The Soviet Union is falling apart, day by day. The Caucasus looks like another version of the Middle East, with Armenians and Azerbaijanis killing one another over religion and bits of disputed territory. Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians brave Soviet army bullets to proclaim their independence. The Warsaw Pact collapses soundlessly and the centre plainly cannot hold. On this subject Robert Cullen has written a book about people.