John Van Oudenaren, <i>The Geopolitics of Culture: James Billington, The Library of Congress, and the Failed Quest for a New Russia</i>
Journal: Journal of Cold War Studies
Year: 2025

In Russia nowadays, honest and competent officials and social activists face the prospect of arrest and imprisonment, but if, in the future, leaders take power in Moscow who value honesty and competence, this book should be required reading in Russian schools. John Van Oudenaren recounts the myriad ways that James Billington parlayed his unique mix of academic authority and administrative opportunities into some of the most successful efforts to collaborate with and support Russians seeking full