A biography of the palace from its role in 18th-century Tsarist Russia to the revolution, public park, Nazi military headquarters and restoration. It's a great story, well told by Massie, who also wrote Land of the Firebird. With archival and modern color photographs. Among the books many pleasures is the story the courage of those who fought to save the palace in the wake of WWII.  (RUS154, $28.00)