From the author of The Soviet Union and the Middle East comes an examination of glasnost, or liberalization, in Russia through discussion of its impact on the Soviet economy, culture, and politics. In an effort to examine Mikhail Gorbachev and the political style that emerged in the Soviet Union after he became the secretary general of the Communist Party, American historian Walter Laqueur analyzes how Gorbachev's rule has impacted Soviet society and culture, both through how the government is now run and how citizens are reacting. Laqueur discusses how glasnost has led to many revelations about the Soviet Union that were since unheard of, as well as how long this era of insight could last when considering the country's position as a state in ferment. Beginning in the nineteenth century and progressing to present day, The Long Road to Freedom examines the political and economic changes that have come with glasnost in Russia, including speculations on the developments that are likely to come if it continues in this state of liberalization.