RUSSIAN CROSSROADS: Toward the New Millennium

Primakov served as Russian prime minister, foreign minister and head of foreign intelligence during the 1990s' tumultuous post-Communist transition; today he is president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Russian Federation. In this fascinating and revealing memoir, Primakov shares his insider's view of Russian politics and decision making from the origins of Gorbachev's perestroika to the present day and beyond. Among the most interesting revelations for American readers are the details of conversations that Primakov, a Middle East expert, had with Saddam Hussein and world leaders during the preparations for the first Gulf War in 1990-–91. Primakov still believes that war might have been avoidable, since Saddam was finally convinced to back down, albeit too late according to the Coalition timetable. Primakov also describes what he saw as missed opportunities for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. Much of his book illuminates Russia's domestic politics in the post-Soviet era, including the transitions from Gorbachev to Yeltsin, then Putin. He disputes the view common in the West that Putin is sliding away from democracy toward greater authoritarianism, putting Putin's policies in the context of the struggle between rule of law and the corrupting power of the new political and economic oligarchy. Primakov tends to ramble, so key revelations and insights do not stand out as well as they should, but this is a book that will be speedily passed around Beltway and foreign policy cubicles. (Nov.)