Practicing Public Diplomacy

Yale Richmond (1923-2020), was a retired cultural officer in the US Foreign Service. He practiced public diplomacy for thirty years, including postings abroad in Germany, Laos, Poland, Austria (Vienna), and the Soviet Union. A specialist in intercultural communication, his books have been translated and published in China and Korea.

“Richmond… played a significant role in the implementation of the Helsinki accords…[His] account of how this was done is useful and peppered with interesting personal details of what it was like to be involved in the day-to-day implementation of the accords. In this respect and others, Richmond has given us an authoritative report of how public diplomacy contributed to the outcome of the Cold War.”  ·  Journal of Cold War Studies“The volume is a useful guide for those who are currently or expecting to be practitioners of public diplomacy and Richmond’s experience, particularly in Poland and the former Soviet Union, perhaps provide the answers to how the U.S. State Department and its diplomats should confront the problems of global terrorism and anti-Americanism, especially in the Middle East. Or, as someone suggested, what really is needed is more Yale Richmonds.”  ·  The Polish Review“[Richmond] has already contributed a great deal to the history of US public diplomacy through his earlier studies on the practice of dialogue and exchange with the Soviet Union...[and] has now compiled his memoirs into a light-hearted but nonetheless highly engaging volume...[that is] not just an entertaining chronicle of the Cold War, but also a rich source of comment on issues that continue to plague US public diplomacy today.”  ·  Journal of American History“Richmond’s personal account of how public diplomacy was conducted during the Cold War gives the reader a practitioner’s perspective on this fascinating period in our history, and underscores public diplomacy’s continued importance in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy.”  ·  USC Center on Public Diplomacy“This short, readable volume is a treasure trove of sound advice wrapped in the recollections of one of America’s leading public diplomacy practitioners and top Soviet hands whose lengthy US government career spanned 44 years.”  ·  WhirledView“instructive book…[is] much more enlightening about down-to-earth public diplomacy than a training manual or abstract academic treatise can ever be…a delightful volume.”  ·  AmericanDiplomacy.org“This book will be a long-term reference source for researchers looking at Cold War history, as the subject goes through its inevitable revisionist cycles…It documents a critical element in U.S. cold-war relations––the effort to reach out ideologically to Soviet and East European audiences in the face of formidable opposition by Communist regimes in the region. The author was involved in this subject more directly and over a longer period of time than any other U.S. government official.”  ·  Wilson Dizard, author of Inventing Public Diplomacy, and Member of the Public Diplomacy Council"It is sometimes said that soft power helped to win the Cold War. To find out what it was like to be on the front lines of these battles, read this fascinating memoir."  ·  Joseph S. Nye, Harvard University and author of Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics

• ForewordPrefaceIntroductionChapter 1. Doing Democracy in DeutschlandChapter 2. Nation Building in LaosChapter 3. Back to the BooksChapter 4. A Voice to VietnamChapter 5. Poland – Russia’s Window on the WestChapter 6. Viennese VignettesChapter 7. East European ExchangesChapter 8. Moscow and MoreChapter 9. Shafted by ShakespeareChapter 10. Doing Détente at the DepartmentChapter 11. USIA + CU = USICAChapter 12. Helsinki and Human RightsChapter 13. Doing Democracy at NEDSelected BibliographyIndexPhotos