Reagan at Reykjavik: The Weekend That Ended the Cold War

Adelman (The Defense Revolution), arms control director under President Ronald Reagan, pulls back the curtain on the dramatic weekend in October 1986 when Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met in Reykjavik, Iceland, to discuss matters at a sort of presummit meeting. In this firsthand account, Adelman draws on the extensive public record of the event to deliver a comprehensive look at the larger-than-life figures, divisive issues, monumental breakthroughs, and frustrating stalemates, which in his opinion led this to be “the weekend that ended the Cold War.” While he’s quick to acknowledge that the initial responses to Reykjavik were mixed, even disappointing, he tracks the aftermath to show how the seeds for the breakup of the Soviet Union and the impetus for mass nuclear disarmament treaties took hold in Reykjavik. There’s no doubt that Adelman was a Reagan man through and through, but he pays due respect to Gorbachev and other noteworthy Soviets such as Field Marshal Sergei Akhromeyev. Adelman’s style is quick, accessible, and occasionally humorous, giving this tale an almost whimsical feel despite its world-changing subject. Whether or not his thesis is true, this is certainly a uniquely close-range look at a Cold War turning point. Agent: Jay Mandel, William Morris Endeavor. (May)