After its victory in the second World War, the prestige of the Soviet Union stood higher than ever, and the death of Stalin some years later marked the emergence of a new age. However, in spite of Khrushchev's attempts to; reform and revive agriculture, rural Russia remained poor and backward, while managerial dishonesty and inefficiency flourished in many areas. Brezhnev is portrayed as: fundamentally decent but rather lacking in vision or energy, while Gorbachev was probably the victim of newly released forces which were beyond his control. Faith in the international proletarian revolution died a death, and the resurgence of nationalism - a characteristic of the late 20th century almost everywhere - combined with economic difficulties, brought about a virtual collapse of the whole Soviet system. A thoughtful study, well documented though slightly dense in style and approach.