From Moscow to Cuba and beyond : a diplomatic memoir of the Cold War

Jeanne Sutherland first went to Moscow in 1952 to work on Soviet internal affairs in the British Embassy at the height of the cold war. In Moscow she met her husband, Iain Sutherland, and later accompanied him on his diplomatic assignments, often working herself and always taking the opportunity to explore the countries in which they lived. In 1977 she completed an MA in Soviet Studies and began her research into Soviet (afterwards Russian) education. She is the author of Schooling in the New Russia, Innovation and Change, 1984-95. "The death of Stalin; the Revolution in Cuba and the beginning of the Castro regime; the assassination of President Kennedy; the Watergate Scandal; and the dawn of perestroika. Iain Sutherland enjoyed a ring-side seat for all of these key moments of the 20th century, among many others. 'From Moscow to Cuba and Beyond' offers a lively and unique account of his experiences over the course of his long and fruitful diplomatic career. This culminated in the position of British Ambassador to Moscow at the tail end of the Cold War, when the Sutherlands witnessed the deaths of three Russian heads of state within three years - Brezhnev, Chernenko and Andropov - and the epoch-changing election of Gorbachev. Iain Sutherland and his wife, Jeanne, were posted to Russia, Cuba the United States and elsewhere, as the Foreign Service dictated. 'From Moscow to Cuba and Beyond' vividly evokes the joys as well as the difficulties of life as an expatriate and diplomat under Stalin, Tito and Castro, as well as of the particular demands of diplomatic life in the USA. Their unique perspective offers a stimulating and penetrating view of the 20th century which will be invaluable for anyone with an interest in diplomatic or political history."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Begining in Moscow more than thirty years earlier, in the year before Stalin's death, this engaging personal memoir throws light upon some of the darkest years of the Cold War. The letters and diary entries, beautifully contextualised by his wife Jeanne, offer many revealing insights into diplomatic life during some of the tensest periods of the twentieth century. This memoir examines how day-to-day life, embassy functions and local culture intersect with the larger political and historical framework. Colourful episodes from family life complement the political content of the letters and diary entries to paint a fuller picture of life at the heart of international politics Lain Sutherland was British Ambassador to Moscow at the tail end of the Cold War. In this important post he and his wife witnessed the deaths of three Russian heads of state within three years-Brezhnev, Chernenko and Andropov - and the epoch-changing election of Gorbachev. This was the culmination of a remarkable career in the Foreign Service, which took them across three continents from Cuba to Indonesia, returning again and again to Communist regimes in different forms and at different stages of development The death of Stalin; the Revolution in Cuba and the beginning of the Castro regime; the assassination of President Kennedy; the Watergate Scandal; and the dawn of perestroika. In the course of his work for the diplomatic service, lain Sutherland enjoyed a ring-side seat for all of these key moments of the twentieth century, among many others. From Moscow to Cuba and Beyond offers a lively and unique account of his experiences throughout a long and fruitful diplomatic career From Moscow to Cuba and Beyond offers a stimulating and penetrating view of the twentieth century which will be invaluable for anyone with an interest in diplomatic or political history. --Book Jacket Jeanne Sutherland. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 339-340) And Index.