LAUSR

Soviet politics. Supported by Bullitt, the unexpected chain of Soviet defectors revealed the sad truth about the Soviet Union and the distrustful world. Materialized by his disciples during the Cold War, Bullitt’s futuristic ideas and failed projects gave rise to the Marshall Plan and the subtle art of containing the Soviets. His intrepid French friend Jean Monnet followed Bullitt when he brought the European Union into existence. And his doomed Russian friend Mikhail Bulgakov commemorated Bullitt, merging him with Kant, Christ, and Satan in another bid to end history” (240). The psychological insights, cultural generalizations, and symbolism of Etkind’s book will be an unusual and precious contribution to the traditional prevailing narrative of the political biography of an outstanding US diplomat who tried to use his personal diplomacy, charm, and erudition to build human understanding and respect in US-Russian and US-European diplomatic relations. During the rise of tensions in present Russian-American relations, Etkind’s psychological biography of Bullitt is a convincing reminder to contemporary politicians about the importance of personal diplomacy in improving those relations.