When Franz Josef Strauss died on October 3, 1988, over a thousand manuscript pages of his memories were left behind. They begin with the Hitler coup of 1923, and the last entries recount a visit with Mikhail Gorbachev in December 1987. In between are triumphs and defeats not only of one of the most significant politicians in post-war German history but also of an outstanding thinker and commentator on the questions and societal debates of that time. A unique document of historical significance.