The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel

Book Description

For sixty years, Jewish refugees and their descendants have prospered in the Federal District of Sitka, a "temporary" safe haven created in the wake of revelations of the Holocaust and the shocking 1948 collapse of the fledgling state of Israel. Proud, grateful, and longing to be American, the Jews of the Sitka District have created their own little world in the Alaskan panhandle, a vibrant, gritty, soulful, and complex frontier city that moves to the music of Yiddish. For sixty years they have been left alone, neglected and half-forgotten in a backwater of history. Now the District is set to revert to Alaskan control, and their dream is coming to an end: once again the tides of history threaten to sweep them up and carry them off into the unknown.

But homicide detective Meyer Landsman of the District Police has enough problems without worrying about the upcoming Reversion. His life is a shambles, his marriage a wreck, his career a disaster. He and his half-Tlingit partner, Berko Shemets, can't catch a break in any of their outstanding cases. Landsman's new supervisor is the love of his life—and also his worst nightmare. And in the cheap hotel where he has washed up, someone has just committed a murder—right under Landsman's nose. Out of habit, obligation, and a mysterious sense that it somehow offers him a shot at redeeming himself, Landsman begins to investigate the killing of his neighbor, a former chess prodigy. But when word comes down from on high that the case is to be dropped immediately, Landsman soon finds himself contending with all the powerful forces of faith, obsession, hopefulness, evil, and salvation that are his heritage—and with the unfinished business of his marriage to Bina Gelbfish, the one person who understands his darkest fears.

At once a gripping whodunit, a love story, an homage to 1940s noir, and an exploration of the mysteries of exile and redemption, The Yiddish Policemen's Union is a novel only Michael Chabon could have written.

Customer Reviews:

Slow-starter but good.......2007-10-10

After slogging my way through Yiddish references ad infinitum, this book finally got good after the halfway mark. I was disappointed as it wasn't nearly as engaging as his other books. (Maybe if I had a strong Jewish heritage, I would have enjoyed it more.)

Another Classic From Chabon.......2007-10-09

If you loved Summerland, Wonder Boys, Mysteries of Pittsburgh order The Yiddish Policemen's Union today. Chabon delivers another classic.

Go With the Flow.......2007-10-09

Like many reviewers, I found this book hard to follow, but I gave it a chance and found myself getting into the flow of the story. What I was confused about, I let go, and then I was swept into the telling of an amazing tale. I eventually found it hard to put down.

After finishing the book this morning, one of the wonderful things I love about reading happened regarding the journey it takes you on and the connections it forges. I watched Bill Moyers Journal which I had taped and was amazed to watch the short film about John Hagee and CUFI, Christians United for Israel and Moyers' discussion with Rabbi Michael Lerner and Dr. Timothy Weber. Suddenly Michael Chabon's story did not seem so outlandish. Suddenly I was sore afraid.

Disappointed.......2007-10-01

I heard so many good things about Chabon that I decided to read his new book. I am struggling. It is hard to understand--too many Yiddish phrases that I don't comprehend. I have lots of Jewish friends, so you would think that something would be familiar. Oh well, I will try to finish this book as I hate to give up on anything, but it will be hard. Don't think I will try Chabon's other books.

Too Cutsey.......2007-09-24

Hard to fathom and follow, thanks to too many cutesy Yiddish expressions and associations. And I'm familiar with Yiddish.

Sniper on the Eastern Front: The Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger, Knight's Cross

Average customer rating:

Horrifyingly brilliant.
Any historian or collector must read this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great history, great prose
Tale of a Wehrmacht sharp-shooter
A good read and a sadly entertaining story

Sniper on the Eastern Front: The Memoirs of Sepp Allerberger, Knight's Cross
Geoffrey Brooks
Manufacturer: Pen and Sword
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

Grandfather's Tale: The Tale of a German Sniper
Black Edelweiss: A Memoir of Combat and Conscience by a Soldier of the Waffen-SS
A Stranger to Myself: The Inhumanity of War: Russia, 1941-1944
Slaughter at Halbe: Hitler's Ninth Army in the Spreewald Pocket, April 1945
The Forgotten Soldier

ASIN: 1844153177

Book Description

Josef "Sepp" Allerberger was the second most successful sniper of the German Wehrmacht and one of the few private soldiers to be honoured with the award of the Knight's Cross.

An Austrian conscript, after qualifying as a machine gunner he was drafted to the southern sector of the Russian Front in July 1942. Wounded at Voroshilovsk, he experimented with a Russian sniper-rifle while convalescing and so impressed his superiors with his proficiency that he was returned to the front on his regiment's only sniper specialist.

In this sometimes harrowing memoir, Allerberger provides an excellent introduction to the commitment in fieldcraft, discipline and routine required of the sniper, a man apart. There was no place for chivalry on the Russian Front. Away from the film cameras, no prisoner survived long after surrendering. Russian snipers had used the illegal explosive bullet since 1941, and Hitler eventually authorised its issue in 1944. The result was a battlefield of horror.

Allerberger was a cold-blooded killer, but few will find a place in their hearts for the soldiers of the Red Army against whom he fought.

Customer Reviews:

Horrifyingly brilliant........2007-10-18

I've read many books on WW2, but this account of the Eastern Front and the attrocities commited will provoke the morals of anyone who reads it.

The accounts of sniper duels are exciting and have you holding your breath for an entire page.

Any historian or collector must read this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-10-13

Great personal account. If you are a serious student of WW2 history this in a book to read!

Great history, great prose.......2007-09-26

This is an amazing story that is amazingly well written. We should all thank the stars above that we will never experience what Sepp experienced, and that we will never be in his cross-hairs. I just read this book (I have read many books on WWII, the Wehrmacht and the Eastern Fronrt) and it was such a good read that I bought four copies to send to friends.

Tale of a Wehrmacht sharp-shooter.......2007-09-05

An unexceptional account of a young Gebirgsjager (mountain-soldier) on the Eastern front. Realizing his status as a machine-gunner would very likely result in his early demise, Sepp Allerberger established himself in the role of a self-taught sniper.
Despite the success that sharp-shooters had seen in the first World War, and the German tradition of respect for marksmanship, it is surprising that the Wehrmacht had largely over-looked sniper-training. The Soviet Union did not.
Allerberger had experimented with a captured Soviet scoped Mosin-Nagant rifle, and devised some useful tactics. It was not until later that he was sent to a formal sniper school, as a student with a prolific record of battlefield experience.
Within one will read the usual accounts of battlefield savagery, gore, and mayhem so common to the Eastern front in World War II. There is much hysterical hype in other reviews, implying Allerberger was "a cold-blooded killer!". No, he was merely a proficient soldier perfoming a specialized skill. He did what he had to do to survive, and to aid his comrades. The style of writing is a bit mundane and ponderous, but never the less, an interesting story.

A good read and a sadly entertaining story.......2007-08-30

I don't know the facts on this soldiers story. I didn't do the homework and investigation to tear it apart or build it up. I just read it, and I liked it. It wasn't great. If you want to see some great 1st person accounts of the eastern front read "My Loyalty is My Honor" and I am sure there are others out there that other reviewers have mentioned. It definetely brings to light the attrocities of the eastern front, and the trials the soldiers go through. Even if he wasn't real, and his memories were a bit lost after all the years, I still don't doubt they are quite representative of what it was like to be a German soldiers fighting for survival during the long retreat. If you are interested in the ground war in Europe, especially the eastern front, then I recommend it. If you are looking for a super detailed account of sniper tactics, techniques, and proceedures, then it might disappoint. It has some, but not to the level of other sniper books like "One Shot, One Kill" does.

Average customer rating:

Without question the BEST Labor Economics text ever!
All about Labor Economics

Labor Economics
George J Borjas
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Modern Labor Economics: Theory and Public Policy (9th Edition)
Industrial Organization: Contemporary Theory and Practice (with Economic Applications)
Law and Economics (5th Edition) (Addison-Wesley Series in Economics)
Macroeconomics (4th Edition)
Labor Economics

ASIN: 0072311983

Book Description

The second edition of this well-received text blends coverage of traditional topics with modern theory and developments into a superb text by one of our top Labor Economists. The author's current experience at the Kennedy School of Government allows him to incorporate new policy examples and a leaner presentation of the theory.

Customer Reviews:

Without question the BEST Labor Economics text ever!.......2002-12-19

This is truly an amazing work, which shows so many models of labor market phenomena at the undergraduate level that an undergraduate's economics education is incomplete without it. This book is essential reading for both undergraduates and policymakers who want to learn labor economics, economics in general, or have a deeper understanding of public policy issues. The best features are its unmatched explanations of human capital models, labor market discrimination models, and labor union models -- which will change the way you think of these issues and give deeper understanding. The book is both concise, deep, a quick and fun read, and makes Nobel-prize winning material accessible to any undergraduate or policy maker.

All about Labor Economics.......2001-07-30

George Borjas in this book deal the basic of de Labor Economics, it's very usefull for the pre-grade student and it's preleminary to introduce in the labor world (academic). It's good but it's necesary to complement with anothers advanced books for a improve vision.

A Vision Unfulfilled: Russia & the Soviet Union in the Twentieth Century

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A Vision Unfulfilled: Russia & the Soviet Union in the Twentieth Century
John M. Thompson
Manufacturer: D.C. Heath
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Khrushchev: The Years in Power (Norton Library)
The Gorbachev Phenomenon: A Historical Interpretation, Expanded edition
Behind the Urals: An American Worker in Russia's City of Steel
The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union: 1917-1991 (Sources in History)
A Revolution of Their Own: Voices of Women in Soviet History

ASIN: 066928291X

Book Description

Unlike most Soviet-centered histories, A Vision Unfulfilled begins with a chapter summarizing late nineteenth-century Russian history, allowing instructors to begin their course with 1894, 1905, 1914, or 1917. The book also gives fuller attention to the history of the non-Russian populations in the tsarist and Soviet empires than other texts of its kind.

Average customer rating:

Thick, slighly interesting, required

Labor Relations
John A Fossum
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Managing a Global Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities in International Human Resource Management
Cases in Collective Bargaining & Industrial Relations
Employment Law and Human Resource Practice (West Legal Studies in Business Academic Series)
Air Transportation: A Management Perspective
Health Promotion In The Workplace

ASIN: 0072987138

Book Description

Labor Relations: Development, Structure, Processes discusses the history and development of labor relations, the structure of union organizations, union organizing and union avoidance, bargaining issues, and the process of negotiations and contract administration. As a result of decreasing union membership over the last twenty years, more material in the book addresses employee relations in nonunion organizations including examples of both cooperative and adversarial relationships.

Customer Reviews:

Thick, slighly interesting, required.......2007-05-10

I can only assume that the vast majority of you ordering this book are for college. I can't imagine anyone ordering it for fun. Basically, its a great college book. Not confusing, in good order and logical.

Jewels of the Tsars: The Romanovs and Imperial Russia

Average customer rating:

Jewels of the Tsars
Dont expect to much
Lovely Book, not enough!
What is "different" about this book.
Wow great visual of the jewelry of the romanov's

Jewels of the Tsars: The Romanovs and Imperial Russia
Prince Michael of Greece
Manufacturer: Vendome Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Court of the Last Tsar: Pomp, Power and Pageantry in the Reign of Nicholas II
Ella: Princess, Saint and Martyr
Jeweled Garden: A Colorful History of Gems, Jewelry, and Nature
Jewels: A Secret History
Private Splendor: Great Families at Home

ASIN: 086565171X

Book Description

The world's fascination with the Russian imperial family endures, and with this stunning book a new spotlight is added. Jewels of the Tsars, the first book to examine the family's unparalleled collection, is illustrated with extraordinary photographs taken under special conditions at the Kremlin's Diamond Fund, and accompanied by 18th- and 19th-century portraits and photographs of the Tsars, their families, and their court. Prince Michael of Greece, a Romanoff descendant, writes with an insider's knowledge of his family's passion for rare and beautiful jewels, and their place in the troubled history of Imperial Russia.

Customer Reviews:

Jewels of the Tsars.......2007-10-15

I have not seen the book but wanted to comment on the editorial comments.
Prince Michael's Grandmother was Queen Olga of Greece, born a Grand Duchess of Russia but she was not a sister of Nicholas II. Olga's father and Nicholas II's grandfather were brothers. Thus Olga was a cousin to Nicholas II's father, Alexander III and therefore Olga and Nicholas II were second cousins. Prince Michael is a Prince of Greece and Denmark as his grandfather, King George I of Greece (Olga's husband) was born in Denmark as the second son of King Christian IX of Denmark and was elected King of Greece in March of 1863, thus becoming the King of Greece as a 17 year old prior to his father becoming King of Denmark in November of the same year, 1863. The Great Powers of Europe were looking for a new King for Greece when Vilhelm (his Danish name) was noticed at the March 1863 wedding of his older sister, Alexandra, when she married the Prince of Wales, son of Queen Victoria, and later King Edward VII. King George also had a sister (born Dagmar in Denmark) who married Alexander III of Russia, and were the parents of Nicholas II. This Michael's father Christopher was a first cousin to King George as well, making Michael a second cousin to Tsar Nicholas II through his father. Obviously one needs a "score card" to keep track of European Royalty as most of them are related to each other one way or another as in the past royalty was only allowed to marry royalty. Fortunately that has changed over the last several generations and it would appear that ALL of the heirs to the crowns of Europe have indeed married for love, and almost all of them have married commoners.

Dont expect to much.......2007-10-10

This book wasn't very expensive but it wasn't that good either. If you collect jewelry books like me you will already have all the pictures. If you are buying other books at this price it may be worth an add on but dont expect to much. The photos are of medium quality and the text is poor.

Lovely Book, not enough!.......2007-07-16

The Romanov ladies, dressed for a court function, dripped precious gemstones from top to toe, each Grand Duchess trying to outdo another in grandeur. Most of that jewelry has been lost, sold, the stones removed. Those who escaped the Revolution were lucky if they managed to take a small collection of their jewels with the, and most had to sell what they brought into exile to support themselves -- after they had written and sold their memoirs, that is. The memoirs of those who saw the Russian court in all its splendour, however, make it clear that the jewelry shown in this book doesn't begin to give one an idea of what the jewelry of the Romanov court ladies was like, though it tries admirably. I, too, would love to see a book on all the jewels of the Romanov ladies -- it might be impossible to find the information now, but the Soviet government apparently does still have some of the pieces left behind.

What is "different" about this book........2007-07-13

The pictures are, of course, beautiful, and show fabulous jewelry. However, what I enjoyed the most was the background information that the author was able to give. Since he is related to most of the royal families of europe, he has unusual access to jewelry, paintings, historical records and inside information. For anyone interested in the time of Imperial Russia, this book does not disappoint. At least one of my friends has also bought this book on my recommendation. I would also suggest this author's book "The Crown Jewels of Europe. If you can find it.

Wow great visual of the jewelry of the romanov's.......2007-05-08

I was really blown away by the pictures of the Jewels, especially the cherry earrings for the new Brides, I had read about these earrings but it is nothing to actually seeing how large the stones really are. Good historical pictures with various pieces. A wonderful index for the historian trying to get a handle on the lifestyle of the upper classes and the royalty of russia before the revolution.

Average customer rating:

Berlin at his best - the true fox
Highly Useful Historic Resource
Worth the read but....
The Liberal Predicament
From Tolstoy to Chernobyl

Russian Thinkers (Penguin Philosophy)
Isaiah Berlin
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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My Past and Thoughts
The Coast of Utopia (Box Set)
The Romantic Exiles
Fathers and Sons (Norton Critical Editions)
Shipwreck: The Coast of Utopia, Part II

ASIN: 0140136258

Amazon.com

Among the seven essays collected in Russian Thinkers is perhaps Isaiah Berlin's most famous work, "The Hedgehog and the Fox," which begins with an ancient Greek proverb ("The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing") before taking on Leo Tolstoy's philosophy of history, showing how Tolstoy "was by nature a fox, but believed in being a hedgehog." The other half dozen pieces examine other Russian writers and philosophers, including Alexander Herzen, Ivan Turgenev, and Mikhail Bakunin--although the latter, Berlin says, "is not a serious thinker. There are no coherent ideas to be extracted from his writings of any period, only fire and imagination, violence and poetry, and an ungovernable desire for strong sensations." Few, if any, English-language critics have written as perceptibly about Russian thought and culture as the Latvian-born Berlin, and the history covered in Russian Thinkers is a unique elaboration of Berlin's theses concerning the impact of ideas upon culture.

Customer Reviews:

Berlin at his best - the true fox .......2004-11-11

This study of Russian thinkers is profound and moving. Isaiah Berlin was capable of writing about 'ideas' and their ' development' in a constantly fascinating way. His most well- known essay ' The Hedgehog and the Fox' is in this volume and it seems that Berlin himself was one of those who knew many things and wanted to know many things. His political ideas also took the shape of recognizing conflicting value systems as having validity even when those came from within a single person. Here he writes about the great Russian social and political thinkers Tolstoy, Herzen,Belinsky , Bakunin , Turgenev with characteristic insight, irony and sympathy.
This is a volume anyone interested in the history of ideas should not miss.

Highly Useful Historic Resource.......2002-10-28

This book provides an excellent introduction to the history of Russian thought. I supplemented it with the pertinent chapters of Billington's "The Icon and the Axe" to piece together a general outline of the evolution of Russian political philosophy. Maybe I didn't pay enough attention to Berlin's own philosophizing, but then that wasn't my objective. I found one of his general observations about Russian thought to be particularly useful, i.e. the tendency to follow an idea through to its fullest consequences, no matter how extreme or objectionable. The book nicely sets the stage for how Marxism was able to take hold, showing that it was in some ways an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, intellectual development. The problem is, now that the book has allowed me to cobble together a general framework of Russian thought, the only possible next step is to start directly reading Hegel and Marx! And who wouldn't try to put off a daunting task like that?

Worth the read but...........2002-10-09

Berlin is an interesting and I agree knowing commentator, but one gets the feeling that he understands there is something awry in Communism, but he's not quite sure what. His ideas of freedom are on the mark, but in the post-Communist world they don't quite get to the point. I highly reccomend papal biographer and political pholosopher George Weigel's recent commentaties, (available online). Liberalism was not and is not a sufficient answer to utopian ideology, which Berlin nevertheless correctly asserts will inevitably degenerate into totalitatianism. Even more, in the post-cold war world, relativism has usurped "true" freedom, which presents perhaps an even more dangerous problem than the Soviet one.

The Liberal Predicament.......2002-06-15

This is one of these intellectual & spiritual odysseys of the mind that, after you've digested them, remain embedded in the protoplasm of your mental being. All the Russian 19th century greats (except Pushkin and Dostoevsky ) are here: Herzen, Belinsky, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Bakunin. In a book so saturated with ideas, it is not easy to make a pick- my favorite ones are:

-the hedgehog and the fox metaphor ("The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing"). Human beings are categorized as either "hedgehogs" (whose lives are embodiment of a single, central vision of reality according to which they "feel", breathe, experience and think- "system addicts", in short. Examples include Plato, Dante, Proust and Nietzsche.) or "foxes" ( who live rather centrifugal than centripetal lives, pursue many divergent ends and, generally, possess a sense of reality that prevents them from formulating a definite grand system of "everything"-simply because they "know" that life is too complex to be squeezed into any Procrustean unitary scheme. Montaigne, Balzac, Goethe and Shakespeare are, in various degrees, foxes.)

-precarious position of liberalism-something Berlin was well aware of. A "non-belief belief", liberalism certainly doesn't satisfy "deeper" human needs; also, it managed, following its very nature, to stay away from planned genocides & siren songs of totalitarian power. Yet- Berlin has failed (maybe due to the "history of ideas" nature of this compilation of essays) to answer more fundamental questions plaguing liberal mindset: is it fit to grapple with the 20th/21st century burning issues ? Or- has it mutated into a dark parody of itself, making a pact with postmodern imperial power(s) as represented by X-Filesque military & financial "Free World" greedy elites which batten on the unenviable position of the much of the globe (Latin America, Africa, East Europe & the greater part of Asia) ?

-on strong side, essays on Herzen (Berlin's hero), Turgenev ("Fathers and Children" controversy) and Bakunin (juxtaposed to Herzen) are fresh, universal & not dated at all. Tolstoy is covered unsurpassably, and I doubt it can be done better. On the other hand, some essays, like those on Russia and 1848 revolutions, German Romanticism and Russian populism, although brilliantly weaven, are, in my opinion, more of historical interest than pertinent to our contemporary metastable anxiety condition.

Be as it may: this is an exquisite intellectual tapestry. Buy it.

From Tolstoy to Chernobyl.......2000-06-05

Consider Isaiah Berlin a leading expert on theories of history and Russia an immense problem. The first step is the realization of how big this problem looms in the history of the world. The approach taken by Isaiah Berlin is a combination of history, philosophy, and literature. The most famous chapter of this book, "The Hedgehog and the Fox," examines the falsifications used in WAR AND PEACE to belittle what is usually considered historical in order to prove what Tolstoy believed about real complexity. Some knowledge of calculus (college-level mathematics) might be helpful to get the overall picture. "Our ignorance of how things happen is not due to some inherent inaccessibility of the first causes, only to their multiplicity, the smallness of the ultimate units, and our own inability to see and hear and remember and record and coordinate enough of the available material." (pp. 44-45) The ludicrous embrace of a doctrine like communism was doomed as soon as communism became an enemy of the multiplicity involved in actually getting anything done in a reasonable way, but the people involved needed an ideology to convince them that they had a system for generating nuclear power at Chernobyl, for example. That example is the best, at the moment, for showing how right Tolstoy could be at times. More recent efforts to make Russia function as a free marketplace have demonstrated a danger to which any notion that might be used as an attempt to free a people who don't know the first thing about doing things right could fall prey. All in all, I would rather read this book, as difficult as it is, than be the president of Russia or worse, a newspaper reporter there.

Catherine the Great: Love, Sex, and Power

Average customer rating:

Lots of Original Research
Excellent!
One of my sheroes
One of Russia's most powerful rulers -- who wasn't even Russian.
A Most Amazing Woman

Catherine the Great: Love, Sex, and Power
Virginia Rounding
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe
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The Perfect Summer: England 1911, Just Before the Storm

ASIN: 0312328877
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

Dutiful daughter, frustrated wife, passionate lover, domineering mother, doting grandmother, devoted friend, tireless legislator, generous patron of artists and philosophers—the Empress Catherine II, the Great, was all these things, and more. Her reign, the longest in Russian Imperial history, lasted from 1762 until her death in 1796; during those years she built on the work begun by her most famous predecessor, Peter the Great, to establish Russia as a major European power and to transform its new capital, St Petersburg, into a city to rival Paris and London in the beauty of its architecture, the glittering splendor of its Court and the magnificence of its art collections. Yet the great Catherine was not even Russian by birth and had no legitimate claim to the Russian throne; she seized it and held on to it, through wars, rebellions and plagues, by the force of her personality, by her charm and determination, and by an unshakable belief in her own destiny.

This is the story of Catherine the woman, whom power alone could never satisfy, for she also wanted love, affection, friendship and humor. She found these in letter-writing, in grandchildren, in gardens, architecture and greyhounds—as well as in a succession of lovers which gave rise to salacious rumors throughout Europe. The real Catherine, however, was more interesting than any rumor.

Using many of Catherine’s own words from her voluminous correspondence and other documents, as well as contemporary accounts by courtiers, ambassadors and foreign visitors, Virginia Rounding penetrates the character of this most powerful, fascinating and surprisingly sympathetic of eighteenth-century women.

Customer Reviews:

Lots of Original Research.......2007-09-13

Rounding must have poured over letters and diaries for years to produce this interesting work on the personal life of Catherine the Great. It's quite a story. Catherine's governing and military leadership are beyond the scope of the book. I would have liked more background than what was given, but the personal focus would have suffered.

The highlights for me were the descriptions of her childhood and life as a young woman and wife. In this section Rounding gives the reader a lot of lot of guidance on the character of the young Catherine, her mother, her soon to be husband and the Empress Elizabeth.

As the book progresses, Rounding reproduces an increasing number of paragraphs from original sources. In some cases this adds flavor. Catherine's text (p. 404) upon the death of her current favorite, Sasha Landskoy demonstrates far better than description could, Catherine's self-absorption. Other times, long quoted passages bog down the story. The quoting increases in the later parts of the book, and as a consequence, less guidance is given by the author.

There is a lot of description of the pageantry, who wore what and what they ate. There are lavish parties and "alimony" settlements. I particularly liked the descriptions of how these and other royals traveled. The logistics must have been enormous.

This is definitely a worthwhile book if you are interested in this period.

Excellent!.......2007-06-02

Finally, a biography of Catherine the Great that doesn't turn her in to the scarlet woman of the century, or the loose woman with the heart of gold. She is seen as a woman who tried to do what was best, didn't necessarily always succeed, but never gave up on herself or her adopted country. A very modern woman in a very un-modern time!

One of my sheroes.......2007-05-18

This well-researched biography does a superb job at giving the reader a look into the world of Catherine the Great and what made her tick. Though she was born a minor German princess and didn't seem destined for much greatness or renown, she was lucky enough to have been in the right place at the right time and to become one of Russia's greatest and most beloved rulers. One of the things that endeared her to the people was her wholehearted embrace of all things Russian. Catherine wasn't anything like her husband Peter III; when she converted to Russian Orthodoxy, she really meant it, and became very devout and observant instead of merely going through the motions but remaining a Lutheran at heart, and she embraced Russia as her own land and the Russians as her own people, complete with quickly learning the language fluently. She was one of them and not just some foreign transplant.

After taking power after the death of Peter's aunt Empress Elizabeth, Catherine lost no time in getting down to business. She had made powerful connections during her time as Grand Duchess, and now began using them in earnest. Besides having the support of the people and members of royal society, she was an educated intelligent woman and had been very much influenced by the ideas and people of the Enlightenment. It was clear from pretty much the outset that she was not merely going to be serving as Regent till her son Paul reached his majority. And during her reign, she saw Russia through outbreaks of bubonic plague, a flood, numerous wars, civil unrest, the beginnings of mass inoculation, many reforms of the legal, educational, social, and religious systems, an improvement in the quality of life for many Russians, and the shaping of Russia into a major world power, a player to be taken seriously on the world stage. She was also the last of Russia's great female rulers, as after her death her son Paul reinstituted the law of primogeniture, prohibiting a woman from ever again taking power.

This book also cleared up some misinformation I had gotten over the years, though I had never believed that slanderous urban legend about Catherine being crushed to death by a horse she was copulating with; it's ridiculous that I had two teachers who told that story as though it were true. Catherine was an amazing inspiring woman, yet most people who aren't well-versed in Russian history usually remember only one thing about her; that's the type of urban legend that one isn't very likely to forget after having heard it. Ms. Rounding also shatters the urban legend about "Potemkin villages." I had also gotten the idea that Empress Elizabeth and Catherine were a lot closer than they actually were; far from Elizabeth mentoring Catherine and being one of her closest confidantes, she actually didn't get along too well with her on most occasions. This book also gives a more nuanced view of Peter III and Paul; while it's clear that Peter did have some screws loose, it seems as though he were more immature and unaware of the role that was expected of him than anything else. Now it seems more understandable why he acted the way he did, given how he was treated by his aunt Elizabeth and her court. As for Paul, it's probably for the better that he only became Tsar after his mother's death and then only served for 5 years before being murdered, but he was raised much like his (possible) father, and treated in much the same way even after he became an adult. No wonder he resented his mother and was such a weak person.

My only complaint about the book is that it does start out kind of slow and even boring, what with so many unnecessary details, particularly about things like court ceremonies, balls, and carriage journeys. It becomes a lot more interesting and fast-paced after Catherine comes into her own and takes power. And it's great that the book focuses on her personal life instead of being bogged down in a lot of overly academic material, but it would have been nice had the portrait been balanced out by some more coverage and details of her policies, reforms, and Russian history in general. Still, this is a great biography for anyone interested in Russian history in general or Catherine in particular.

One of Russia's most powerful rulers -- who wasn't even Russian........2007-03-22

It's one of those surprises of history that one of Russia's most effective rulers was a woman, and not Russian at all. The Russian Empire after the death of Peter the Great in the early eighteenth century became a 'winner-take-all, free-for-all' between various descendants of his. By the time that the daughter of Peter, Elizabeth Petrovna, seized power and imprisoned the infant Ivan VI in a remote fortress, there were only two claimants to the Romanov crown left -- herself, and her nephew, a teenager named Peter. Clearly, the best solution to further palace coups and possible uprisings was to establish a clear line of succession.

A bride must be found and as quickly as possible. A Roman Catholic would not be acceptable, but a German Protestant princess who would not mind converting to Russian Orthodoxy just might work. And for one princess in particular, Empress Elizabeth had a soft-spot in her heart. Once, Elizabeth had been engaged to a German prince, but when he had died, the marriage did not happen. This princeling, however, had a sister -- Johanna, who in turn married the prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, and she had a daughter who was just a year younger than Grand Duke Peter.

Sophie Fredericka Auguste was a lively, intelligent teenager when she arrived in Russia with her mother for a closer look by the Empress. She wasn't exactly pretty, but she had a pair of beautiful dark blue eyes, a quick mind, and a willingness to please. Both the Empress and the Grand Duke liked what they saw, and after some careful negotiations, Sophie converted to Orthodoxy, and became Catherine Alexeyevna, and married Peter. The one problem was Johanna, who kept trying to steal the show from her daughter, dabbled in political machinations, and quite nearly ruined it all for her daughter before being returned to Germany.

But married life wasn't that easy for young Catherine. Not only did she have to deal with Empress Elizabeth's whims and capricious nature, her husband Peter was less than ideal as a spouse. For one, he wasn't that eager to consummate the marriage, prefering to scrape away at his violin, and indulging his whims for playing with soldiers, both toy and real ones. Indeed, as years passed, Catherine found herself in a very unenviable state -- no heir, and an ever irritated Empress, along with a husband who cared nothing for her.

There was really only one solution -- Catherine focused her mind on educating herself in politics and Russia, determined to become entirely Russian, and cutting off her homeland. She also used every scrap of charm and intelligence that she had, slowly gathering a coterie of supporters and finally managing to get her husband to make the marriage a reality. But that didn't mean the battle was over -- both of her infant children, Paul and Anna, were taken away from her and raised by Empress Elizabeth, and Grand Duke Peter started to consider divorcing Catherine. Finally, when Peter became Tsar, Catherine knew she had to act to save herself.

How she took power for herself, and then managed to keep it despite attempted revolts, various pretenders, war with the Ottoman empire, and still managed to be an object of admiration for the time, well, that's what makes this biography so interesting to read. Rounding takes not a political, nor exactly a chronological, look at Catherine the Great's life, but a personal one. Using Catherine's own memoirs and letters, along with the contemporary accounts of those in her life, she gives a very personal look at a powerful woman, who wasn't afraid of taking very big bites of life.

Her passions ranged from her lovers -- Gregory Orlov and Potemkin among them, to the arts -- the Hermitage, one of the most fabulous collections of art in the world, to the palaces of St. Petersburg and Tsarskoye Selo are mostly her creation and inspiration. But as well as her enjoyment of the arts, there was also a very ruthless side to the Empress. She may or may not have had a hand in the murder of her husband after his abdication -- how much Catherine was involved is still a question today, and she would discard a lover with a 'customary' present of land, serfs, and fine gifts, with the unspoken understanding that the affair was over.

But throughout the story I also got to see some of the personality and vibrancy of Catherine II through her letters and descriptions of her life. One surprise was the relationship that she had with her son, who would become Tsar Paul -- while there isn't much of a maternal love there, she was genuinely interested in what he was doing, and never did seem to wish him hard. On the other hand, she took physical and emotional charge of his two eldest children, Alexander and Constantine, in much the same way that Empress Elizabeth had taken Paul away from her.

Rounding's narrative is full of life and insight, and compared to most dusty and dry biographies, this one satisfies on several levels. I can happily recommend it for anyone interested in either Russian history, or how a woman in what was very much a man's world, managed to become one of its most powerful leaders. And yes, the horse myth is finally put to rest, and I hope, for good.

As well as two inserts of colour photos, there are extensive notes, bibliographies, sources and index to help in further research. A genealogical chart helps to sort out the complicated relationships of the Russian rulers in the eighteenth century. The images are particularly fine in this one, and have several paintings that I have not seen reproduced elsewhere.

Recommended.

A Most Amazing Woman.......2007-02-28

One of the more interesting characters in history, Catherine engineered a coup in 1762 that put her on the throne of Russia as she replaced her husband. From here she would rule Russia until her death, 34 years later. Her political accomplishments during those years are spactacular: wars fought and won, reorienting Russia from Asia to Europe, extending Russia's borders, expanding education and the arts.

At the same time her bedroom exploits became legendary around Europe. She had a succession of lovers that also seemed to serve as political advisors. It seems that these lovers were selected by Catherine based on the recommendations of members of the court. It is important to remember that this was a time when in most of the world women were basically considered chattels.

This is a well researched book on a subject that provides a balanced look at Catherine, chronicling her strengths as well as her weaknesses. Her conclusion is that the soubriquet 'the Great' is justified.

From Nyet to Da: Understanding the Russians (Interact Series)

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Excellent and Concise
Excellent and insightful book
Insightful and Helpful
Short, well written and very insightful
Modern Russian Culture: From Nyet to Da

From Nyet to Da: Understanding the Russians (Interact Series)
Yale Richmond
Manufacturer: Intercultural Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1877864161

Customer Reviews:

Excellent and Concise.......2007-08-11

I began reading this book before leaving on my first mission trip to Russia. I finished it upon my return. The portion I read before the trip was helpful to me in my interaction with the Russian people. The remainder of the book was confirmed by my recent observations and experiences.

This title is very good investment for anyone traveling to Russia or seeking to gain a better understanding of the Russian people.

Excellent and insightful book.......2007-04-19

My wife is Russian and this book really helped me understand the cultural issues that sometimes baffle both of us. It really helped to give me insight into her culture. This is an excellent read. I'd particularly recommend it to anyone that does business with Russians.

Insightful and Helpful.......2005-05-23

A client who lived throughout Russia for around ten years and still conducts most of his business with Russians recommended this book to me. This is a good book, but a little too reliant on history in explaining present day Russian culture. The book really shines when talking about the Russians outside Moscow, but more and more the Moscow business elite seem to take their cue more from the New York or London elite than from their peasant ancestors, as this book contends. Overall, however, this book is as good any for gaining a better understanding of Russians and the Russian bureaucracy.

Short, well written and very insightful.......2002-09-07

Having lived and studied in Russia and being married to a Russian I am able to appreciate the tremendous understanding of the Russians by the author. this is a must read book if you intend to travel there, live there or marry someone who lives there; it will save you from making many mistakes or false assumptions. It is well written, concise , easy to read and inexpensive. Essential reading.

Modern Russian Culture: From Nyet to Da.......2001-10-04

This book is very informative and easy to read. My husband and I are traveling to Russia sometime in the next 2 months to adopt 2 children and I feel it is important to understand their culture both for now and for their future. I have recommended this book to others on the adoption related mailing lists I am on and others have also responded favorably.

The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar

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The Kitchen Boy
Couldn't put it down
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Romantic fantasy but decent reading
That Night in Yekaterinburg

The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar
Robert Alexander
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142003816
Release Date: 2004-01-27

Book Description

Drawing from decades of work, travel, and research in Russia, Robert Alexander re-creates the tragic, perennially fascinating story of the final days of Nicholas and Alexandra as seen through the eyes of the Romanovs' young kitchen boy, Leonka. Now an ancient Russian immigrant, Leonka claims to be the last living witness to the Romanovs' brutal murders and sets down the dark secrets of his past with the imperial family. Does he hold the key to the many questions surrounding the family's murder? Historically vivid and compelling, The Kitchen Boy is also a touching portrait of a loving family that was in many ways similar, yet so different, from any other.

Drawing from decades of work, travel, and research in Russia, Robert Alexander re-creates the tragic, perennially fascinating story of the final days of Russian monarchs Nicholas and Alexandra as seen through the eyes of the Romanov's young kitchen boy, Leonka.

Download Description

"Taut with suspense and rich in historical detail, The Kitchen Boy chronicles in an entirely new light the brutal slaying of Czar Nicholas II and his family It was a crime to horrify, fascinate, and mystify the ages. On the night of July 16, 1918, Bolshevik revolutionaries murdered the entire Russian royal family in a hail of gunfire. No one survived who might bear witness to what really happened on that mysterious and bloody night. Or so it was thought. In masterful historical detail and breathtaking suspense, Robert Alexander carries the reader through the entire heartrending story as told through the eyes of a real but forgotten witness, the kitchen boy. Narrated by the sole witness to the basement execution, The Kitchen Boy is historical fiction at its best. But more than that, the accessible style and intricately woven plot-with a stunning revelation at its end-will keep readers guessing throughout. "This is a dream of a book... [Robert Alexander's] tough, stylish prose is the perfect medium for this fast-becoming myth of evil and innocence, of frailty and courage, of betrayal and redemption."" -Judith Guest ""Through the power of the author's imagination, we see not only the tragedy of the Emperor, but that of a human being, man, and father."" -Ivan Artsyshevsky, The Romanov Family Association"

Customer Reviews:

The Kitchen Boy.......2007-09-12

The author kept you interested all the way through the book and even though you already know the outcome, you are hoping for a better ending. Great read by Robert Alexander. I am now going to read Rasputin's Daughter by Robert Alexander.

Couldn't put it down.......2007-08-29

Coincidentally, the day I started this book there was a news announcement that the graves of the missing Romanov children had possibly been discovered. I should have known that it was a good omen! I had been looking for a novel about the Romanovs for some time and this hit the mark. THE KITCHEN BOY is a wonderful mix of fact and fiction and a valuable history lesson, too. Mr. Alexander did an outstanding job of turning turbulent times and a tragic event into an entertaining novel that I couldn't put down. So believable that I had to convince myself that the fictional mystery ending really didn't happen - or did it? Simply wonderful!

Great Travel Read.......2007-07-09

I bought this book in the Hermitage Museum shop in '05. It's great for a short travel book. Filled with history, plus a good mystery mixed in.

Romantic fantasy but decent reading.......2007-07-05

Knowing little about Russian history, it was interesting to me that R.Alexander was able to weave certified history into his romantic fantasy of a novel. I felt pushed to learn more about Russian history, but not to repeat reading this novel or other books by R. Alexander, I am sorry to say. This book was reviewed by a small book group that I belong to. The ladies all felt the same way about the novel. On the whole, looking at subjects that came to us when reading the book, we were astonished at the sheer waste of money on Romanov jewels and the terrible waste of millions of lives. Also, once again, we were sad that Russia has never managed to be anything but an autocratic society, whether the Tsars or the Communists rule. We hope for better government of that large land of such wonderful potential.

That Night in Yekaterinburg.......2007-07-04

Over the years, many books, both fiction and non-fiction, have been written about the events of July 16-17, 1918. On that date, in the town of Yekaterinburg, the Russian royal family met their fateful end.

Misha Semyonov is an elderly Russian man who is living in the suburbs of Chicago's north side. Nearing the end of his own life, he begins to record a tape for his granddaughter, Kate, detailing what he knows about the Romanov family. Misha, it turns out, was the kitchen boy in the House of Special Purpose in Yekaterinburg. He served the last tsar and his family, and through his recounting of the events leading up to their death, he paints a detailed picture of the last days of Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their five children.

But the story doesn't end there. The innocent kitchen boy's account of the night's events explains the disappearance of two of the Romanov bodies (those of tsarevich Alexei and his sister, Maria), as well as what happened to the bodies of the family. But along the way, Misha covers his own tracks, and it is only through Kate's investigating skills that his big secret is revealed.

Robert Alexander does an excellent job painting the anxiety and uncertainty of those last few weeks in Yekaterinburg. The novel is vivid, with many Russian phrases (and their English translations), notes that can be found in the Russian Archives, and the picture of a loving family confused by their sudden change in circumstances.

To be honest, the novel reads a bit like "The Diary of Anne Frank," though not quite as candid. However, it is an excellent theory into the murders that ended Russian imperialism and changed the face of the world forever.

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