On the Fringes of Europe

The second volume of Martin Nicholson's autobiography chronicles his transformative student years from 1956 to 1963 against the backdrop of the Cold War. It details his National Service in the Royal Navy, where he learned Russian, and his academic pursuits at Cambridge University, culminating in a year at Moscow State University. During this period, he witnessed the complexities of Soviet society, including the space race and Stalin's legacy, which laid the groundwork for his future as a Soviet analyst in the British Diplomatic Service.