The Flight of the Dancing Bear

London: Secker & Warburg, 1960. 1st. hardback. Very good 1st edition, with clipped d/j (slight bumping/chipping); blue clothboards clean; gilt spine titling good; text block firm, pages unmarked and crisp; a little foxing on endpapers and edges.. 8vo: crown (200 x 140 / 8"" x 5_""). Set in Soviet Russia, the story centers on Ur Kamak and Natacha, his performing bear, beloved by the Russian people, but who get into trouble when the aging bear bites a Red Army general. Rather than obey orders to kill the animal, Ur and the bear decide to flee to the safety of neighboring Finland. Also involved are a host of others including KamakÕs niece and the young British diplomat who loves her, the members of a collective that produces illegal vodka, a Russian sharpshooter who hates the present regime, the inmates of a pioneer colony, a lady engineer and her train, and two foreign correspondents. Before Kamak, his niece, Natacha and their odd entourage Finland, they are beset with adventures ranging from the tragic to the hilarious. Combining laughter with tears, The Flight of the Dancing Bear is a fascinating look at life in the former Soviet Union. Dustjacket illustration by David Gentleman.