This short but informative book is an excellent introduction to the life and work of Fr Alexander Men, the last priest of the Russian Orthodox Church to be murdered under the Communist regime (1990). He grows in stature and influence by the year, as witnessed by the annual conferences held in various parts of the world each September to commemorate the date of his death. Ann Shukman has previously written a fuller biography of Fr Alexander and her work ensures accuracy, excellent translation and beautiful presentation. The superb photographs on every large page, combined with relevant short texts, set out the basic facts of his curtailed life and teachings; the translator emphasises how the relevance of this work for believers in the West is growing. Initially sidelined by the Moscow patriarchate, he is gaining ground there too, a fact illustrated by a moving foreword by Metropolitan Yuvenaly, an elder statesman in the Russian Church. Movingly, the book begins with portraits of his family and coloured illustrations of his juvenilia: he grew up to be an icon painter as well as a fine musician. There is no space for an adequate summary of his theology, but a description of the perestroika years under Mikhail Gorbachev, when he advanced from being a parish priest who kept his head down to a national figure appearing daily on television and in lecture halls, leaves the reader demanding to know more. His murder remains unexplained to this day. One hopes that the publishers will arrange for proper distribution in the West.