"The last two decades of Cold War saw a transformation of the international system. This volume shows how this change was viewed through the eyes of fifteen major political leaders who were caught up in the process and helped to shape it. The focus on individuals allows the global transformation of power relations to be understood together with the distinctive elements of different societies, cultures and ideologies. The mental maps of crucial figures, from Brezhnev to Gorbachev, Nixon and Kissinger to Reagan, Allende to Mandela, Hussein to Nyerere, Deng Xiaoping to Soeharto, Brandt and Kohl to Havel and Ceausescu provide fascinating insights into the opportunities and constraints felt during this crucial era of international relations"--