An authoritative edition of Astolphe de Custine's scathing, insightful -- and observant -- account of the people, culture and politics of St. Petersburg and Moscow circa 1839. George Kennan called this book the best thing ever written about Russia, no doubt in part because of de Custine's trenchant observations on Russian despotism (the Soviets also banned the book). This is the 1843 translation, edited, revised and with an introduction by de Custine's biographer, Anka Muhlstein.  (RUS166, $22.95)