Jack Matlock was US Ambassador to the USSR from 1987 to 1991. He met Mikhail Gorbachev many times, and besides, he knew his comrades and enemies well. In June 1991, Matlock warned Gorbachev about a plot brewing against him, but was not heeded. In his book, Matlock tells how the collapse of the Soviet empire occurred, what key events led to it, and who was primarily responsible for it. Since the book was written when Matlock had already left government service, and the collapse of the USSR had become a fait accompli, the author speaks frankly about many of the details of these events that were unknown to the general public.