"Bronstein in sum paints a very unflattering picture of Botvinnik: a petty, pompous egoist who reveled in his role as a tin god of Socialist Culture, and who had few if any scruples about reaching and maintaining himself on that pedestal. What to make of this? It could be dismissed as the catty cheap shots of a disgruntled has-been, and some of Bronstein's book does smack of sour grapes and fogeyism. Yet Bronstein has always been respected for his integrity, and the accuracy of his memory. Clearly on the Najdorf veto, either he or Botvinnik is wrong or lying... And it is clear that Bronstein and Botvinnik cannot both be taken at face value."