Ross Mankenzie recounts the story of face-of-face citizen diplomacy in the Cold War as enacted by a collection of artists, diplomats, and government officials who joined together for a unique mix of political debates, artistic performances, and open discussions sponsored by the internationally renowned Chautauqua Institution just prior to the collapse of the former Soviet Union.

Ross Mackenzie is historian emeritus of the Chautauqua Institution and the author of Threads: A Book of Prayers and Stories. Prior to coming to the institute, Mackenzie taught history at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia for twenty years.