My Years with Gorbachev and Shevardnadze: The Memoir of a Soviet Interpreter

There are few subordinates better placed to describe the amazing turn in Soviet foreign policy between 1985 and 1991 than Pavel Palazchenko. . . . He has produced a solid, reliable account . . . that will be important supplementary reading for future historians and students of the Cold War.-Washington Post Book World"The historical record is fortunate that a man as gifted and capable as Pavel Palazchenko served as interpreter for Gorbachev and Shevardnadze from 1985 through the fall of the Soviet Union. His is a keen mind, and his recollections and observations add to our understanding of those crucial years."-James A. Baker, III, 61st U.S. Secretary of State "Palazchenko was always more than a gifted interpreter, and his book is thereby an especially revealing account of pivotal events and pivotal people. A compelling read."-George P. Shultz, 60th U.S. Secretary of State"The memoirs of Pavel Palazchenko are remarkably revealing-not in the sense of sensational new disclosures, but in the re-creation of the thinking and decisions of the Soviet leaders, in particular illuminating their relationships with Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush and Secretaries of State George Shultz and James Baker. It is a straightforward account by a keen observer at closest hand, full of insight, and makes a real contribution to understanding the history of these crucial final years of the Cold War and of the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is, as well, well-written and a pleasure to read."-Raymond L. Garthoff, The Brookings InstitutionDo Not Use Matlock quote"Pavel Palazchenko has given us a well-written, inside account of Gorbachev's and Shevardnadze's diplomacy. Remarkably objective, it is full of insights, makes fascinating reading, and will also be a prime source for scholars long into the future."-Jack F. Matlock, Jr., George F. Kennan Professor, Institute for Advanced Study, and former U.S. Ambassador to the USSRAs the principal English interpreter for Mikhail Gorbachev and