Two passionate admirers of Boris Yeltsin have written a detailed study of the man during his critical Moscow years, from a 1985-87 stint as Moscow party chief to the heroic days of August 1991. Through firsthand encounters with Yeltsin, his family and many of his collaborators as well as a careful reading of his numerous speeches, they weave an intriguing and useful political biography. The book's principal weakness is the authors' equally passionate antipathy to Mikhail Gorbachev, which creeps into nearly every page.