This is an outstanding account of why the Red Army collapsed, and with it the Soviet state. Odom does a great job explaining the Soviet military, its ideological underpinnings and its evolution in the 1970's and 1980's, as well as the impact of Gorbachev's reforms. Odom explains why in the end the Red Army could not pull off the coup against Gorbachev even with the support of much of the rest of the government. It had collapsed from within, and so it was powerless to stop either Gorbachev or Yelstin. If you are interested in military affairs or Russian/Soviet history, this is a book you should read.