The Soviet Union in the Horn of Africa is the first major attempt to address the paradoxes of Soviet behavior in the area. Dr. Patman provides a careful historical background to the recent conflicts and shows how the Soviet Union and its East European partners dramatically switched from being close allies of Somalia to allies of Ethiopia—intervening in the Ethiopian-Somali war of 1977-8 to ensure the military defeat of their former ally. However, he does not confine himself simply to retrospective analysis. He also assesses the Soviet experience in the region in the decade since 1979, and considers in particular the impact of Gorbachev's new thinking and the new diplomacy.