Not up to his usual mark
I enjoyed "Inside U.S.A.", widely considered Gunther's best book, but couldn't finish this one. I purchased it primarily to see what Gunther made of Moscow, and his essay reminded me too much of the travelogues written by "useful idiots" who travelled through the Soviet Union, bamboozled by their handlers and blind to obvious defects in the system. Gunther was no credulous fool but it just seemed like once his feet left native ground he lost his balance. Don't get me wrong, William L. Shirer admired him and I think he should be remembered as one of our best correspondents.