Music in America's Cold War Diplomacy

“Balanced, insightful, and meticulously researched, Danielle Fosler-Lussier’s book is a magnificent account of the ways in which the U.S. government used music to advance its foreign policy goals during the Cold War. For the first time we are taken behind the triumphalist headlines and uncritical mythology of stars and swooning publics surrendering to the irresistible forces of U.S. ‘soft power’ to see the inner workings of the cultural Cold War. The underlying message is that foreign policy—like so much in life—rests on building and maintaining relationships and that for the superpower as for the musician, success begins with listening.”
— Professor Nicholas J. Cull, author of The Cold War and the United States Information Agency: American Propaganda and Public Diplomacy, 1945–1989

“Due to their profound differences, the interstices between governments and the arts are always worthy of attention. Danielle Fosler-Lussier has written a thorough, well-documented, and captivating account of how the U.S. State Department attempted, with some success, to bolster America’s image by sending musicians abroad during the Cold War era. Although I had been one of these musicians, I was surprised at their number and variety, ranging from Dizzy Gillespie to Aaron Copland, from the Boston Symphony Orchestra to Tom Two Arrows, and from Merce Cunningham to Gene Kelly. It is fascinating to discover the inner workings of how artists were selected, how countries were chosen, and how the tours were presented, as well as to read about the subsequent debates regarding the value of the tours. This book offers us not only the opportunity to understand an intriguing aspect of our cultural and political history, but also a chance to reflect upon who we were and who we are.”—Stephen Addiss, author of The Art of Haiku