Out of the blue, I found myself invited to Baku. Azerbaijan has immense deposits of oil and natural gas, and in a blithe nouveau riche spirit chooses to put itself on the map by spending fortunes having anyone and everyone come on a visit. The World Amateur Boxing Championships had just been staged in Baku, and a conference on humanitarianism was to follow. On arrival I was taken in charge by a posse of minders, put up in a five-star hotel, and fed at a succession of banquets, meals, and receptions. The Soviet experience in old days had taught me …