During his three years as the American ambassador to Romania, Al Moses undertook the arduous task of putting American-Romanian relations on firm footing. Ambassador Moses’s book begins with his efforts on behalf of Romania’s Jews in the 1970s and continues with vivid accounts of Romanian life, as well as the largely untold story of the art of diplomacy, from a personal perspective at a crucial time following the downfall of communism in Europe. His great devotion and effort helped improve the lot of millions of people and earned him the Order of the ‘Star of Romania.’―Teodor Melescanu, minister of foreign affairs, Romania

Ambassador Moses is one of those who led the effort to bring to Israel Jews who would otherwise have remained in Romania, virtual prisoners under communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Moses’s book tells the story of the exodus of Romanian Jews to Israel and the means he employed to gain their freedom. He describes in vivid detail Jewish life in Romania before and after Ceausescu fell and his unique role as American ambassador in Romania after decades of communist oppression that led to Romania’s journey to freedom.―Natan Sharansky, chair, Jewish Agency for Israel; deputy prime minister of Israel (2001–03)

The fall of communism in Eastern Europe presented U.S. policymakers with a historic opportunity to help the countries in the region build free market economies and democratic political institutions. As our ambassador to Romania during this critical period, Al Moses dedicated his great energy and powers of persuasion to encourage Romania’s political leaders to take the bold steps needed to rejoin the West. I was present when Romanian President Ion Iliescu met with President Clinton in the Oval Office in September 1995, and again when President Clinton visited Bucharest in July 1997. I witnessed Romania’s march on the road to freedom and Ambassador Moses’s contribution to Romania’s success. His book tells this story in gripping and inspiring language. It is a must-read for those interested in U.S. foreign policy at its best.―Strobe Talbott, U.S. deputy secretary of state (1994–2001)

“Bucharest Diary: Romania’s Journey from Darkness to Light is an essential read for anyone interested in the region’s general and Jewish history. It’s by a modern-day Moses—a man who was more responsible for letting his people go to Israel than any other figure.”—Ben Zehavi, The Times of Israel

“Moses’ book reflects its author, who had served as President Jimmy Carter’s Jewish liaison. It’s a case study, an insider’s look, at how one formerly communist country became free.”—Steve Lipman, The New York Jewish Week

“Alfred Moses has written an invaluable tome that describes the realities of what an ambassador's life is like day-to-day, and provides unique insight into Romania and more generally the transformation of life in post Iron-Curtain Europe. Through his eyes, the reader sees Romania grow from a little-examined post-communist country to one that, at the end of Moses' tenure, received the president of the United States on an official state visit—its transition, as a justifiably proud Moses puts it, from 'darkness to light.'”—Norman Eisen, The Jerusalem Post

“An important firsthand account of how the so-called third wave of democratization played out on the ground.”—Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs

The Berlin Wall s demise in November 1989 heralded the end of communist regimes across the Soviet-dominated Eastern Bloc. Largely peaceful movements replaced governments in nations throughout Eastern Europe except in Romania, where the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu clung to power for weeks until he and his wife fl ed the capital city of Bucharest in the face of protests. They were soon captured, tried, and executed. Romania was the only Warsaw Pact country to experience a violent overthrow of its government after the Wall came down.

Despite Romania s turbulent transition out of communist rule, the country today boasts the fastest-growing economy in Europe, a tradition of robust centrist politics, and membership in both NATO and the European Union.

In this memoir, American attorney Alfred H. Moses, who was the U.S. ambassador to Romania from 1994 to 1997, tells the saga of how this nation on the Black Sea, the second-largest country in Eastern Europe, transitioned from darkness to light. Moses describes how he first became involved in Romania through his leadership of the American Jewish Committee s work to help members of the country s Jewish community which had been devastated by Nazi Germany emigrate to Israel. From 1976 until the death of Ceaus¸escu, Moses was the main U.S. actor in a complex, and successful, mission to induce Romania to let its Jewish citizens leave, while also helping to preserve Romania s Jewish heritage.

Moses tells the story of his work with Romania s Jewish community, his interactions with the democratically elected leaders of post-communist Romania, and his service as U.S. ambassador in Bucharest as the country just began to transition out of the rubble of communism. During his time as ambassador, Moses helped build Romania s nascent democratic institutions, promoted privatization of the economy, and shepherded the nation on the path toward full integration with the West.