Tuesday’s Gazeta Wyborcza has a review of two books. The subhead reads: “These two books are crying out to be read in tandem — both were written by Englishmen fascinated by the history of Russia. Can a resident of the British Isles penetrate the darkness of the Russian soul?” Funny how no one ever asks rhetorically if a Russian can understand the Welsh/Scottish/Irish/English soul. Well, what is there to understand? Dull, utilitarian materialists that we are. A child could understand our pathetic civil-engineer-souls. Even a Russian child.