6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – Amherst wine & cheese
7:30 to 9:00 p.m. – book talk and signing
[words] Bookstore
(owned by Jonah Zimiles '79)
179 Maplewood Avenue | Maplewood, NJ 07040
When Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1985, the USSR was one of the world’s two superpowers. By 1990 he, more than anyone else, had ended the Cold War, and in 1991, after barely escaping from a coup attempt, he unintentionally presided over the collapse of the Soviet Union he had tried to save. In the first comprehensive biography of the final Soviet leader, Professor Taubman examines Gorbachev’s evolution and portrays the many sides of Gorbachev’s unique character, extending to his marriage and family life. Prior to Professor Taubman’s book talk, join other alumni and parents for an Amherst wine & cheese to take place in the bookstore from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The book talk and signing are open to the public. No purchase is necessary. Additional questions can be directed to Carrie Harmon P’18 at carrie@wordsmaplewood.com.
William Taubman is Bertrand Snell Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Amherst College. His 2003 book, Khrushchev: The Man and his Era, won both the Pulitzer Prize for biography and the National Book Critics Circle Award for biography in 2004. Taubman has been the President of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies, and chairs the Advisory Committee of the Cold War International History Project at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars in Washington.
Questions? Please contact Amanda Lopez at arlopez93@amherst.edu.