuGoslavia.