Russia: A Journey to the Heart of a Land and Its People
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Russia is a massive book: sprawling, ambitious and richly detailed. Jonathan Dimbleby's subtitle is A Journey to the Heart of a Land and its People, and fears that he might have bitten off more than he can chew (both in this book and its accompanying TV series) are quickly allayed. What is most impressive about the book is its canny synthesis of a variety of genres: travelogue, history, social document: Russia is all of these and more, with the personal voice of the narrative by Dimbleby particularly illuminating, as he struggles to come to terms with the contradictions in this fascinating and infuriating country. It is, as the author says, a country that straddles half the globe, and contains a daunting amount of cultural and religious diversity. All of this is examined here, but any sage judgements are never delivered in sober-sided fashion -- we're always caught up in the drama of Dimbleby's journeys.
The author crossed eight time zones and covered 10,000 miles, from Murmansk in the Arctic Circle to the Asian city of Vladivostok. He travels by every available method: rail, road and sea, and manages to experience all the splendours and the miseries of this amazing country. But although the contours of the locales are conjured up with maximum vividness, there are also fascinating portraits of all the Russians that Dimbleby encounters, from intellectuals and struggling peasants to the new breed of fantastically successful entrepreneurs (many of whom, of course, are now making their home in London). The colour illustrations are well chosen, but it's the text that succeeds in taking the reader on this epic journey -- a journey that will transform completely most people's apprehension of the country. --Barry Forshaw. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Daily Express, 16th May 2008
'Dimbley's book is a splendid achievement...He constitutes the essence of a good traveller - companionable, thoughtful, sceptical and sometimes wide-eyed with wonder.'
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Ok, so he doesn't like travelling, and he doesn't like the Russians (because he was bought up during the cold war). Great foundations for a truly revealing book on how a man with obvious prejudice and a hatred for travel can be enlightened by a journey through a wonderful land, meeting some enchanting people, right? Wrong. Cue Dimbleby rattling on for 550 painful pages about how in Britain we do everything better than in Russia (including landscape), and how inherently corrupt everything is.
I thought that maybe if I carried on reading right to the very end, he might spout forth some incredible redeeming wisdom and make the whole boring book at least partly worthwhile. I shouldn't have bothered.
The main issues I have with this book are, in nutshell form:
Dimbleby always looks for the negative in every encounter, and always manages to find it, no matter the situation.
He keeps repeating the same point all the time
Dimbleby bangs on about himself waaaaaaaaaay too much.
He keeps repeating the same point all the time
He comes across as very closed-minded.
He doesn't even learn the cyrillic alphabet! I mean, seriously?!
He keeps repeating the same point all the time - See how annoying it is?
I thought that maybe if I carried on reading right to the very end, he might spout forth some incredible redeeming wisdom and make the whole boring book at least partly worthwhile. I shouldn't have bothered.
The main issues I have with this book are, in nutshell form:
Dimbleby always looks for the negative in every encounter, and always manages to find it, no matter the situation.
He keeps repeating the same point all the time
Dimbleby bangs on about himself waaaaaaaaaay too much.
He keeps repeating the same point all the time
He comes across as very closed-minded.
He doesn't even learn the cyrillic alphabet! I mean, seriously?!
He keeps repeating the same point all the time - See how annoying it is?
27 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Jonathan Dimbleby is not a name you associate with travel writing. Having read this book all the way through, and watched all episodes of the series, it's not likely to become a name with such an association.
By his own admission, Dimbleby does not like travelling, does not like having to be away from home, and has a phobia about flying. He also speaks virtually no Russian and cannot read Cyrillic (yet was somehow able to function as a Moscow reporter during the Soviet Union days).
One thing comes across very clearly within the first few pages of this book (and remains evident throughout). Dimbleby's mindset vis-a-vis Russia is stuck in the Soviet era of the 1970s. He makes constant references to the Soviet era throughout the book, and when that doesn't provide him with sufficient material, resorts to harping back even further to the excesses of the Tsars. At almost every point, he quizzed people about their political views and looked deeply into Russia's social problems, rather than focussing on the kinds of everyday matters that a tourist would want to know about. Yet, despite his repeated references to the way ordinary people in Russia live, his main points of contact throughout the book were people of high status (company owners, local community leaders, Tolstoy's descendents, and so on). So much for seeking the hearts and minds of the people.
This book is presents a very negative impression of the world's largest country. (Yet, oddly, Dimbleby doesn't mention the negative impressions that most travellers there would find: the almost complete absence of the concept of "customer service", and bureaucrats who are unhelpful to the point of being downright obstructive. I guess not being able to speak the language does have its advantages - you don't need to face these real-world annoyances.)
This is not so much a journey to the hearts and minds of the Russian people, as a journey to one man's mid-20th-century political prejudices. The only positive thing I can say about it, is that it offers quite a lot of interesting historical background to Russia.
By his own admission, Dimbleby does not like travelling, does not like having to be away from home, and has a phobia about flying. He also speaks virtually no Russian and cannot read Cyrillic (yet was somehow able to function as a Moscow reporter during the Soviet Union days).
One thing comes across very clearly within the first few pages of this book (and remains evident throughout). Dimbleby's mindset vis-a-vis Russia is stuck in the Soviet era of the 1970s. He makes constant references to the Soviet era throughout the book, and when that doesn't provide him with sufficient material, resorts to harping back even further to the excesses of the Tsars. At almost every point, he quizzed people about their political views and looked deeply into Russia's social problems, rather than focussing on the kinds of everyday matters that a tourist would want to know about. Yet, despite his repeated references to the way ordinary people in Russia live, his main points of contact throughout the book were people of high status (company owners, local community leaders, Tolstoy's descendents, and so on). So much for seeking the hearts and minds of the people.
This book is presents a very negative impression of the world's largest country. (Yet, oddly, Dimbleby doesn't mention the negative impressions that most travellers there would find: the almost complete absence of the concept of "customer service", and bureaucrats who are unhelpful to the point of being downright obstructive. I guess not being able to speak the language does have its advantages - you don't need to face these real-world annoyances.)
This is not so much a journey to the hearts and minds of the Russian people, as a journey to one man's mid-20th-century political prejudices. The only positive thing I can say about it, is that it offers quite a lot of interesting historical background to Russia.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As others have pointed out, Dimbleby's manifest lack of enthusiasm for the subject matter (and overwhelming enthusiasm for himself) contaminates the book. I really don't think that someone who is not even prepared to learn Cyrillic is the ideal choice for a trip across Russia, and this really does show.
That does not mean that the book is a complete waste of time, but I'm not convinced that its occasional redeeming features are enough to offset the constant whining and navel-gazing by its author. Russia is a passionate country and it needs to be addressed by a passionate writer.
And spare a thought for Dimbleby's (no doubt long suffering) interpreter, who doesn't get a mention in the entire book!
That does not mean that the book is a complete waste of time, but I'm not convinced that its occasional redeeming features are enough to offset the constant whining and navel-gazing by its author. Russia is a passionate country and it needs to be addressed by a passionate writer.
And spare a thought for Dimbleby's (no doubt long suffering) interpreter, who doesn't get a mention in the entire book!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Comment from Russian perspective
Let me comment on it from Russian perspective: I think it is an exceptionally good book on the matter. One can only wonder where does this vitriol of the reviewers seep from? Read more
Published 22 hours ago by Denis Peskov
NOT QUITE A TRUE TRAVEL BOOK
I did enjoy this book,especially as I had just returned from a visit to Moscow and St Petersburg.I found his travels interesting,and his conversations with the Russian people... Read more
Published 6 months ago by bibliophile
All you need to know about Russia - and Jonathan Dimbleby!
This is my kind of book - informative, wide-ranging, engaging and beautifully written. You are on the journey with him, learning about the history, geography, the politics and the... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Nova
Utterly Pointless and Offensive
I read the last page of this on the train last night, and - much to the amusement of my fellow passengers - swore out loud. Read more
Published 19 months ago by resmart
It's long but it's interesting
I have always wanted to learn more about Russia and I felt this book gave me the opportunity to do so. Read more
Published 20 months ago by James Kirpalani
A very good holiday read
I am sorry that the other readers did not enjoy this book, as I did most thoroughly. I felt as if I was with Jonathon as he made his way through Russia meeting lots of different... Read more
Published 21 months ago by A. J. Pyott
A doorstop maybe
Urg this is merely a cash in on the TV series, which was better... the book is merely a vehicle for complaint by Dimbleby all the way through, moaning about this and that. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Nigel
Russia is pants Britain is better
Is the tone of the entire book, good thing I got it from the library then!
Unless this book was written as a joke to stir up Nationalism Jingoism etc because of the... Read more
Unless this book was written as a joke to stir up Nationalism Jingoism etc because of the... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mike Swann
a fascinating insight into the country and her people
This is a long book - over 500 pages - but the author's remit does cover the largest country in the world and the correspondingly rich and varied mixture of its inhabitants. Read more
Published on 17 May 2010 by C. Shephard
Compelling reading
I nearly did not buy this book because of all the negative feedback other readers had given. However, of the numerous books I have read about Russia, this is the one I have enjoyed... Read more
Published on 26 Feb 2010 by J. Woodward
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