The New Russia

Mikhail Gorbachev

Jun 2016 · Sold by John Wiley & Sons

About this ebook

After years of rapprochement, the relationship between Russia and the West is more strained now than it has been in the past 25 years. Putin’s motives, his reasons for seeking confrontation with the West, remain for many a mystery. Not for Mikhail Gorbachev. In this new work, Russia’s elder statesman draws on his wealth of knowledge and experience to reveal the development of Putin’s regime and the intentions behind it. He argues that Putin has significantly diminished the achievements of perestroika and is part of an over-centralized system that presents a precarious future for Russia. Faced with this, Gorbachev advocates a radical reform of politics and a new fostering of pluralism and social democracy.

Gorbachev’s insightful analysis moves beyond internal politics to address wider problems in the region, including the Ukraine conflict, as well as the global challenges of poverty and climate change. Above all else, he insists that solutions are to be found by returning to the atmosphere of dialogue and cooperation which was so instrumental in ending the Cold War.

This book represents the summation of Gorbachev’s thinking on the course that Russia has taken since 1991 and stands as a testament to one of the greatest and most influential statesmen of the twentieth century.

Ratings and reviews

Are you a little bit curious about what happened to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)? Here is the man who started the process from communism to a market economy in Russia and it's Republics. He became the first President, before Yeltsin, who then signed papers outlawing his Communist Party. Mikhail Gorbachev gives a detailed account of the decades leading up to his introduction of glasnost and perestroika to the people of Russia. You may be surprised with his sense of humor throughout the book. The book is written to keep the reader involved. Mikhail Sergeyevich gives readers a look into his private life and speaks lovingly about his beautiful wife Raisa. Raisa passed away in 1999. There are hundreds of references to give the reader a even more in-depth look into the USSR and Russia. His visits to everywhere in Russia and the adjoining states are detailed. You will go with him as he met with the heads of state world-wide. The USSR was in economic turmoil and Mikhail outlines the problems the people were facing during the 1970s and 1980s. You will find out why he was not to fond of Yeltsin and the oligarchs who took Russia down a tough road. Mikhail Sergeyevich outlines what he thought should happen to the USSR. Yes he does cover the government as it unfolded up until 2015 under the leadership of President Putin. He expresses his sorrow with the lack of opposing political parties in Russia. It was Mikhail who formed at least two of the parties in opposition to United Russia. Today President Putin holds a slim majority in the elected Russian Parliament seldom mentioned in the media. Gorbachev continues his work to this day with the Gorbachev Foundation. To anyone who is a student of history I highly recommend this book to you.

Very interesting, you can find out his thoughts and feelings of Russia today and in the past!

Amazing, not to hard to understand and very good.

About the author

Mikhail Gorbachev was the last leader of the Soviet Union, serving as General Secretary of the Communist Party from 1985 to 1991. Since then, he has maintained an active role in world affairs through the Gorbachev Foundation, a nonprofit think tank which promotes democracy and humanitarian initiatives globally.