Description
Book SynopsisThis book chronicles a family of diplomats who experienced the world in transition. Subjects of capricious fate, they forged a destiny as a family that overcame some of the most cataclysmic events of the twentieth century. Diplomats and Dreamers is a family biography that begins with the careers of the parents in 1887 and ends with the death of Nadejda Stancioff, their eldest child, in 1957. The context of historical developments in an uncertain period of European history highlights their lives. Members of the haute bourgeoisie, this accomplished family is noteworthy for an unflagging ability to survive and persist with success and grace. Furthermore, this book addresses issues of gender by using the careers of the Stancioff women as exemplars of how a woman could develop her life in an atmosphere of strict gender divisions in labor. The Stancioff women''s way of fitting into the mainstream of elite society is yet another model of a new generation of women who stepped beyond the narro
Trade ReviewExhuastive research in a number of languages makes Firkatian's book shine as a work of serious scholarship . . . Written for a 'general audience,' the prose is fresh and readable, while markedly thought-provoking in places . . . Diplomats and Dreamers is an innovative contribution to a sparse literature on a small country that offers new direction as well as bringing attention to an intriguing and well-researched topic. This book is informative and interesting enough for specialists, yet clear and cogent enough for a general audience. * Slavic Review, December 2009 *
To track the history of a country or society through the experiences of one family is usually an enjoyable experience. This is even more the case with Diplomats and Dreamers because it concerns a country and a society with which few in the west are familiar. . . . Mari Firkatian has skillfully woven the personal and political into an enlightening and entertaining story . . . -- Professor Richard Crampton, retired Professor of East European History, University of Oxford
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Acknowledgements Part 3 Part I: A Bulgarian Diplomat and a French Courtier Chapter 4 1 Mass Culture and Politics Chapter 5 2 The Young Family Chapter 6 3 Growing Up Chapter 7 4 Wars and More Wars Part 8 Part II: A Second Generation of Diplomats Chapter 9 5 Growing Up Fast: World War Chapter 10 6 The Disillusionments of Peacetime Chapter 11 7 International Kid to First Woman Diplomat Chapter 12 8 Admirable English Chapter 13 9 The End of and Era Chapter 14 Epilogue Chapter 15 Bibliography Chapter 16 Map Chapter 17 Index Chapter 18 About the Author
