George F. Kennan

By George Kennan,

Book cover of George F. Kennan: Memoirs, 1950-1963

Book description

The American diplomat's reflections of his years of government service provide insight into four decades of U.S. policy

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Why read it?

1 author picked George F. Kennan as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Diplomat and historian George Kennan wrote with unmatched elegance and clarity. His memoirs, especially the first volume, covering his time in the U.S. embassy in Moscow in the 1940s and the beginning of the Cold War, are a pleasure to read. Kennan sincerely loved Russia but his alarmist view of the communist party profoundly shaped the apocalyptic view of American policymakers of a worldwide communist conspiracy on the march. Kennan later attempted to correct what he saw as a misinterpretation of his views. There is no better introduction to the American policy of containment that began with the Truman administration…

From John's list on Russia in Western eyes.

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