Autopsy on an Empire: The American Ambassador's Account of the Collapse of the Soviet Union

by Jack Matlock and Jack F. Matlock Jr.

Book Overview

First posted to Moscow in 1962, Jack Matlock was America's man on the scene for most of the Cold War. Filled with portraits of the major players, including Gorbachev, Yeltsin, Reagan, and Bush, this... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679413766
• ISBN13: 9780679413769
• Release Date: October 1995
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 836 Pages
• Weight: 2.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.4" x 6.5" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

Did I mention I bought an author signed copy? Hahahahhaa

Condition is not ideal, but it’s an old book and signed by the author! Hahahah no complaints!

A highly readable account from an expert on the matter.

This "Account on the Collapse of the Soviet Union" may be the best book I have read about the demise of the Soviet Union - I personally prefer it over David Remnick's "Lenin's Tomb," which won the Pulitzer Price. For one thing I think Mr. Matlock is among the men best suited to write about the Soviet Union, since he has experienced it first-hand for over 30 years. Moreover, although he never denies that the book constitutes his personal account, he still manages to seperate the issues discussed from his own person, something that I found Remnick to have trouble with at times. His theories, although not necessarily earth-shattering, are backed up by oodles of evidence, be it data or just anecdotes. The summary and the description of the CIS states and the future of the Commonwealth also provide a glimpse into the future. All you ever wanted to know about the epochal events and influences shaping the former Soviet block today.