Book Description
Truly the guides that show you what others only tell you, this book features stunning 3D and cutaway views of museums, cathedrals, and other must-see sights; detailed street maps; a handy phrase section; advice on the best places to eat, drink, shop, sleep, and be entertained; and a Survival Guide to help the traveler sort out essential information such as currency, transportation, and communications. As world traveler and TV personality Michael Palin says, "the Eyewitness Travel Guides are irresistibly seductive.... They also deliver where it matters most -- uncluttered and accurate information."
More than 750 color photographs capture the palaces and other visual pleasures in DK's Eyewitness Travel Guide: St. Petersburg. Dividing the city into five districts (Vasilevskiy Island, Petrogradskaya, Palace Embankment, Gostiny Dvor, and Sennaya Ploschad), precise street-by-street maps and 3-D aerial overviews guide you to all of St. Petersburg's most magnificent attractions. Visit the splendid Winter Palace, a superb example of Russian Baroque architecture, with a stunning illustration surrounded by photos of its key highlights. The glorious treasures of the Hermitage are vividly depicted in an eight-page section featuring illustrations, photos, complete floor plans, and collection highlights by Gauguin, Matisse, Rembrandt, and da Vinci. Additional special features showcase such sights as St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Russian Museum. Two guided walks are outlined--one along St. Petersburg's waterways, detailing the route's grand architecture, and another covering the Kamennyy and Yelagin Islands. The guide also goes beyond St. Petersburg, especially Peterof, Peter the Great's Palace, and Tsarskoe Selo, both depicted in stunning four-page sections complete with aerial overviews and photos of their highlights. The city's absorbing history, colorful royal personages, cultural centers, and flavorful cuisine are among the numerous subjects covered throughout this outstanding guide. If St. Petersburg is on your itinerary, be sure you pick up this invaluable guide before you go.
Customer Reviews:
Good Travel Info.......2007-05-16
Great book. Glossy Paper and small enuf to carry along. Recommend DK books
Eyewitness Travel Guides Does It Again.......2007-03-10
Eyewitness Travel Guides once again lives up to its motto: "The guides that show you what others only tell you." While other guides are long on talk about St. Petersburg, this guide adds hundreds of photos, detailed illustrations, diagrams, maps, and time-lines to bring the city and its surrounding areas to life. Paging through it is like vacationing in St. Petersburg without the cost of going there. Fortunately, the book also includes what you need to know and how to manage when you are there.
Eyewitness: St. Petersburg........2007-01-05
This book gives ou a nice overview of the region, and incredible specific tips for visiting St. Petersburg.
Best Overall Guide.......2006-11-10
In the past year I have used Eyewitness Guides for trips to Thailand, China, and St. Petersburg, and I have not been disappointed. They are extremely well-made and durable. If your vacation time is limited and you must narrow your choice from among many attractions, then this is an important guide for you to use in your planning. Each guide is loaded with full-color photographs of the most important attractions at each site, thereby permitting you to make an intelligent decision whether or not you want to add it to your itinerary. And, after the trip is over, the Eyewitness Guide serves as well as most coffee table books in assisting you to recall your trip to others and revive important memories. Because of its superb construction, it is not light to carry, but it won't fall apart with use. If you are not interested in a guide book full of tips about where to find gay bars and cheap hotels for backpackers, but rather want a quality book with serious sightseeing in mind, the Eyewitness Guide is the one to choose.
Great Travel Book.......2006-07-03
This book is a gem!! I love the colorful photographs and the chapter on the history of St. Petersburg.
Customer Reviews:
Great overview to plan your trip.......2007-06-04
Context: I'm not an academic or a scholar; I'm a regular guy who likes visiting museums when I travel and I wanted to do a little researach before I left. This book worked well for my daughter and I to determine which parts of the museum deserved the most time (on a short trip) and to get a better understanding of the works. I'm not qualified to evaluate it from an academic perspective, but as a layman it was exactly what we needed.
"Beautiful book".......2005-10-04
I sent this book to my mother after we toured the Hermitage this summer. She loved it. Lots of narrative, which she may not take time to read, but the pictures are great.
Fine photography.......2002-09-06
Outstanding photography
I sent this book as a gift to my brother, who is a printer. He thought that pains had been taken with the photography to produce such fine prints. He compared it to another book of Restoration painters that he had once bought at the Guggenheim, having been thrilled with the original exhibition, but said that the Restoration photography had been careless and therefore did not print well, whereas the Hermitage collection exhibited outstanding photography. I didn't buy books that were available in St. Petersburg at the Hermitage because they didn't look good, but these were both beautiful and plentiful. I can't comment on the accompanying text, as I didn't read it.
A BEAUTIFUL TOUR OF THE HERMITAGE GALLERY!.......2000-08-31
I had very high expectations from "Paintings" when I ordered it, and they were all met! The volume contains beautiful fine quality, mainly full-page reproductions from the famous collection. "Paintings" is a beautifully designed, very substantial size volume which also offers Colin Eisler's very informative yet not imposing style of writing with which she guides us through the many periods of western art and the history behind Catherine the Great's collection. I, a Russian, can only appreciate the thoroughness with which the Hermitage collection is compiled in the "Paintings." I bought it along with "Paintings in the Louvre," both volumes are of the same format as if in the same series and will always be our priceless source for admiring some of the world's most treasured canvases.
Book Description
- Savvy insider tips on exploring the treasures of the Hermitage Museum and the Kremlin.
- Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.
- Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.
- Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.
Find great deals and book your trip at Frommers.com
Customer Reviews:
Outdated when it comes to attraction closings.......2007-07-24
Many of the main attractions in St. Petersburgh and Moscow are museums and the like.
Museums in both cities tend to be closed at least one day during the week. It is different days for different museums.
There were a significant amount of attractions (probably about 1/3) in both cities where the book had incorrect days. So we'd show up on a day it was supposed to be open, and they were closed. Or the hours were wrong. Or the book would say that they had english tours and they did not.
I was extremely disappointed at such a major oversight.
Excellent guide and I know Russia!.......2007-03-26
I think the guide is useful and concise, very much to the point and touches on many interesting and relevant topics. I've lived in Russia most of my life, so far, and I think the guide more than does it justice.
Lightweight guide with plenty of fluff.......2006-06-28
I was very disappointed by this book, which feels largely like a cut-and-paste job. It opens with a bunch of general travel advice and then goes on to describe a few things to do and see in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Many blocks of text are repeated in various parts of the book and I felt the actual amount of information about things to do and see in these two amazing cities was pretty limited, especially given the number of pages I carried around with me. I found all the hotel info I needed on the Internet (see tripadvisor.com) and would have liked this book better if they'd left out all the hotel info and left out the repetition.
I feel like I could write you a better travel guide after spending just one week with natives in each city. Surely somebody else has done a better job!
I love Frommer's!.......2006-03-29
With that said, I have been to Russia only once (about 10 years ago) and it was with a tour. I am planning my second trip this Fall (2006) and was pleased to see that Frommer's finally put out a book for Russia. The matter of fact reviews as well as prices cited for absolutely everything give you a snapshot of what it "might" cost. I say "might" because there are so many variables that a book can't truly predict (i.e. fluid exchange rates, supply/demand, the "current will of a taxi driver", etc.) but this book gives you at least a starting point to evaluate if you are overpaying or getting a deal. I am planning to go this Fall without a guide and my confidence is building, as result of this book. I should say that I can read & write in Russian and speak a little, but it was still an intimidating country for me 10 years ago. I can read a Frommers book anytime even if I do not have trip planned. I've just started reading this one and I already love it. Good job (again) Frommer's!
Book Description
This remarkable biography traces the life and times of Joshua L. Chamberlain, the professor-turned-soldier who led the Twentieth Maine Regiment to glory at Gettysburg, earned a battlefield promotion to brigadier general from Ulysses S. Grant at Petersburg, and was wounded six times during the course of the Civil War. Chosen to accept the formal Confederate surrender at Appomattox, Chamberlain endeared himself to succeeding generations with his unforgettable salutation of Robert E. Lee's vanquished army. After the war, he went on to serve four terms as governor of his home state of Maine and later became president of Bowdoin College. He wrote prolifically about the war, including The Passing of the Armies, a classic account of the final campaign of the Army of the Potomac.
Customer Reviews:
A true American Hero.......2006-03-29
In the Hands of Providence is a very well researched look of the life of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Alice Turlock presents a definitive biography of this modest professor from Bowden College, who met challenge after challenge to become one of the greatest leaders in Civil War history. Chamberlain had extraordinary observational and superb writing skills. His persistence at recording the historic events, which included his emotional reactions, gave Trulock's wonderful historic accounts for her book.
The book starts by giving us an in depth look at his obscure Christian upbringing in rural Maine, and follows his processes of becoming a great young man. He was an exceptional college student, receiving the praise of his instructors. He was also highly regarded by his neighbors and towns' folk alike. Many considered him to have the highest moral and ethical standard. He was so trusted and respected as a young man in his home town that an older business man of Maine, who was an acquaintance of Chamberlain's, entrusted him with the dealings of his estate.
While finishing his studies at Bowden, Chamberlain married his sweetheart Frances Caroline Adams. They had a very close and loving relationship. But during the war, the constant distance between them put a great deal of strain on their relationship. After graduation, he accepted a position as a professor at Bowden, and held that position for several years. Chamberlain maintained a very close relationship with his family, and he was especially close to his father in law George Adams.
When the war broke out in 1861, Chamberlain ask for a leave of absence from Bowden to enlist, but was turned down. Not to be left out of the war, he again applied for a sabbatical to study in Europe, and this time it was granted. He had no intentions on going to Europe, and instead immediately enlisted in the army as a lieutenant colonel, and never looked back. He played a huge role in the recruitment of the men for a regiment, which would later come to be known as the 20th Maine.
With no military experience, Chamberlain showed great promise in his leadership shills and military expertise. He became friends with his unit's commander, Colonial Ames, who became his tutor. According to Trulock, Chamberlain held a great deal of respect and admiration for Ames, and he gave Ames credit for his military success.
Trulock's description of Chamberlain's military life is extraordinary, and she supplies us with great details about the battles in which he was involved. At the battle of Antietam, Chamberlain was not directly involved in the fighting but was brought up in reserve the next day. Trulock gives a very vivid description of horror that Chamberlain witnessed upon arriving at the battlefield that day where 22,000 lay dead or wounded on the field. It was the bloodiest, one day battle in the Civil War.
Next, she transports us to the Fredericksburg, and the final assault by the North on Marye's Heights - the charge that involved the 20th of Maine. All the other divisions that day were either driven back, laid dead or wounded on the field. She describes tremendous courage that Chamberlain and his men showed as they made their charge on the now famous wall at Marye's Heights, the wall that was heavily guarded by Confederates. The division suffered great loses that late afternoon. They remained among the dead or wounded for 2 days and nights before the order was given to retreat.
The episode in history that Chamberlain is most remember for is the courage and heroism he displayed at the battle of Gettysburg. He was ordered to the top of a hill known as The Little Round Top where he was placed at the far left flank. There, Chamberlain was instructed to hold that position at all cost. The 20th Maine repelled assault after assault by the Confederates that day. When ammunition ran out, Chamberlain ordered a bayonet charge, an event that many historians say was the turning point of the Civil War.
Trulock also gives a very detailed account of the battle of Petersburg, where Chamberlain was horribly wounded. After hearing of his heroic actions during the battle, General Grant immediately promoted Chamberlain on the battlefield to Brigadier General. This was the only battlefield promotion ever issued by Grant. Somehow, Chamberlain survived his wound, due to the skilled surgery that was preformed on him that night and next day. Chamberlain's two close friends, Dr. Shaw and Dr. Townsend worked for hours repairing the damage inflicted by the mini ball. The wound he received that day would trouble him all of his life and required numerous surgery's to repair the damage.
His persistent heroism and outstanding leadership were the deciding factor when Grant chose Chamberlain to receive the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. He showed great respect for his fellow countrymen that day when he gave the order to his men to give a solders salute to the surrendering confederate men. His honorary actions that day were later critized by many people.
This book contains a lot of historic photos of Chamberlain's family, friends, fellow soldiers and numerous battle maps. The book also gives a great account of Chamberlain's life as Governor of Maine and President of Bowden College, but these accounts do not compare to the bravery and patriotic devotion that Chamberlain displayed during the Civil War. His actions made him a hero to his men, and the country he served.
Trulock has given us a great biography, not only one of the Civil War's greatest commanders, but one of the United States most distinguished citizens. The book flows very smoothly while covering details of battles that would interest even the most die hard Civil War enthusiast.
Finally, a book that does justice to an astonishing person. I highly recommend this book.
Man of character, man of faith whose story should be proclaimed!.......2006-01-25
Chamerlain's heroism is similar to Teddy Roosevelt, Alvin York, and Audie Murphy who came behind him, but have been better publicized.
The difference is that his act of confidence, courage and decisiveness may have been the one that changed the outcome of the Civil War, the 1864 election and the future of America.
In The Hands of Providence is the story of Chamberlain's exemplary character before, during and after that momentum changing moment. All Americans should read and learn this story.
- Richard V. Battle - Author of The Four Letter Word That Builds Character
Well rounded biography.......2005-05-10
I found Alice Trulock's biography on Joshua L. Chamberlain to be quite readable, well researched and well grounded. Considering the length of the book, Trulock's book read quite well for most readers of any level. Well, it may not be good as the one written by John Pullen but it definitely is superior to the one written by Edward Longacre. I put that in just for comparison purpose.
I think this biography may served as a good introduction to Chamberlain who's name have definitely reached near mythological level nowadays among Civil War readers thanks to Jeff Daniels and his role in that movie "Gettysburg". Of course, most readers would probably be disappointed that Jeff Daniel's portaryal of Chamberlain will not jive with Joshua Chamberlain of Trulock's book.
The biography covers all aspects of Chamberlain's life. The book does a good job covering Chamberlain's military career which proves to be the most important period of his life from which Chamberlain's life will be centered around until his death. I do wish to make a point here. He died at the age of 86, a very ripe old age and I doubt if his wounds he got from Petersburg really hasten his death, it may have cause him a lot of pain but even in modern days, most people don't live that long!
Overall, an very good biography on one of Union's more natural soldiers. A non-professional who performed better then most professional soldiers.
Excellent Title of an Excellent Leader.......2005-03-13
The Duke of Wellington supposedly stated that it is impossible for a Christian to serve in the military. Too bad he wasn't around during the American Civil War! Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson from the South and Joshua Chamberlain and Otis Howard from the North are notable exceptions to Wellington's thesis.
Trulock has written what is the best account of the hero of Little Round Top and who personally oversaw the surrender of Confederate troops at Appamattox.
Among the important events in Chamberlain's life covered include:
1. Birth and Christian upbringing in rural Maine.
2. His days as a student and adminstrator at Bowdoin College.
3. His early Civil War service including the formation of the famous 20th Maine Regiment.
4. Fascinating accounts of his involvement in major Civil War battles: Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Petersburg, and other engagements.
5. The horrible wound suffered at Petersburg that eventually killed him some 50 years later.
6. His loving yet strained marriage to Frances Caroline Adams.
7. Postwar public service as President of Bowdoin College and Governor of Maine.
Reading the book was a joy - the narrative flowed smoothly while covering several details of a fascinating character. The author managed to keep the story from becoming too bogged down in dry detail without insulting the reader's intelligence. Oh, how I wish more biographies were written like this!
The book also contains excellent battle maps and numerous photographs of the main characters: Chamberlain, his wife, parents, sister and brothers, many Civil War officers, and other important people in Joshua Chamberlain's life.
All in all, an excellent and highly recommended read. Read and enjoy!
Well Researched Look at a Major Civil War Figure.......2004-10-02
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was the epitome of the American citizen-soldier. Since the birth of the republic, American soldiers have left home and hearth to serve the nation and many of them have come home physically shattered and haunted by what they have seen while still others have not come home at all. Thrown into the breech, some of the citizen solders found they did not have the fortitude for what was asked of them while many others have excelled, performing better than graduates of West Point or Annapolis, America's most prestigious military academies. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was a citizen soldier who became a great hero of the Civil War, a man who met challenge after challenge and became a great leader of men and afterward, the course of his life was forever altered. An academically inclined young man, Chamberlain left Bowdin College and his studies and teaching in theology to accept a lieutenant colonel's commission in the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The modest young professor took part in most of the important battles of the North's Army of the Potomac. He was a participant in the Battle of Antietam, still the bloodiest single day in American history. Today, we can walk the battlefield off Sharpsburg Pike, in rural Maryland and see "Burnside's Bridge and the cornfields where so many men fell and get some small measure of what men like Chamberlain went through. We can also visit the battlefield at Fredericksburg and see the heights that he and his 20th Maine and the Union Army tried to take in bloody frontal assaults into the teeth of Confederate guns and under the pounding of their artillery on the hills. Today Chamberlain's comrades - as well as the fallen Confederate troops - are buried on the commanding heights they failed to take, one of the Civil War's bitter ironies. Colonel Chamberlain then immortalized himself at Gettysburg's Little Round Top where he anchored the Union left, repelling assault after assault and winning the day by leading a charge down the slope that broke the Rebel troops. He was given a general's star by General Grant at Petersburg and was honored to receive the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. His heroism and leadership qualities helped him win the Governorship of Maine no less than four times, after which he retired to the Presidency of Bowdin College, his alma mater. Alice Trulock who wrote this book, was not a professional writer and after her retirement from civic affairs, this book took her ten years of careful research, writing and rewriting to complete. She based her work on a great deal of new research and handles the account of infantry combat beautifully. Unfortunately, Trulock died before the book was released and so she wasn't able to accept the accolades that were due to her for such a well-written and moving biography of an emblematic Civil War figure.
Average customer rating:
- Mystery
- Raskolnikov's nemesis returns!
- Award-winning audio performer Simon Vance flawlessly narrates
- Well written even if not my glass of vodka
- Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer
|
The Gentle Axe: A Novel
R. N. Morris
Manufacturer: Penguin Press HC, The
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1594201129
Release Date: 2007-03-22 |
Amazon.com
Porfiry Petrovich, the police investigator who worked on the case involving the deranged student Raskolnikov in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, is given another life in R.N. Morris's The Gentle Axe. It is 1867 in St. Petersburg, Russia, on a cold winter morning. An elderly woman is scouring Petrovsky Park in search of a few sticks of firewood. What she finds instead is horrifying: a big, burly peasant hanging by a rope from a tree, with a blood-covered axe tucked into his belt. Nearby, she finds a suitcase. Packed inside is the body of a dwarf, with a deep head wound caused by an axe. Conventional wisdom says that the peasant killed the dwarf and then, in a paroxysm of guilt and remorse, killed himself. That scenario is good enough for everyone but Porfiry.
In a wonderfully atmospheric novel, Morris has created a world-weary protagonist in Porfiry, a man still exhausted from his last case, joined by a collection of absolutely believable characters to flesh out the novel. Mysteries abound and multiply in layers of characterization and narrative. Porfiry's investigation goes on, despite repeated attempts to take him off the case, and it leads him from the dregs of society to its most genteel heights. He follows clues, hunches, people, and stories to get to the bottom of the mystery--and when he does, it comes as a complete surprise, but one that makes perfect sense. This carefully written and entertaining novel will satisfy lovers of mystery, historical crime, and just plain good novels. --Valerie Ryan
Book Description
Just before Christmas, in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1866, police investigator Porfiry Petrovich faces his most challenging murder case since the events made famous by F. Dostoevsky in the novel Crime and Punishment-a case with disturbing parallels and even darker implications
Stumbling through Petvosky Park one cold morning in search of firewood, an elderly woman makes a horrifying discovery. A burly peasant twirls in the wind, hanging from a bowed tree by a rope about his neck, a bloody axe tucked into his belt. Nearby, packed neatly into a suitcase, is the body of a dwarf, a deep axe wound splitting his skull in two.
It does not take long for the noted police investigator Porfiry Petrovich, still drained from his work on the case involving the deranged student Raskolnikov, to suspect that the truth of the matter is more complex than the crime scene might suggest. Why do so many roads lead to the same house of prostitution and the same ring of pornographers? Why do so many powerful interests seem intent on blocking his efforts? His investigation leads him from the squalid tenements, brothels, and drinking dens of the city's Haymarket district to an altogether more genteel stratum of society. As he gets deeper and deeper in, and the connections between the two spheres begin to multiply, both his anger and his terror mount.
Atmospheric and tense from its dramatic opening to its shocking climax, The Gentle Axe is a spellbinding historical crime novel, a book that explores the darkest places of the human heart with tremendous energy, empathy, and wit. As lucky as St. Petersburg residents are to have Porfiry Petrovich in public service, we are equally fortunate to have R. N. Morris on hand to chronicle his most challenging case to date.
Customer Reviews:
Mystery.......2007-09-24
My review may be unfair, but I am finding this late 19th murder mystery that takes place in St. Petersburg, Russia a bit difficult to "get into."
I may put it up for sale without finishing it.
Raskolnikov's nemesis returns!.......2007-09-03
In case you missed the movie, Raskolnikov is the poverty-stricken Russian student who killed the old woman pawnbroker with an axe in Fyodor Dostoevsky's renowned novel Crime and Punishment (Enriched Classics). Eventually, Raskolnikov confesses to a persistent police lieutenant, Porfiry Petrovich, and is sent to Siberia.
Now, R. N. Morris has brought Porfiry Petrovich to life as the protagonist of The Gentle Axe. It's 1866, eighteen months after his capture of Raskolnikov, and he's now an investigating magistrate in the reformed Russian legal system. The action takes place in St. Petersburg in deep winter, when Porfiry is tipped off by an anonymous note to "murder in Petrovsky Park". There the police find a mutilated dwarf stuffed into a suitcase and his companion hanging from a tree with an axe in his belt. At first, it appears to be a straightforward murder/suicide. But the autopsy reveals that the dead man was hung from the tree after death and a case begins to take shape. When one of the dwarf's acquaintances turns out to be another poverty-stricken student who is in love with a gentle prostitute, Porfiry Petrovich has to wonder if the past is repeating itself.
The book moves quickly through the frozen landscape of St Petersburg where the rich stay warm and eat well and the poor freeze and starve. Although the legal system has been reformed, the police and magistrates still operate under the imperial caste system: a wealthy witness is believed while a poor one is either discounted or perhaps sent to Siberia. As Porfiry Petrovich tries to navigate a compassionate yet moral path through the turmoil of 1866 Russia we are drawn with him into the poverty, corruption and decay at the heart of an empire. Ultimately, the plot threads draw together to a shocking climax.
I found the book to be a delicious foray into the tortured Russian soul and a well-plotted mystery to boot. Here's hoping the author will create a series based on the Porfiry Petrovich character. He's likeable, kind and very Russian.
Award-winning audio performer Simon Vance flawlessly narrates .......2007-06-10
Set in 1867 St. Petersburg, Russia, The Gentle Axe is an audiobook mystery novel starring police investigator Porfiry Petrovich - the same character from Dostoevsky's classic novel, "Crime and Punishment". When an elderly woman discovers the horrific scene of a hanged peasant with a bloody axe, and the corpse of a dwarf tucked into a suitcase, Petrovich suspects that the full truth behind the crime is more complex than an initial glance would suggest. Following his investigation into brothels, drinking dens, and squalid hovels infested with poverty to the upper strata populated by the well-to-do, Petrovich uncovers human darkness to shock and terrify, culminating in a thrilling climax. Award-winning audio performer Simon Vance flawlessly narrates this captivating and highly recommended saga of suspense. 8 CDs, 10 hours, unabridged.
Well written even if not my glass of vodka.......2007-05-07
First Sentence: "It was well into the morning when the darkness began to fade."
Porfiry Petrovich Virginsky is an investigating magistrate from the Department of the Investigation of Criminal Causes. In Petrovsky Park in the middle of winter two bodies are found; a dwarf who has been killed by an axe and stuffed in a suitcase, and a man hanging from a tree with the axe in his belt. But Porfiry Petrovich doesn't believe the picture being presented and is determined to find the killer in spite of his superiors ordering him to close the case.
It's been many years since I've read Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, the book that inspired this series with the protagonist taken from the classic novel. This book does a very good job of taking us to that time and locale. I liked the story and the way Morris takes us along on the investigation and uncovering of clues. I even found I could keep track of the characters. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it.
Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer.......2007-03-31
nothing is more difficult than to understand him. Fyodor Dostoevsky.
It takes audacity for an author to choose a great novel or a well-known protagonist from another author's work as the starting off point for his own work. It takes an even greater amount of talent to pull it off. Many have tried and many have failed. There have been some notable successes, however. Jon Clinch's new novel, "Finn", which took a character from Mark Twain's Huck Finn is one. R.N. Morris' novel "The Gentle Axe" is another. He has taken St. Petersburg, Russia's police magistrate Porfiry Petrovich from the pages of Fyodor Dostoevsky's magnificent "Crime and Punishment" and placed him in charge of a new criminal investigation . "The Gentle Axe" manages to be an entertaining novel on its own while doing no disservice to the memory of one of the great novels of all time.
The story starts off with, no surprise here, dead bodies. An aging, former St. Petersburg prostitute finds two bodies in a snow-covered St. Petersburg park; a dwarf who has been hacked to death and stuffed into a suitcase and another man, a peasant, hanging from a nearby tree. Although Magistrate Petrovich suspects that this is a double-homicide his `superiors' are determined to consider this a murder-suicide and close the investigation. But, Petrovich plods on and what seemed at first blush to be a simple plot turns out to be a complicated look into St. Petersburg's `heart of darkness'. Petrovich's investigation takes him to a world of brothels, child pornographers, and poverty-stricken university students who have little food and less clothing but who are rich in nihilism and despair. It is one such student, Pavel Virginisky who capture Petrovich's imagination, a student whose every movement and whose every word invokes in Petrovich the memory of Raskolnikov whose confession he obtained in Crime and Punishment. The conversations between Petrovich and Virginsky form the emotional core of the book.
I very much enjoyed "The Gentle Axe". It has been almost thirty years since I've read "Crime and Punishment" so I cannot state with any certainty whether or not Morris has captured Petrovich's essence (or whether he tried to do so). However, Morris' Petrovich is well-drawn and with an appropriately dark Russian soul even if taken as a stand-alone character. The plot moves along very nicely. Morris has a nice descriptive touch and his portrayal of life amongst the demimonde in 19th-century St. Petersburg feels as if it is very accurate. The dialogue is sharp even if Petrovich and some of the other characters seem a bit florid and prone to excessive word play at times. I particularly liked the portrayal of the medical examiner whose sarcasm and mordant observations would serve him well in even the most modern crime lab. The only (mild) criticism for me came as the booked reached its conclusion. In many books of this genre there is a great revelatory moment where all the loose ends are tied up. In this instance I felt there was a lot revealed in very short order. It did appear to me to a bit too rushed. Again, this is a minor criticism.
As far as comparisons go, I think "The Gentle Axe" will likely be compared with some regularity to Boris Akunin's Erast Fandorin series. That is actually a compliment to both authors even though there are some major differences between the two. I'd say that Akunin focuses more on the adventure with the psyche of Fandorin playing an important but secondary role, where Morris has focused more on the internal lives of the characters with the action playing an important but secondary role.
Last, Morris concludes his acknowledgments by stating: "[a]nd to Fyodor Dostoevsky, I can only apologize". I got the impression that this was Morris' tongue-in-cheek way of saying thanks for the character Fyodor and, by the way, I'm not trying to write a new "Crime and Punishment", just an entertaining novel. In that, Morris has succeeded very well. 4.5 Stars. L. Fleisig
Book Description
The first guidebook to the lesser-known museums and treasures of Saint Petersburg.
Customer Reviews:
A Most Wonderful Book For St. Petersburg Visitors.......2006-07-27
I happened on this wonderful book by reading all the reviews written by one of its reviewers. It is small, light weight and so very easy to use. The pictures are beautiful. We went to St. Petersburg last December with the book in hand. Each night we decided where to go the next day. Planning is important because each museum is usually closed at least one day a week. Unfortunately the museums were so interesting, that we often stayed way longer than we planned to. We never would have gone to some of the museums had we not had this little book. We especially liked the maps showing the ocation of each museum in relation to the others. Because of this book, we will return to St. Petersburg in the off season and enjoy many more of its amazing little museums -- after all what better way is there to spend a cold December day?
Discovering St. Petersburg's 40 Unknown Treasures.......2004-09-02
As the founder of a company devoted to business and cultural travel to Russia, it pains me that so many tourists come to St. Petersburg for a day or two and only visit the Hermitage, Peterhof, and a ballet. Russia is like a Fabergé egg-a beautiful exterior with a hard-to-open but spectacular hidden interior. Among the little known gems in St. Petersburg are the Museum of Theatrical and Musical Arts, the Nabokov Museum (former residence of Vladimir Nabokov), the Russian Ethnographic Museum, the Rimskii-Korsakov Memorial Apartment-Museum, the History of Religion Museum (formerly the "Anti-Religion Museum), the recently-opened Museum of Toys, and the Museum of Russian Vodka. All these treasures and more are fondly catalogued in Cathy Giangrande's Saint Petersburg: Museums Palaces and Historic Collections (Museums).
To appreciate this book a traveler needs to understand the unintentional irony of the chapter titled "Also well worth a visit are ..." listing the Hermitage Museum, one of the world's premier cultural treasures (and the most popular tourist site in Russia). It makes a great companion to such guides as DK Eyewitness's St. Petersburg guidebook (far more sights and coverage of the Hermitage, but without lengthy descriptions of lesser-known museums).
Its small size makes this a "laptray book", but for the visitor in body or spirit to St. Petersburg is just as enthralling as a five pound coffee table book. One-to-four pages are devoted to each of the over 40 lesser known attractions in St. Petersburg. Each listing had a clear address, directions, phone and web site (if available).
Books like this will help St. Petersburg, and Russia, become one of the world's premier tourist destinations in the next 10 years. There are literally thousands of such treasures throughout Russia as these listed here, but few people know about them. Truly, this book will help anyone interested in truly discovering Russia.
An outstanding guidebook to St. Petersburg.......2003-09-01
I began reading Cathy Giandrande's little guide to St. Petersburg with a great deal of skepticism. As I kept exploring the book, all my doubts quickly disappeared. That alone came to me as a surprise. Unlike most Russians who still suffer from a mild identity disorder, Petersburgers have a strong sense of local patriotism and know what they are and what their city is about. From time to time, their patriotism mutates into a peculiar kind of city chauvinism. It is taken for granted that no temporary visitor, be he or she from Moscow or Paris, can know the city or truly appreciate it. I am no different. As a Petersburger, I would never think that an outsider, least a foreigner, least someone from a culture many Russians perceive as hostile and extremely russophobic, would be able to put together a concise guide to the lesser known museums and landmarks of the city and do it in such a low key, friendly and unbiased manner, that the final work is a joy to read and is more useful from any practical standpoint of city exploration than many far weightier and thicker "serious" guides.
Cathy Giangrande's St. Petersburg is a guide to the city museums and lesser-known landmarks. If the author "missed" any museums, then I have a feeling, that she excluded them deliberately because they are so obscure (like the Museum of Armed Forces Medical Academy) that almost no locals are aware of their existence. On the other hand, the guidebook contains information on some really obscure museums, such as the new private museum of toys.
The book is a journey of exploration and is a pleasure to read "as is" from cover to cover. Alternately, it can be used as a helpful reference manual.
The guidebook has its own share of minor irritants, such as the occasional misspelling of French and English words transliterated backwards, but they are not very significant.
The book is beautifully printed on high quality paper and is richly illustrated with color photographs. It contains a helpful map or rather an outline plan of the central part of the city, a schematic plan of St. Petersburg region, and a well-designed plan of St.Petersburg "Metro" (or the city's subway system). All museum and landmark entries include detailed address and contact information, and indicate the nearest subway or suburban train station.
Among all foreign languages guides and books on St. Petersburg, that I ever came across, this one is the only work that is worth translating into Russian. Even locals would find this book a great aid in exploring their own city.
A masterpiece among specialty city guides.......2003-08-14
I began reading Cathy Giandrande's little guide to St. Petersburg with a great deal of skepticism. As I kept exploring the book, all my doubts quickly disappeared. That alone came to me as a surprise. Unlike most Russians who still suffer from a mild identity disorder, Petersburgers have a strong sense of local patriotism and know what they are and what their city is about. From time to time, their patriotism mutates into a peculiar kind of city chauvinism. It is taken for granted that no temporary visitor, be he or she from Moscow or Paris, can know the city or truly appreciate it. I am no different. As a Petersburger, I would never think that an outsider, least a foreigner, least someone from a culture many Russians perceive as hostile and extremely russophobic, would be able to put together a concise guide to the lesser known museums and landmarks of the city and do it in such a low key, friendly and unbiased manner, that the final work is a joy to read and is more useful from any practical standpoint of city exploration than many far weightier and thicker "serious" guides.
Cathy Giangrande's St. Petersburg is a guide to the city museums and lesser-known landmarks. If the author "missed" any museums, then I have a feeling, that she excluded them deliberately because they are so obscure (like the Museum of Armed Forces Medical Academy) that almost no locals are aware of their existence. On the other hand, the guidebook contains information on some really obscure museums, such as the new private museum of toys.
The book is a journey of exploration and is a pleasure to read "as is" from cover to cover. Alternately, it can be used as a helpful reference manual.
The guidebook has its own share of minor irritants, such as the occasional misspelling of French and English words transliterated backwards, but they are not very significant.
The book is beautifully printed on high quality paper and is richly illustrated with color photographs. It contains a helpful map or rather an outline plan of the central part of the city, a schematic plan of St. Petersburg region, and a well-designed plan of St.Petersburg "Metro" (or the city's subway system). All museum and landmark entries include detailed address and contact information, and indicate the nearest subway or suburban train station.
Among all foreign languages guides and books on St. Petersburg, that I ever came across, this one is the only work that is worth translating into Russian. Even locals would find this book a great aid in exploring their own city.
Customer Reviews:
Informative, Readable, Superb.......2007-02-26
This gripping narrative looks at the horrific siege of Leningrad from 1941-1944. Author Harrison Salisbury opens by examining Soviet Russia on the eve of the June, 1941 invasion - when commanders that suspected a German attack dared not prepare and risk the wrath of Stalin. Then the author describes the invasion, the approach of Nazi tank columns, and the surrounding of Leningrad's 2.5 million residents (and 500,000 defenders) at the end of August, 1941. Readers learn of the city's leadership, its battered but defiant defenders, and Stalin's machinations. The author devotes many chapters to the horrific winter of 1941-1942, when the besieged city ran out of food and coal. Imagine trying to survive on daily food rations of a few ounces of bread, in a frozen city with no heat or electricity, and with German bombs and shells falling daily. Dogs, cats, and birds disappeared into frying pans, and brave truckers brought in some supplies over a frozen Lake Lagoda, but over 250,000 civilians died of starvation during that first winter. After describing that horrific first winter, the author bascially fast forwards to the massive Russian offensive in January of 1944 that ended the siege. Then he concludes with a brief post-war epilogue that mentions survivors, rebuilding, and Stalin's brutal purge of the city's leadership.
Journalist Harrison Salisbury (1908-1993) wrote readable prose that almost makes us feel as if we're inside Leningrad during the siege. His book does need better maps - even with a handy atlas I couldn't locate every town and river mentioned. Still this is gripping history, considered by some as definitive, and well worth your time. Readers might also enjoy many of the author's other works on Russia, China, etc.
the 900 days; .......2006-11-14
Having made 2 trips to
St. Petersburg in the past 3 years, both guides highly recommended this book. It is incredibly well written, both the background leading up to the atack as well as the hardships over the next 2+ years. The fortitude and heroism portrayed give a much better understanding of the Russian people and what they endured.
Superb example of how history should be written.......2006-10-17
Salisbury gave us a monumental work of history: not just in scope, but in depth. This is a book which entwines the epic story with the human story, basing both on the kind of scholarship too few writers are dedicated enough to accomplish. I wrote a well-received history on the early satellites (The First Space Race, Texas A&M, 2004) which I was proud of, but I can't resist the feeling that Salisbury did as much research for every chapter as I did for an entire book.
As always with a well-written history, there are lessons which are important for our own times. The most striking example comes at the beginning of the book, where the reader learns the German invasion of Russia was anything but the complete surprise Russan leaders claimed it was. The German preperations were too large to hide, and all kinds of intelligence, even exact dates, made it into the briefings given to the Russian leadership. But Stalin had his own view of the way things were, and anything to the contrary was ignored or disparaged. The Russians were also victimized by a system in which initiative was dangerous: military and civilian officials who read the tea leaves and tried to take some preparatory action on their own were slapped down. Salisbury shows us, in sometimes-agonizing detail, how these factors resulted in what may have been the most brutal, dehumanizing, and costly battle in history. I agree with some other reviewers that more maps and photographs would be useful, but that's a minor quibble.
This book is a breathtaking achivement.
Surviving the Deadliest Battle in Human History.......2006-09-02
If "war is hell," as General Sherman said, then at the innermost circle of hell you'll find the 900-day siege of Leningrad (now renamed St. Petersburg). It was, by all accounts, the deadliest battle in human history. More than 300,000 Soviet soldiers perished, plus uncounted thousands of Germans. Inside the blockade zone, an estimated 1.2 million civilians slowly starved to death as Hitler and Stalin used the city like a giant chess piece on the Eastern Front.
The late Harrison Salisbury captured this epic struggle better than anyone else in "The 900 Days," a book every student of 20th century history should read at least once. He begins the story with Leningrad at peace during the balmy "white nights" of June 1941. Culture is flourishing throughout the city. Composers, writers, musicians and artists are busy at work. Families are vacationing on the Baltic coast. Meanwhile, Stalin and his minions are in a massive state of denial about the coming Nazi assault, despite dozens of warnings and signs.
After the first few fascinating chapters, "The 900 Days" can be slow going as Salisbury details the military intrigue and paranoia that decimated the Soviet leadership in the years leading up to the siege, which yielded tragic consequences for Russian defenses in 1941 and 1942. If you're primarily interested in the human side of the story, skip to Part IV on page 393.
The emotional core of this book is the immense civilian catastrophe that took place during the 2.5 year siege. Despite heroic attempts by local citizens and Young Communist brigades, the city became a slow-motion killing zone without nearly enough food, fuel or even fresh water to sustain the population. People resorted to the most desperate and barbaric measures to stay alive. (Warning: Not for children or the squeamish.) Compassion and brutality roamed the streets simultaneously.
Ultimately, the siege was broken in January 1944, but not before Leningrad was largely destroyed. Stalin gets much of the blame for failing to evacuate more civilians earlier on. But the real lesson of "The 900 Days" is that human suffering has no limit in times of war. Let's not forget that before we start another one.
Final note: This book is relatively short on maps, photos and diagrams. Some courageous publisher should republish the book with a complete set of photos from the period, many of which are available at the St. Petersburg library.
Good, but something missing.......2006-02-21
The first part of the book is fantastic in its description of the time leading up to Barbarossa, the simple shock the Soviets had and the almost refusal to believe by Stalin.
The first half of the book I would give 5 stars. The detail is almost overwhelming. If one is not familiar with cyrilic and has at least a rough grasp of the Russian language, it is very difficult to keep all the names of generals, party officials, and city administrators separated. A few more maps would have been better, to help the reader get a better grasp of the situation described. I constantly found myslef going back to the maps at the beginning, trying to figure out specifics, and giving up because many of the places mentioned in the text were not on the map. However, the portrayal of the Soviet military structure is vivid and gives one a good image of what happened. The description of the Tallinn disaster was exceptionally good. The first half resembles the 25 years he spent researching the events.
The second half of the book is lacking. The description of the starvation is very gruesome and disturbing, which is accurate historically. The timeline, which is fairly orderly at the beginning, takes a nose dive about half way through. Here, it seems that Salisbary was finding new information as he wrote the book, and including it. Therefore, events are presented in random order. Then the book just stops, and says that the city was still in blockade and then the war was over.
Some of the other reviewers have accurately described the over emphasis on the plight of writers, poets, and playwrights. The ordinary citizen is not represented, nor is the average soldier given adequate attention.
The German side of the engagement is almost non-existant. Beevor's book on Stalingrad is much better at describing the events. But as for Leningrad, Salisbary's book is still the best I have read on the subject.
Average customer rating:
- The best book ever!
- GREAT!!!!
- LOVED IT
- Loved this amazing story!!
- The Bronze Horseman
|
Bronze Horseman, The
Paullina Simons
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Tatiana and Alexander
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ASIN: 0061031127
Release Date: 2002-10-01 |
Book Description
From the author of the international bestseller Tully comes an epic tale of passion, betrayal, and survival in World War II Russia. Leningrad, 1941: The European war seems far away in this city of fallen grandeur, where splendid palaces and stately boulevards speak of a different age, when the city was known as St. Petersburg. Now two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha Metanov, live in a cramped apartment, sharing one room with their brother and parents. Such are the harsh realities of Stalin's Russia, but when Hitler invades the country, the siege of its cities makes the previous severe conditions seem luxurious.
Against this backdrop of danger and uncertainty, Tatiana meets Alexander, an officer in the Red Army whose self-confidence sets him apart from most Russian men and helps to conceal a mysterious and troubled past.
Once the relentless winter and the German army's blockade take hold of the city, the Metanovs are forced into ever more desperate measures to survive. With bombs falling and food becoming scarce, Tatiana and Alexander are drawn to each other in an impossible love that threatens to tear her family apart and reveal his dangerous secret -- a secret as destructive as the war itself. Caught between two deadly forces, the lovers find themselves swept up in a tide of history at a turning point in the century that made the modern world.
Mesmerizing from the very first page to the final, breathtaking end, The Bronze Horseman brings alive the story of two indomitable, heroic spirits and their great love that triumphs over the devastation of a country at war.
Download Description
"Special PerfectBound e-book exclusive feature! Paullina Simons's tribute to her still-living grandparents, survivors of Russia's twentieth century from World War I and the Russian Revolution through the siege of Leningrad and the regimes of Lenin and Stalin. From the author of the international bestseller Tully comes an epic tale of passion, betrayal, and survival in World War II Russia. Leningrad, 1941: The European war seems far away in this city of fallen grandeur, where splendid palaces and stately boulevards speak of a different age, when the city was known as St. Petersburg. Now two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha Metanov, live in a cramped apartment, sharing one room with their brother and parents. Such are the harsh realities of Stalin's Russia, but when Hitler invades the country, the siege of its cities makes the previous severe conditions seem luxurious. Against this backdrop of danger and uncertainty, Tatiana meets Alexander, an officer in the Red Army whose self-confidence sets him apart from most Russian men and helps to conceal a mysterious and troubled past. Once the relentless winter and the German army's blockade take hold of the city, the Metanovs are forced into ever more desperate measures to survive. With bombs falling and food becoming scarce, Tatiana and Alexander are drawn to each other in an impossible love that threatens to tear her family apart and reveal his dangerous secret--a secret as destructive as the war itself. Caught between two deadly forces, the lovers find themselves swept up in a tide of history at a turning point in the century that made the modern world. Mesmerizing from the very first page to the final, breathtaking end, The Bronze Horseman brings alive the story of two indomitable, heroic spirits and their great love that triumphs over the devastation of a country at war."
Customer Reviews:
The best book ever!.......2007-07-19
I cant not express how much I love this book. I have read this book at least six times. I also begged my friend to try it and she also fell in love with it. Paullina simons manages to pull you in and you feel like your right there with the characters. She has made the "perfect man" in Alexander and their love story is amazing...all the stuggles they go through is heartbreaking. I don't want to give away the story but this is a must read!!!
GREAT!!!!.......2007-05-15
I loved this book. I had a friend recommend it to me. I could not put it down. I was dissappointed at the ending until I read the reviews saying there is a sequel, now I can't wait to get that book.
LOVED IT.......2007-03-09
I really loved this book. I could not put it down. At first, do not be intimidated by the Russian Cities and names. It is a page turner. One of those books you think about for days after you read it... like the events really happened and you dwell on them. What is even better is the sequel "Tatiana & Alexander".
Loved this amazing story!!.......2007-03-01
This book is truly one of a kind. I couldn't put it down! Also, just wanted to let everyone know there is a sequel to this called Tatiana and Alexander.
The Bronze Horseman.......2007-01-11
This book you could not put down and I read it every free minute I had. It was a cliff hanger of sorts with plenty of detail that was necessary and not boring. It made you stop to realize how lucky we are to be in the USA with freedoms unknown to those in Communist countries. It was a romantic, historical, passionate book well told that will make you cry toward the end of this book. I ordered "Tatiana and Alexander " and can't wait to read on. The next book is patiently awaited called " The Summer Garden ".
Average customer rating:
- Opening the past and the mind of Joseph Brodsky
- Through His Glasses, Face to Face
- Photographic masterpieces
- remarkable book
- Lemkhin's photography replies to Brodsky's verse.
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Joseph Brodsky, Leningrad: Fragments
Susan Sontag , and
Czeslaw Mitosz
Manufacturer: Farrar Straus Giroux
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0374158312 |
Customer Reviews:
Opening the past and the mind of Joseph Brodsky.......2002-11-10
JOSEPH BRODSKY, LENINGRAD: FRAGMENTS succeeds on every level. For those not familiar with Brodsky's brilliant poetry I would recommend that you spend time with WATERMARKS, his tribute to the city of Venice, before coming to this book. Once the gentle subtleties of his poetry are in mind, then spending time perusing this pictorial essay of Brodsky's face and the scenes of Leningrad (the old name for St. Petersburg is used because that was the city's Soviet name used when Brodsky lived there) will form a complete picture of this amazing expatriate. Mikhail Lemkhin addresses not only the pictorial influences on the poet, but also adds some words of wisdom. The tribute at the end of the photographs, in some of Sunsan Sonntag's most eloquent writing, is a fitting closure to this very lovely book. Highly recommended.
Through His Glasses, Face to Face.......2000-06-20
If an appreciation of the personal perspective of the poet can deepen the experience of his words, then Lemkhin's photographic tribute to Brodsky's beloved home belongs on our bookshelves alongside the poetry books and essays of the Nobel laureate. Except for an intimate foreword by Milosz, a moving afterword by Sontag, and brief postnotes in which Lemkhin provides background details on several of the images, the message of this book is delivered entirely through black-and-white images. The voice of those visions comes through most clearly when one imagines viewig through the eyes of the poet himself, not only in the streets and the statues, the skies and the stories of Leningrad, but in the mirror of the close-up snapshots of Brodsky himself placed throughout the collection of pictures. Even the mediocre artistic quality of some of the individual snapshots can be forgiven as the soft footsteps of the poet can be heard stepping through his own lines in the movement of these deeply personal worlds of his own home.
Photographic masterpieces.......1999-08-10
I greatly enjoyed the two books by Mikhail Lemkhin: "Missing Frames" and "Fragments". I am especially moved by portraits. There is something about the portraits that make them very different from most others. The pictures are not posed, but don't seem to be too candid either. I get the impression that the subject is aware of the photographer, but is not posing for him, at least not physically. It is as if the subject is exposing his/her inner soul to the camera. The photographs work, in deeply satisfying way, very well. I know I will look at them again and again.
remarkable book.......1999-08-02
Mikhail Lemkhin's book is a book in the fullest sense: not an album of exquisite photo studies, but a composition which transcribes a train of thought. The pages roll like clouds across the sky: Look, this is what we cherished in our lives, this is what happens to people, to stone, to memory, thanks to a little acid rain, that most noiseless rain, they call it - `time`. This is an experience of the `literature of silence`. Like a telepathic séance. The Covetous Knight's soliloquy over a chest of devaluated bank notes. Poor Knight! Over a hundred shots taken at the speed of 1/100 - in all, why that's just around a second! Someone else's story, made up mostly of the same things or signs as mine or yours, only linked in a different way to yield a personal fate. In particular, or rather, most importantly, it included a City which inspired a dream about the meaning of existence, and a Contemporary who succeeded in rendering the tonality of that meaning. But the second has passed, having absorbed almost all that could be held dear. The light wanes. The sound is off. And a question arises: Out of that which man has lost forever, is there anything that he possesses for eternity? The gaze, seasoned with peppery essence of silver, shows irony, pain, and tenderness.
Samuil Lurie, Neva Magazine (St.Petersburg, Russia)
Lemkhin's photography replies to Brodsky's verse........1998-11-25
Photography informs the poetics of Joseph Brodsky, photographer's son and himself no novice to the camera. Mikhail Lemkhin's double homage to the recently deceased poet and the city of his -- and Lemkhin's -- birth should be thought of as photography's own reply to Brodsky. Lemkhin calls his _Joseph Brodsky, Leningrad_ a photo-poem; to this one might only add that it is a particularly Brodskian photo-poem -- Brodskian not in its type of montage but in its predilection for montage, not in its sensibility but in the realities it conveys. To imitate Brodsky is to traduce Brodsky. Lemkhin understands that Brodsky's prime legacy is intellectual independence; his photography engages Brodsky's poetry rather than illustrates it, works with, rather than within, its visual counterparts of Brodsky's speech. The end-result belongs on the bookshelf as much as it does on the coffee-table.
Product Description
GILDED PRISM had its genesis in a series of articles that appeared in the last issue of Atlantis Magazine: In the Courts of Memory, which was dedicated to the remarkable Konstantinovichi Family and their legacy. Here, thanks to the guidance and assistance of publisher Arturo Beéche, we present a re-working of some of this content, with a number of very significant additions.
When the former Soviet Union crumbled in 1991, a wave of nostalgia for the glittering world of the Romanovs swept through Russian imaginations. Names and places long forgotten took on a new vibrancy, and faded photographs and flickering newsreels vividly brought to life a vanished epoch. With the revival of interest in the last Imperial Family came discovery of their multitude of relatives, the Grand Dukes and Duchesses, Princes and Princesses who had enchanted and scandalized their contemporaries.
The accomplishments of the Konstantinovichi Family, in particular, found resonance in this revived interest. No other single branch of the Romanov Dynasty had reached such heights, nor left such lasting legacies; even sailors in the Soviet Navy, walking down Leningrad's wide avenues in the last years of Communist rule, still sported the characteristic striped shirts introduced by Konstantin Nikolaievich in the 19th Century.
GILDED PRISM is sure to become the gold-standard for research and knowledge on this previously little-known, yet immensely important branch of the Russian Imperial Family.
Greg King is the author of seven internationally published works, including the United Kingdom bestseller The Duchess of Windsor (1999), and The Fate of the Romanovs (2003). His latest book is The Court of the Last Tsar.
Penny Wilson, Russian historian and Romanov scholar, is the author of the critically acclaimed The Fate of the Romanovs (2003).
Customer Reviews:
The most interesting Romanov book I've read yet.......2007-07-03
This is the first book from the eurohistory publishing company that I've purchased, and I have to say I was impressed. The Gilded Prism chronicles the lives of Konstantin Nikolaievich and his descendants through the last century of Romanov rule. The book starts with Konstantin Nikolaievich the family's patriarch who was the brother of Alexander II. He played a huge part in the reforms of his brother's reign and was a talented musician although his later years were frought with tragedy. Next is his wife Alexandra Iosifovna who came from Germany a young and somewhat frivolous princess to become a highly respected and imperious Grand Duchess although very conceited and self absorbed. The book then follows the lives of their children. The oldest, Nicholas, brought scandal and embarrassment to the family while the two daughters Olga and Vera became popular and beloved women in their adopted homelands. Konstantin Konstantinovich proved one of the most dutiful and charitable members of the Romanovs, but also led a secret homosexual life. Dimitri was just as dutiful as his brother and was a talened military commander and horse breeder. The youngest, Vyacheslav, who is often times forgotten because he died young, was said to be intelligent and doted on by his father. The book also chronicles the descendants of Nicholas and Konstantin Konstantinovich who led equally interesting lives themselves. I give the book five stars because it gives much detail and information on this branch of the Roamnov family. The Konstantinovichi were an artistically talented, highly intelligent, dutiful, and charitable family at a time when most Romanovs were known for being callously decadent and lacking in intelligence as well as concern for the common people. It is refreshing to read a novel that isn't completely devoted to the overdone subject of Nicholas II and Alexandra. The one sore point I found with this book is that there isn't as much info on Olga and Vera like there was on their brothers, but the title does say The Konstantinovichi Grand Dukes & the Last Years of the Romanov Dyansty and not the Grand Duchesses so I guess it's to be expected. The most interesting part of the book was the story of how Nicholas and his American mistress Fanny Lear (just one of her names I might add), got embroiled in a scandal that led to his exile and being nearly forgotten by the rest of the family. The book also analyzes the nature of Konstantin Konstantinovich's homosexuality. It also contains three sections of photos, many I've never seen before, several family trees, and even features some of Konstantin Konstantinovich's poems, which are full of emotional and artistic depth. The book is relatively short but the wealth of information and photos proves the age old saying it's quality over quantity. I was thoroughly impressed and will definitely purchase more books from eurohistory in the future.
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