Robert Service’s Lively Portrait of the 1991 Soviet Coup

In The August Coup, historian Robert Service examines the summer 1991 plot by communist hard-liners to overthrow President Mikhail Gorbachev. The narrative follows the conspirators’ disorganized actions and the resulting acceleration of the USSR’s shift toward capitalism. Service’s prose is praised for capturing the absurdity of the episode with clarity and elegance. The work follows his earlier biographies of Soviet leaders, completing a comprehensive look at the era’s key figures. Readers are encouraged to find the book at local retailers.