23 JANUARY 1959, Page 35

The erivilege was Mine. By Princess Zinaida Schakovskoy. (Cape, 16s.)

Not many people who lied from the Revolution return to Russia, and precious few princesses. The writer did so as the Wife of a Western diplomatist, fifty years to the day after she had been born in Moscow. Still kussian-speaking, she saw and heard much, in town and country, not usually seen and heard by foreigners. The princess can hardly be expected 10 like the regime, but she ,is judicious about it and its problents: she believes that the interven-

lion in Hungary was made belatedly because re- luctantly, and that it could have been avoided, to the Kremlin's relief, had Nagy been as skilful as Gomulka.