Gorbachev: Analysis Of Three Books About Gorbachev

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years after Gorbachev came to power and why were these changes
necessary.

The first book "Gorbachev" was written by Zhores A. Medvedev in 1986 and hence
the author is concentrating on the first year of the new course in Soviet
history. The book itself basically consists of two parts: the first part where
the author describes the "making of a General Secretary", and the second part
entitled "Gorbachev in power" which describes Gorbachev's first year in the
office. The first part of the book gives a lot of background information which
allows the reader to see the stages in development of the Soviet leader from
childhood and youth to second-in-command. One thing I found to be particularly
interesting in Medvedev's description of Gorbachev's youth and that is the
theory that living with a Czech intellectual for five years changed the future
Soviet leader in such a way that he became more "westernized" which "indirectly
provided the Soviet Union with a new style leader". ...

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the appearance of a new political generation which
differs from the old guard in style, knowledge and historical
vision....Gorbachev represents a younger post-war political generation, a
generation which started its professional Party or state career during the more
liberal Krushchev era" (p. 165). Medvedev quotes some of the very enthusiastic
Western newspaper comments which called Gorbachev a "bright, incisive, brisk-
mannered man", with "high intelligence, considerable organizational abilities,
political acumen". According to the author no previous Soviet leader had
received so much immediate publicity and such an enthusiastic welcome from the
general public. "Gorbachev's popularity ...

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