The War That Never Was: Fall of the Soviet Empire, 1985-91 - Hardcover

Pryce-Jones, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 029781320X ISBN 13: 9780297813200

Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1995

Synopsis

This is an account of the end of the Soviet empire. The coup of August 1991 brought an end not only to Gorbachev's political career, but to the entire Soviet Union: communism imploded, the Berlin Wall had been dismantled, Germany reunified, and several European states regained their independence. This reordering of the world, unimaginable to most people in the West, occurred remarkably peacefully. David Pryce-Jones travelled throughout the former empire to ask the major political personalities for their opinions and reactions as to why this happened. He asked why Gorbachev and the leadership didn't resort to armed violence in classic Soviet style; how much was accidental, how much planned; and how much will never be known about the workings of the impenetrable structure which held together the Soviet bloc. Party leaders, decision-makers and first secretaries of the Soviet republics and satellites each give their version of events, often speaking frankly about Gorbachev, his motivations and actions.

About this title

From the Publisher:

If you want to read just one book about how and why the whole Soviet empire crumbled and fell, you should read this one Noel Malcolm, Sunday Telegraph

About the Author:

David Pryce-Jones is the author of many works of non-fiction, including The Closed Circle and Paris in the Third Reich. He has also written nine novels, of which Inheritance is his most recent.

About this edition

• Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 029781320X
• ISBN 13: 9780297813200
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 416