Former Soviet Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Dobrynin has contributed a mildly anecdotal memoire to the body of diplomatic literature. One can learn almost nothing about Soviet diplomacy from this book. In fact, it's almost as if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn't exist. What we are served up is a self-important depiction of Dobrynin as the "confidential channel" between his Communist party political masters in Moscow and the numerous occupants of the U.S. White House. If one is to believe Dobrynin - and in this case, I do - he was privy to aspects of White House foreign policy of which even the occasional U.S. Secretary of State was unaware. Dobrynin shows his gratitude for this singular "honour" by praising to the skies those U.S. administrations that used him in this role and by decrying the ineffectuality of those administrations that ignored him. There has never been a more effusive accolyte of Henry Kissinger that this former Soviet Ambassador. In fact, this book reads almost like a job resume, written to impress Kissinger, perhaps to obtain a crumb from the great one's table. While Dobrynin has much to say about the errors of U.S. foreign policy he seems to have forgotten that he was THE official representative in the U.S. of the repressive - at times murderous - regime of the Soviets. No wonder. Not exactly something to help one sleep at night. If everyone has a price, the amoral diplomat Dobrynin's was 25 years in the West. He must have cried the day he left Washington, but not from happiness. I wish him well in retirement - and maybe Henry will remember him at Christmas

Dobrynin was the USSR's point man in the US through six presidents. His memoirs here include the Soviet reactions to many famous incidents, including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the shootdown of Korean Air Lines flight 007. It is because he was in America so long, and privy to both American sentiment and Russian diplomatic policy and strategy that this is so vital for Cold War understanding.
While it can seem a little self-serving in places, Dobrynin spent 30+ years less often in the USSR than here. He met 6 presidents and can discuss them with first hand knowledge of their style and also their reactions they caused in Moscow. His total access to both superpowers' most important policymakers gives him a unique perspective, and given so little of the top Soviet leaders' autobiographies (Krushchev being a strong exception), this is probably the best insider view the West will ever see. For that reason, this book MUST be included in any study of the Cold War from 1960-1991.

During Ambassador Dobrynin's long tenure in Washington, he managed to achieve an in depth understanding of American culture.

That was extraordinary enough for someone who grew up in the Soviet Union. Further, he was able to obtain the respect of many influential Americans. He was invited to functions where he was the only non-American present.

This book tells that story very well. The politics with the 6 Presidents and Soviet Secretaries is really interesting. But I think Mr. Dobrynin is far more interesting himself.

This book is an incredibly insightful and very balanced view of the Cold War and the warriors themselves, both in the USSR and the US. Dobrynin gives a balanced view of the mistakes that people in both countries made, as well as where they succeeded. I especially found the description of the Cuban Missile Crisis fascinating, as well as Moscow's reaction to Watergate and the resignation of Nixon.

Furthermore, this book helped me understand Andrei Gromyko and ---Brezhnev, two people whose names I've heard but I know little about. By reading this book, you will understand more about how the former Soviet government worked, the influence the Politburo had, and how they viewed the US.

What I liked best about this book was that it was balanced. Dobrynin never portrays a bias towards his country, indeed he often points out the errors that they make, and how he disagrees with them. Similarly, he is not at all "out to get" the US as the media portrays USSR/US relations. On the contrary, it is clear that he has much respect and affection for our country, which was his home for nearly 30 years.

The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5, is at times the subject matter would get slightly tedious. I understand that the main issue between the US and the USSR was nuclear arms treaties, however reading about them for 700 pages did tend to get me bogged down periodically.

I highly recommend reading this book for a first hand account of all the behind the scenes machinations between the man who was repeatedly the "confidential channel" between Washington and the Kremlin. Dobrynin was the only player from either country to be present at all summits between the US and the USSR during the Cold War, and was the Ambassador to the US during most of that time. As Presidents changed, and Party Secretaries in Moscow, Dobrynin was a constant. Read all about it here.