The Gorbachev Factor`To understand this singular man, the reader can do no better than to turn to Archie Brown's astute and lucid book. There have been several excellent works on Mr Gorbachev ... but none examines the subject as thoroughly as this volume ... a rich study, as impressive in its sweep as in its details.' Abraham Brumberg, New York Times `Archie Brown's book is not only a richly researched, easily readable biography of Gorbachev himself. It should be studied at once in every diplomatic service worthy of the name, starting with our own Foreign Office.' Michael Foot, Evening Standard `Archie Brown has mastered the material and met the people ... he writes with a historical perspective unavailable to authors of the instant biographies which appeared while Gorbachev was in power.' Rodric Braithwaite, Financial Times `Archie Brown's closely reasoned book ... makes a better case for Gorbachev's record as a reformer than Gorbachev's own memoirs ... the most thorough exposition of Gorbachev's domestic political record yet to appear.' Jack F. Matlock, Jr, New York Review of Books `This Oxford don, for years one of the world's most talented Kremlinologists, has already found the memoirs, documents and interviews that allow him to provide a remarkably detailed and authoritative account of the key moments in Gorbachev's career.' Robert G. Kaiser, Washington Post `It is hard to come away from this admirable book without an affection for Gorbachev's insistence on peaceful change, his willingness to let Eastern Europe go and his determination to nurture a pluralist culture.' Nick Cohen, Observer `Brown's latest book is the product of many years of intensive research: it proves to be the most detailed and revealing study of the man who revolutionised the USSR. Excellent.' Good Book Guide |
Contents
1 | |
2 The Making of a Reformist General Secretary | 24 |
3 In the Portals of Power | 53 |
4 The Power of Ideas and the Power of Appointment | 89 |
5 Gorbachev and Economic Reform | 130 |
6 Gorbachev and Political Transformation | 155 |
7 Gorbachev and Foreign Policy | 212 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alexander Yakovlev Anatoly Andrey Grachev Andropov appointment become Boldin Boris Boris Yeltsin Brezhnev cent Central Committee Chairman Chapter Chernenko Chernyaev Congress of People's conservative coup criticism December democracy democratic discussed earlier Eastern Europe economic reform elections fact foreign policy Georgy Shakhnazarov glasnost Gorbatschow Gromyko Ibid ideas important Institute International Department interview Izbrannye rechi Izvestiya Khrushchev later Lenin let s Gorbachevym Ligachev London major Mikhail Gorbachev military Minister Ministry Moscow Moscow University Nikolay Nineteenth Party Conference officials party apparatus Party Congress party organization People's Deputies perestroika Petrakov plenum Politburo Politburo members political system politicians post-Soviet Pravda President programme radical Raisa Gorbachev Reagan reformist republics Russian Revolution transcripts Ryzhkov Sakharov Second Russian Revolution Secretariat Secretaryship Shakhnazarov Shest let Shevardnadze social socialist Soviet leader Soviet political Soviet system Soviet Union speech Stalin Stavropol Supreme Soviet Tsena svobody USSR Vadim Medvedev Western Yegor Ligachev Yeltsin