Russia's Transition to Democracy

Book excerpt: Foreword by Sir Brian Fall GCVO KCMG, HM Ambassador, Moscow, 19921995; Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford As a reference work there is little currently available to match its detailed chronological style. Royal Institute of International Affairs Thoroughly deserving of a place on reading lists for courses on recent Russian history. Archie Brown, St Antonys College, Oxford This book is a concise account of the collapse of the USSR and the turbulent first years of Yeltsins Russia. Written by a Foreign Office expert, Russias transition to democracy is charted through an exhaustive analysis of the mistakes made by, and the problems faced by, all political groupings. Western responses to events, and their effect on the internal Russian political scene, are scrutinized and judged.