<DIV><p>One of the most powerful short-story writers of the twentieth century, Isaac Babel expressed his sense of inner conflict through disturbing tales that explored the contradictions of Russian society. Whether reflecting on anti-Semitism in stories such as "<B>Story of My Dovecote</B>" and "<B>First Love</B>," or depicting Jewish gangsters in his native Odessa, Babel's eye for the comical laid bare the ironies of history. His masterpiece, "<B>Red Cavalry</B>," set in the Soviet-Polish war, is one of the classics of modern fiction. By turns flamboyant and restrained, this collection of Babel's best-known stories vividly expresses the horrors of his age.</p> <ul> <li> <div>Translation based on the complete, original text taken from an unexpurgated Russian edition</div> </li> </ul> </div>