Envoy to New Worlds

I bought this book from a used bookstore because it was like $1 and because of the cover (can't upload it here, it's the Ace paperback edition and it's glorious). "RETIEF—THE GALACTIC MACHIAVELLI!"

so the main character, Retief, is this minor space bureaucrat, only instead of sticking to galactic protocol like some sort of beta cuck, he uses his big brain and manly, manly physique to navigate complex diplomatic situations, which often involves action-cool hand-to-hand combat and random women offering to sleep with him.

also in the last section of the book, "Palace Revolution", there's a "People's Anti-Fascist Freedom League", who, of course, turn out to Not Actually Represent the People.

yeah the politics of this book are frankly terrible, but it was over the top and goofy enough to be entertaining at least.

There aren't too many people who can write humorous Science Fiction, but Keith Laumer does it in these classic stories. This book starts off the series, and the stories follow a formula, but an enjoyable one. Jame Retief is a lower-level staff member of the diplomatic service Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne, and is the only one who can see clearly the problems they face. His superiors (always including Magnan) are bureaucratic ass-coverers who always follow the procedures, but Retief manages, by ignoring all of that, to save the day in the end. This is the kind of book you don't need to sit down and read cover-to-cover. Just pick it up and read a story when you want a lift.