It was getting cold in August when we packed off from Moscow, a few days before the megaton bangs, a few days after Titov and the Berlin wall. The first week of August had ended on a sombre note, despite Titov. For the first time in years Khrushchev had warned the Russian people to be prepared for the worst — a nuclear war. There was a mood of anxiety and unease but no panic, and the prices did not rocket…

Taken all in all, the Russians are a wonderful people, though they do not read The New Statesman and The Times Literary Supplement. Familiarity with them brings content and sometimes imparts a sense of purpose even to those who do not belong.