Clearly this book is dated. It was written as an up-to-date view of Russia in the late 50s around when Stalin died. Salisbury is a keen observer. So if you're looking for an accurate street view of Russia (in the 50s) then it's a good read. This author was a writer for the New York Times and came to specialize in Russia. His book on the siege of Leningrad and the Russian Revolution are both excellent and still hold up today. As I said the book shows it age, but there is an interesting chapter on the uneasy assumption of power by Stalin's underlings directly after his death. ( )