Living at the heart of political power in Eastern Europe for half a century, Silviu Brucan was one of the generation caught between the 1944 communist revolution and the 1989 anticommunist revolution. In this memoir, Brucan describes the drama of that time, through an account of the period spanning World War II and the formation of a new government after the overthrow of Nicolai Ceausescu. After participating in the antifascist underground movement during World War II, Brucan became acting editor of Romania's leading communist daily. He served as Romania's ambassador to the United States and then to the United Nations. He later grew disenchanted with the Ceausescu regime, becoming a prime moblizer of popular support for reform and subsequently one of the leaders of the National Salvation Front.