Just finished reading Taubman's 700 page bio of Gorbachev. His accomplishments: freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, free elections, creating par

parliamentary institutions, laid the groundwork for democracy, reduced the danger of nuclear holocaust, dismantled an empire without blood and gave Communism a human face, and opened up free markets and the right to own property. Alcoholic Yeltsin followed him and created a huge disaster, as expected, and it took Putin to put Russia on track, once and for all. Next up, a bio of Yeltsin, then Putin.