Fragments of Our Time - by Martin J Hillenbrand (Paperback)

About the Book

As a high-ranking American diplomat during the Cold War, Martin J. Hillenbrand was witness to some of the most exciting moments in twentieth-century history. Fragments of Our Time is a richly detailed, gracefully written account of a career that spanned seven presidencies and more than half a century.

Book Synopsis

As a high-ranking American diplomat during the Cold War, Martin J. Hillenbrand was witness to some of the most exciting moments in twentieth-century history. Fragments of Our Time is a richly detailed, gracefully written account of a career that spanned seven presidencies and more than half a century.

After stints in Africa and Asia, the bulk of Hillenbrand's career was spent in Europe. He recounts with authority his experiences in postwar Germany, his involvement with the Cuban missile crisis, his appointment as the first American ambassador to Hungary, and his posts as assistant secretary of state for European affairs and ambassador to Germany. Hillenbrand writes with a keen wit and discerning eye of the people and events that shaped contemporary American foreign policy.

From the Back Cover

As a high-ranking American diplomat during the Cold War, Martin J. Hillenbrand was witness to some of the most exciting moments in twentieth-century history. After five years in Asia and Africa, Hillenbrand spent most of his diplomatic career dealing with Europe in the critical post-World War II and Cold War eras. He recounts with authority his experiences in postwar Germany as the U.S. political advisor to Berlin, his activities as the director of the Intergovernmental Berlin Task Force during the Berlin crisis of 1958-1963, and his appointment as minister and deputy chief of mission in Bonn. He also details his involvement with the Cuban missile crisis and the Kennedy administration, his appointment as the first American ambassador to Hungary, his service as assistant secretary of state for European affairs during the first Nixon administration, and his posting in 1972 as Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany.

Review Quotes

A gracefully written diplomatic memoir by an important player in German-American relations.

--Randall B. Woods "author of Dawning of the Cold War: The United States' Quest for Order"

Adds considerably to our knowledge of twentieth-century U.S. foreign policy.

--Lloyd C. Gardner "author of A Covenant with Power: America and World Order from Wilson to Reagan"

About the Author

MARTIN J. HILLENBRAND is the Dean Rusk Professor of International Relations emeritus and codirector emeritus of the Center for International Trade and Security at the University of Georgia.