Gorbachev at the Helm (1987) analyses the policy decisions taken at the 27th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in February–March 1986, declared at the time by the Soviet government as a major turning point in Soviet history. It considers the importance of the changes for a number of policy areas, and from a variety of perspectives. The authors examine the degree to which the policy initiatives and associated personnel changes brought about by Gorbachev in certain key areas – domestic politics, general economic policy and administration, agriculture, ideology and foreign policy – constitute substantial innovations.