This is a remarkable book; absolutely loved it. A beautiful memoir of a life, as it is as a superb social commentary and a warning about what can happen to even the most stable and secure society; highly evocative prose and lovely depictions of the world he lived in. Definitely a book to return to again and again as the author lived through extremely important and interesting times. Sadly, his experiences are relevant again especially since there is a lot of scary resonance with our current times. Highly recommended