The thing is, I'm not entirely sure what the memories are...
I remember buying this book when I was on holiday in the mid 1980s (not the version pictured above, I hasten to add, but a previous version, with a pink cover, I think, which I don't believe I ever got back off John Haynes at Waterside Paper Mill) - I don't think it was when I went to Skye with my parents, but it could well be!
Bizarrely, I can remember quite vividly lifting the book off one of those rotating book stands (you know the type) and being sufficiently intrigued by the blurb to buy it; but I can't recall what kind of shop it was, where it was, what the weather was like, what cool and trendy clothes I wasn't wearing, or anything like that.
Damn, memories are weird!
It's a good book and it was particularly topical in the 80s when relations between the Russians and Americans were...frosty.
However,I have to admit that it's a bit strange to find it included in the SF Masterworks; not that it doesn't merit being there, far from it; it's just that, based on those I've read so far, they are predominantly for the classic stuff from a long time ago - you know, the 50s and 60s and 70s...but, then again, when I think about it, the 80s are thirty-odd years ago, which is more than enough time for anything 'good' from that decade to now be considered as 'classic' - take 'Vienna' by Ultravox, or the 1982 World Cup match between Brazil and Italy, or Dallas...
And before anyone says it, the Austin Allegro may now be considered as a 'classic', but it was never really 'good'.
Who knows, maybe in 30 year's time, one of my books may be considered sufficiently 'classic' to be added to the SF Masterworks range...
I can only dream...
By the way, recent blog page-view activity would suggest Edward Snowden is either still in Russia or Latvia, has sneaked back to Hong Kong, or is now chilling out with the Dutch!
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