As a high-ranking American diplomat during the Cold War, Martin J. Hillenbrand was witness to some of the most exciting moments in twentieth-century history. Fragments of Our Time is a richly detailed, gracefully written account of a career that spanned seven presidencies and more than half a century.

After stints in Africa and Asia, the bulk of Hillenbrand's career was spent in Europe. He recounts with authority his experiences in postwar Germany, his involvement with the Cuban missile crisis, his appointment as the first American ambassador to Hungary, and his posts as...