Customer Reviews

Midnight Diaries

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Yeltsin's memoirs are without doubt interesting and necessary source for everybody who's looking to understand what really has happened in Russia during 90s. But unfortunately this is only half or even less of that what Yeltsin really could tell us. First of all, this is not of course Yeltsin who has written this book. Real authors are Valentin Yumashev, who is also author of Yeltsin's previous memoirs, and Tatyana Dyatchenko, Yeltsin's daugther. Reading this book you could find almost in every chapter how authors had tried to save Yeltsin's face for history. They succeeded if reader is not well informed about Russia. But for them who have lived this through, Yeltsin's book is too one-sided and not really trustful piece.

No wonder that this book attracted such negative reaction from 'experts' in Russian politics. What seemed almost to everyone as illogical, bizarre behavior of a senile tsar suddenly becomes clear, simple and logical. Yeltsin describes day by day his struggle for power since he started his presidential race with support of only 3% of popular support. As one reads the book it becomes evident that Yeltsin always had a very clear and realistic picture of what was happening around him. He could let people believe that he was too sick and weak to rule, watched who, how and when tried to get the power. Like a good hunter Yeltsin stoke deadly blows on his foes when they truely believed he was under their control. Yeltsin analyzes the situation, decides who's his friend or foe, plans his actions and acts without remorse. The book reads like a novel that unfolds the secrets of Russian under carpet bulldogs fighting.

Yeltsin's book was a pleasant surprise. The book certainly isn't slim, and when I picked it up, I anticipated a typically dry autobiography written in a prickly, defensive tone. Yeltsin, however, writes honestly, and rather than an arrogant drunkard, I saw a down-to-earth and somewhat perpetually-troubled man. Yeltsin mixes a daily diary with his documentation of some of the more publicized events--sex scandals, wars, and the like--to make a work that reads like a novel.

Now, the above isn't to say that this autobiography isn't biased, because it certainly is. Yeltsin glosses over certain issues and personal flaws, such as his exasperating penchant for dismissing prime ministers, aides, and all kinds of other government bureaucrats every few months. Yeltsin apparently has very high standards--though what, precisely, he's looking for in his personnel he never explains exactly--and a fondness for perfection that isn't readily apparent in media depictions of him. But keeping its one-sidedness in mind, we still see Yeltsin as a calculating commandeer, rather than a blathering puppet. Though he might have fallen to the latter in the latter part of his career, he definitely wasn't always so.

I believe the book is well worth reading, because, in my opinion, it is absolutely essential to examine history from as many viewpoints as possible. This is why I highly recommend reading autobiographies in general.

That being said, this book might not necessarily be for everyone. Because of Yeltsin's constantly-changing Kitchen Cabinet, there are myriads of names to keep track of, and most, being Russian, end in "ov," "ev," or "sky," which doesn't make them very conducive to being committed to memory. This is made more complicated by the fact that a full Russian name consists not of two names, but of three; a personal (given) name, a patronymic, and a surname. Though a character--in my following example, the Minster of the Interior--might be introduced as "Anatoly Sergeyevich Kulikov" for the first time, Yeltsin will subsequently refer to him as "Anatoly Sergeyevich," as is Russian custom.

For those new to Russian history and politics or simply unfamiliar with these older names, there is a useful chart featuring the names and descriptions of the "principal figures" available at the beginning of the book. I'd suggest dog-earing the page, as you will be referring to it often.

Politics aside, it's a good book written by a good man, and it has a permanent place on my shelf.

This is such a great memoir of a very interesting man. I always felt that Yelstin never got his commupance. He led a country the best he could in a very hard time

And now we get to hear everything that happend from the "front-lines" in the leaders own words.

Although this book is quite limited in it's perspective, it does offer both candid and posed tips on modern Russian culture. Mr. Yeltsin's copious jottings reveal his personal taste for style and political power. The writings also reveal some of the cultural challenges that plague the Russian people such as; peer presure among adults for consumption of vodka and the need for modern business people to find a moral code that will promote sound national and international business practices. The extensive political reporting which Mr. Yeltsin has voiced would indicate that Russian self-government is still in the developing stages and has many hurtles to pass. However the outlook is hopeful and not blindly so. One leaves the text wondering how we might come to learn more of President Putin's own style of politics. An interesting read for anyone studying modern Russian culture, this book is by no means an authoratative overview on the culture.