I have an enduring fascination with the story of Shostakovich and the Leningrad Symphony, and this book digs deep into the open wound that is his life and this symphony and reveals the full spectacular irony of it all. A wonderfully written book, ostensibly for teenaged nerds but really for people of any age confused by the specific cruelty of the Stalinist totalitarian state culture. I've read a lot of other attempts to explain this particular period of history, and this book is the best I've read. Honorable mention has to go to the graphic design of the book as well. The book is a clean, Soviet modernist design, the pages neatly delineated with a classic font and small red blocks that hint at the red wedges of the future. A small thing, but like the best video games, the design supports and applies the topic, making the experience of reading the book and looking at the included pictures (including erased pictures of disappeared people) an immersive one.