When Gorbachev came to power in 1985, the globe was still divided into two armed camps - one for each superpower - as it had been ever since 1945. The Cold War dominated international politics, from Angola to Afghanistan. Although apparently a model communist, he realized that the system could not continue. No longer in power, he has been forced to endure criticism from those wise after the event - most notably Boris Yeltsin, who became undisputed leader after the failed military coup that finally removed Gorbachev from office. In these memoirs Gorbachev describes his feelings about Russia today. He also recounts his childhood in the Caucasus during World War II, of coming to Moscow as a student and meeting Raisa, his career as a Party functionary, and his rise to world prominence.