George F. Kennan

With a new introduction

Sketches from a Life

"A book by one of the wisest men in American public life today; it is a wonder to read."—James Chace, New York Times Book Review

Written originally as a series of entries in a travel diary and now considered one of the most important memoirs of our time, Sketches from a Life is George F. Kennan's peerless, impressionistic record of his experiences with twentieth-century history. Beginning with his first foreign service post in 1927 and ending seven decades later, Kennan's account is rich with the insight of a major historical participant. Whether relating the perils of Hitler's Germany or revisiting Kennan's days as ambassador to the Soviet Union, Sketches from a Life is as riveting as great literature, and one of the most invaluable documents of our time.

"Sketches from a Life is an exquisite book, vignettes of a tragic century beautifully rendered by one of the finest sensibilities of our time."—Arthur Schlesinger Jr.

"We should savor this book as we are entertained, informed and instructed by it."—Washington Post