First published 1994
The Cold War's final chapter unfolds through secret negotiations between George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev that never made headlines. Beschloss and Talbott expose the covert agreements and backroom maneuvering that determined the fate of nations. Bush privately promised not to pressure Gorbachev on Baltic independence while orchestrating the complex diplomacy behind German reunification. The authors reveal how the Soviet leader was brought into the Gulf War alliance and detail Bush's confidential warnings to Gorbachev about an impending coup attempt. Most striking are the American president's behind-the-scenes efforts to preserve the Soviet Union and maintain Gorbachev's grip on power, contradicting the public narrative of U.S. policy. This account illuminates the personal relationship between two world leaders navigating the most significant geopolitical transformation of the late twentieth century, showing how their private calculations shaped global events.
Genres: history, international-relations, 20th-century, political-science, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: behind-the-scenes, personal-relationship, secret-negotiations
Setting: Baltic, Soviet Union
Period: Cold War, Late 20th Century
536 pages · Paperback · Little Brown & Co