American Family Kennans First Three Generations

George F. Kennan has had one of the most extraordinary careers in the annals of American arts and letters. Whether writing prophetically about the origins of the Cold War in his seminal American Diplomacy, or recollecting his diplomatic journeys in his best-selling Sketches from a Life, he has distinguished himself as a consummate statesman and engaging writer. Now in his nineties, Kennan has traced the origins of his family in America, beginning his tale with the Kennans' decision to flee relentless poverty in Scotland and detailing the travails they faced as early settlers in Connecticut and Massachusetts. An American Family is filled with lively, sometimes haunting vignettes, and vividly captures what life at New England's most remote fringes must have felt like two centuries ago. Part genealogical journey, part detective story, An American Family is a celebration of history, America, and one of its most remarkable sons. 10 photographs, 3 maps.