A trip down memory lane for those of us who have served in Moscow. UpDK, Intourist, MFA -- these are all acronyms that are met with dread and humor by Americans who have served in the Soviet capital. Marvin Kalb writes with honesty and self-deprecating wit. He tells the fascinating story of his first years as a CBS reporter, ending up with the assignment of his dreams (or nightmares, if one considers Madame Borisovna and the cramped rooms at the Metropol). His administrative travails aside, I'm a bit jealous that he was able to have so much personal contact with the Soviet leadership, and was in on so many big stories (the blown Paris Summit, U-2, Khrushchev's eroding position, the Sino-Soviet split, etc.). By the time I got there in the late 1970s, it was the Brezhnev era, and Soviet leaders did not deign to meet with foreigners unless it was absolutely necessary.

I'm now looking forward to reading Kalb's earlier books (Eastern Exposure, The Year I was Peter the Great). What a fascinating career. ( )