Gorbachev and after /

An updated and expanded edition of White's Gorbachev in Power (1990), this book is based on material through June 1991 and thus does not account for the radical changes brought about by the August 1991 coup and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev and After is an excellent textbook that examines the experience of perestroika by describing and assessing its key elements. White does a superb job of extracting materials from a wide range of primary sources and synthesizing them into a coherent and integrated account and interpretation of Gorbachev's leadership. The substantive chapters deal with political reform, economic reform, the nationalities, foreign policy, and glasnost. An opening chapter places the Gorbachev years in historical perspective and a closing chapter explores competing visions of the Soviet future from diverse perspectives within the Soviet Union. The book is so strong one hopes that White will put out a further updated edition that will include developments through the end of 1991. One might also wish for a selective bibliography that can lead students to additional Western materials that offer a range of interpretations. For lower-division undergraduates and general readers.