Vladimir Pozner is quite a unique man in many respects. His background and the story of his life are a mesmerizing maelstrom of unlikely events, a cauldron of conflicting ideas that molded him into the person that he is today.
‘Parting With Illusions’, published in 1990, documents his lifelong coming-of-age journey, covering the period that was of utmost significance not only to Pozner himself, but to the world at large. Through the prism of his extraordinary experience we get to relive some of the most important events in recent history. The decades-long standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union and the ideological divide that it created are among the central themes in his narrative.
I would be remiss if I failed to mention that Vladimir Pozner’s story has a special meaning to me. Being someone who, in a way, comes from two different and at times opposing worlds, I often question whether I belong to both of them or neither. He faced the same predicament, only he had much tougher choices to make.
Incidentally, I share a lot of Pozner’s views on various subjects, although I also disagree with him on some important issues. Regardless, Pozner’s unparalleled intelligence and insight are hard to deny. If you’re interested in reading about one man’s quest for truth, justice and home – that place where we feel we belong – then I highly recommend this book.
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