'Montefiore's skill in transferring Stalin's tactics and the revolutionary dynamic to a story of schoolboy rivalry ensures that what might have been a narrative corset becomes a metaphorical mirror. Schoolboy machinations mimic Soviet power struggles and both, in turn, wittily reflect the daily political manoeuvrings of many organisations. The camaraderie fostered by a cause, the corruption of power and the glamour of evil are all anatomised with a light touch and an honest eye...Engaging and assured...a thoroughly nourishing confection.' The Times.