On November 8, 2005, the Gorbachev Foundation hosted a presentation of the book "Reagan and Gorbachev", written by the former Ambassador of the United States to the USSR Mr. Jack F. Matlock, Jr. The speakers at the presentation included Mikhail Gorbachev and Jack F. Matlock, Jr.
     The book deals with the history of relationship between the leaders of the two superpowers, who traveled a thorny road toward rapprochement and succeeded in reaching the decisions that have changed the world. Publication of the book’s Russian version coincided with the 20th anniversary of a landmark event – the Geneva Summit, which launched the process of detente in international affairs.
     Jack F. Matlock, Jr. noted when presenting his book that he was very pleased with the fact that the book was coming out of print in Russia. He said he wrote it because he thought that lots of baseless myths had emerged both in the United States and Russia about the end of the Cold War. The first myth is that the Cold War ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This is not true. The Cold War had ended long before the Soviet Union collapsed in late 1991. The second myth is that the pressure applied by the West led to the end of the Communist rule in the Soviet Union and to the disintegration of the Union itself. This is also untrue. The Communist rule was ended in the result of the attempt taken by Mikhail Gorbachev to reform the Soviet system and make it more responsive to the needs of the people. And the USSR disintegrated due to its internal conflicts, in particular, because of the unconstitutional attempt to seize power in August 1991. The United States backed a proposal sponsored by Gorbachev to create a democratic federation. The third myth is that the end of the Cold War was the victory of the West and the defeat of the Soviet Union. This is not so. Both sides benefited from the end of the Cold War, as it had eliminated the danger and the expenses related to the arms race for both of them and allowed the two countries to focus on common interests. Those myths were distorting the real picture of what had happened. Therefore it was important for the author to give an eyewitness account about those developments. Only a correct comprehension of the past provides an opportunity to shape today and in the future a policy that would benefit our two countries.
     Aleksandr Bessmertnykh, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, shared his memories of the times when a dialogue was started between Moscow and Washington and of Ambassador Matlock’s role in developing that dialogue. He also expressed hope that this book, written by an unbiased author, a good analyst and a real connoisseur of Russia, will find a wide readership.
     The speakers at the presentation also included Tatiana Kudryavtseva, a renowned translator who translated the book into Russian, and Valentina Kolesnichenko, Director of the Moscow-based R.Valent Publishing House, which published the book.
     In his speech Mikhail Gorbachev said that he welcomes the release of the book which in his deep conviction is very relevant for the contemporary reader. The problem of political leadership is a very topical issue in the contemporary world. And this is the subject of Jack Matlock’s book. However, a leader can accomplish nothing single-handedly: he needs a team. It is very important that the author sought to show the role the teams of both presidents had played. Mikhail Gorbachev also recounted his meetings with Ronald Reagan.
     At the closing stage of the presentation, Mikhail Gorbachev and Jack F. Matlock, Jr. answered questions asked by reporters in the audience.

     The original book "Reagan and Gorbachev: How the Cold War Ended" was published by Random House, New York, NY, in 2004.