" A curious country, but rather thorough," is one of
Captain Owen Tweedy's comments on Russia, which his account of a three days' organized tour in Leningrad and Moscow ade- quately substantiates. In Russia at Random (Jarrolds, 7s. 6d.) he tells his story simply and honestly, wisely avoiding many generalizations, and quotes freely from his charming Soviet guide; " the Vicar's Wife," he called her. He and his fellow-tourists were well chaperoned in Russia, and although he necessarily only saw the surface of a very small section of Russian life (Tsarist remains for the most part, rather than the life that is being lived under the new repine) his 'narrative is extremely interesting, and would make an excellent intro- duction to a course of reading about Russia. Captain Tweedy writes wittily, and always readably. His book should do much to allay the terror with which most people are filled at the thought of visiting Russia.
* * * *
Previous page
