In 1991, there were more than 1,000 "Americanists" - experts in U.S. history and politics - working in the Soviet Union. The Americanist community played a vital role in the Cold War, as well as in large part directing the cultural consumption of Soviet society and shaping perceptions of the U.S. To shed light onto this important, yet under-studied, academic community, Sergei Zhuk explores the personal histories of prominent Soviet Americanists, considering the myriad cultural influences - from John Wayne's bravado in the film Stagecoach to Miles Davis - that shaped their...