KGB chief led 1991 Soviet coup out of alarm at collapse, Service argues — but acting president drank through it

Robert Service's "The August Coup" (Pan Macmillan, 11 June 2026) argues that KGB boss Vladimir Kryuchkov launched the August 1991 coup from genuine alarm at Soviet disintegration, not institutional self-interest. The plot collapsed in three days: acting president Gennady Yanayev drank solidly for an entire day, and many KGB officers refused to join. Gorbachev fell four months later. The Guardian reviewed the book on 3 August 2026.