ASSIGNMENT IN UTOPIA

Book condition: A very well-preserved copy, with sturdy boards and minimal wear; the spine is straight and strong, retaining much of its original gilt brightness, and the binding is tight and secure, with clean and unmarked pages exhibiting only slight toning to the edges. Free of odors or major defects. Not ex-library or price-clipped.George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., London (Bombay, Sydney),1937. First British Edition. Octavo (approx. 21cm x 14cm), ix, 658 pages + index. Bound in original publisher's grey cloth boards blind-stamped design, blue lettering to spine and upper board. Book details: A seminal eyewitness account of Stalin's Soviet Union by journalist Eugene Lyons (1898–1985), who served as United Press correspondent in Moscow from 1928–1934. Initially sympathetic to the Revolution, Lyons documents his disillusionment amid the First Five-Year Plan, collectivization, show trials, censorship, and famine. This anti-totalitarian classic influenced George Orwell's 1984 (notably the phrase "Two Plus Two Equals Five" from Lyons' chapter). Scarce British edition, issued concurrently with the American Harcourt, Brace first. A solid, attractive copy suitable for collectors.…