When WIlliam Taubman sat down for his first interview with Mikhail Gorbachev, he decided that if he was to have any more, he would need to take his time. Taubman is a renowned historian whose biography of Nikita Khruschev saw him awarded a Pulitzer Prize. Gorbachev knew this and Gorbachev’s long-time advisor Anatoly Chernyaev had made representations on his behalf. But Taubman also knew Gorbachev had an ego so he kept him talking about his early life, understanding that if he did, Gorbachev would need to meet him again to talk about the great accomplishments of his life. In this…

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