This book was written by Valerii Leonov, Director of the Academy of Sciences in St.Petersburg. In February 1988 the Academy of Sciences was hit by the worst library fire of the century. Using memoirs, documents, newspaper reports and the personal testimony of those involved, Leonov has meticulously reconstructed events surrounding the fire, the huge clean-up operation and the climate of mistrust and back-stabbing which developed amongst library staff in the wake of the disaster. These events culminated in an accusation of illegalities levelled at Leonov himself, a charge of which he has since been full exonerated.