The marvelous account of a 10,000-mile journey by car from St. Petersburg and the Baltic States south to Georgia and Armenia in 1981. A gifted writer and intrepid traveler, Thubron grapples with the complex Russian identity in this lyrical book, first published as "Where Nights are Longest." Thubron combines his encounters with the interesting characters he meets with Russian history, politics and insightful commentary. Highly recommended.  (RUS106, $14.00)