The candid autobiography of one of the Soviet Union's most powerful communist leaders provides a firsthand look at life as a high-ranking government official under Gorbachev and at the turmoil that led to the fall of Soviet Communism. Ligachev has frequently been described by the Western press as a conservative opponent of Mikhail Gorbachev and his perestroika reforms. He was a lifelong member of the CPSU (since 1944) who initially supported the reforms (1985-88) but later became convinced that they had gone too far, too fast. These memoirs cover the period from 1983 (when Ligachev was transferred from a Siberia posting to a senior position in Moscow) until 1989, when he had become disenchanted and gone into opposition. In large part, he defends himself against charges made elsewhere by other officials, especially Boris Yeltsin in Against the Grain (Summit, 1990) and Anatoly Sobchak in For a New Russia ( LJ 12/91), while defending his unwavering belief in the system that nurtured him. Because of its differeing point of view, this title is a worthwhile addition to subject collections. - Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New York Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.