Here is the book for which all who are worrying about how to get along with Russia have been looking. It gives us fundamental insight into the Russian way of thinking and does so with rare simplicity and clarity. The portrayal is a sympathetic one throughout, and true understanding in this difficult field requires sympathy. Criticism must come too, but it will not be relevant unless it is based on such understanding as Professor Somerville here makes available. Prof. E. A. Burtt, Sage School of Philosophy, Cornell University"

Sir James Somerville (1882-1949) was one of the great influences on the 20th-century navy, both as a commander of fleets and a pioneer of radio and radar. The Admiral's extensive correspondence, diaries and reports are deposited in the Churchill Archives Centre at Cambridge. These edited selections reveal much of the background about major naval operations in the Second World War. The loneliness of high command is clearly revealed in these highly personal documents, almost 500 of which are reproduced in the book. In particular they show Somerville's frequent disagreements with Churchill - a...