George F. Kennan

Gaddis's thoughtful and often absorbing account of the life and career of the Cold War diplomat and historian, winner of this year's Pulitzer for biography, is well served by this audio production. Malcolm Hilgartner narrates with sensitivity to the text, easy precision, and perfect pacing. He shades his voice slightly to indicate quotations from Kennan, an interesting and successful tactic, and to give the flavor of various accents or historic personages, a less successful tactic--his JFK is unconvincing, and his British accent weak. But his intelligence, undemonstrative energy, and amiable tone, as well as his ability to keep the listener involved with no perceptible effort over such a long haul, make this performance a real achievement. W.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

August 15, 2011
No one is better suited than Gaddis to write this authorized biography of George F. Kennan: the noted Yale cold war historian had total access to Kennan’s papers as well as to his family members and associates—Kennan so trusted his biographer that he remarked, “write , if you will, on the confident assumption that no account need be taken of my own reaction... either in this world or the next.” Through his privileged relationship with Kennan, Gaddis reveals the man behind the public persona as an agonized and fragile individual who often felt alienated from the U.S. and his fellow citizens, despite his tireless service to his country. In addition to the intimacies of the work, Gaddis offers critical analyses of Kennan’s key roles as diplomat, policy maker, and scholar of Russian history. Unsurpassed in his strategic vision during the cold war, Kennan is credited with being responsible for much of America’s eventual victory, and therein lies the impetus behind this remarkable biography. Adroitly managed (if occasionally barnacled with extraneous facts), Gaddis’s work is a major contribution to Kennan’s legacy and the history of American foreign policy.

Starred review from August 1, 2012

Prolific author and New York Times-heralded "Dean of Cold War Historians," Gaddis presents a massive and magnificent biography of George Frost Kennan (1904-2005). A Times obit described Kennan as "the American diplomat who did more than any other envoy of his generation to shape U.S. policy during the cold war." Drawing on unprecedented access to Kennan's personal papers and diaries as well as numerous interviews with the subject, his family members, and many influential diplomats and government officials, Gaddis reveals how Kennan's work continues to influence American foreign policy. This exhaustive analysis weaves details of the subject's life with his numerous high-level relationships with world leaders and reminds listeners of the dilemmas and aspirations our nation faced during this period. VERDICT Professional narrator Malcolm Hillgartner's lively, personable reading of this huge work is impressive as he maintains listener interest in this important addition to our understanding of American foreign policy during the Cold War. Highly recommended for all university libraries and government wonks. ["Highly recommended for Cold War scholars and for all library collections, alongside Nicholas Thompson's more personal The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War," read the review of the Penguin Group (USA) hc, LJ 9/15/11.--Ed.]--Dale Farris, Groves, TX

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