Finally back in print, the celebrated journals of the "de Tocqueville of Russia" Marquis de Custine, providing an intriguing look at the Russian politics and culture of the 19th Century that continued to drive Soviet behavior during the Cold War and still casts a shadow on the resurgant imperialism of Putin's Russia today.No one "has yet improved on de Custine's insights into the Russian character and the Byzantine nature of the Russian political system. Indeed, to understand the contemporary [American-Russian] relationship, in all its complex historical and cultural nuance, one needs to read only two books, de Tocqueville's Democracy in America and de Custine's Journey for Our Time." - Zbigniew Brzezinski "The rediscovery of Custine is an outstanding event both in the world of letters and of politics. His book, which I have no hesitation calling a classic, combines the grace and sensitivity of Sterne's Sentimental Journey with Orwell's prophetic insight." - Arthur Koestler