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Russia: A Journey to the Heart of a Land and Its People
 
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Russia: A Journey to the Heart of a Land and Its People (Hardcover)

by Jonathan Dimbleby (Author)
2.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
RRP: £25.00
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 576 pages
  • Publisher: BBC Books (1 May 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0563539127
  • ISBN-13: 978-0563539124
  • Product Dimensions: 23.8 x 16 x 5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 80,400 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #38 in  Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Asia > Russia
    #38 in  Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Europe > Russia

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Product Description

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.

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.'


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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (6)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
2.4 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Odd choice of presenter/writer, 18 Jul 2008
By Mr. D. Hazel "davidhazel" (Fareham, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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.
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25 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A rare look beyond the stereotypes, 23 May 2008
By Mr. N. T. Baxter "Neil" (Cambridge, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I was pleased to see the BBC would be running a documentary and publishing this book looking at modern Russia from a perspective other than politics and war. This huge and diverse nation is an endlessly fascinating subject, which gets less than its fair share of coverage in the UK.

The book follows Jonathan's journey through a fairly representative series of geographical destinations across Russia, helping, I hope, to show people that the country is not just cold and bleak as many still seem to think!

My wife is from Novorossysk on the Black Sea coast which is just a couple of hundred miles from Turkey and where the climate is Mediterranean, not arctic, so it was good to see some of these regions covered, as well as the big cities of Moscow and St Petersburg.

Through his meetings with a variety of interesting people we cut through the prevailing stereotypes to show a warm and friendly people who are proud of their nation yet often not afraid to criticise it (although it's another thing to actually do anything about it for most people). However, their perspective on life, politics and their general philosophies often appear quite different to ours - well thought out but often much more fatalistic. There seems to be a realist expedience to much of what you hear - making the best of things as they are rather than imagining things can be made perfect. Perhaps the utopianism of the Communist years and its terrible failure has brought them to this way of thinking.

Jonathan's thoughts and questions can be a bit cringeworthy at times, but the subject matter and the interesting people he meets make this book worth a read for those who are new to this enormous subject, although it will fall well short for serious Russophiles.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Not what you might expect, 24 Feb 2009
By Mr. Tristan Gawn (Bangor, Northern Ireland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I purchased this book expecting it to be an interesting, informative, and deep look into Russia, and life of the normal people inside Russia. I didnt know much about the author, but regonsied his name of the TV so thought the book would be good.
How wrong was i. Dimbeleby makes it clear to the reader in the first few pages that he doesnt like travelling, gets homsick, cant read / write / talk any Russian, and spills his heart out in regards to personal problems. This made me wonder why i was even bothering continuing to read, but i gave it a chance and kept going. It onl got worse, very little depth at all and continually reminds us that he cant really be bothered to be there.
But it gets one star for the pretty picture on the front cover. My advice, stop reading at the front cover, the best is over.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A decent read!!
I can understand all the bad reviews if this was written as a comprehensive book on modern Russia, and as someone who has read many books on the subject I would agree with them... Read more
Published 20 days ago by Denis Johnston

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent read
I have just finished reading the book and have to say am a bit bewildered by the poor reviews. Jonathan Dimbleby is an old man may be and his take is flavoured by the cold war... Read more
Published 26 days ago by Mark Bernes

4.0 out of 5 stars Depends what you want
This isn't a guide book for the tourist, instead its an insight into one person's journey across Russia. Read more
Published 1 month ago by otbc

1.0 out of 5 stars uninspiring
I did a camping tour of the USSR in 1977. Before I went I attended night school for two years to learn Russian. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Neil Murphy

1.0 out of 5 stars Pizdets...
Of course JD was able to work as a reporter in Russia without speaking any Russian...Re-Odd choice of presenter/writer. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Kharms

1.0 out of 5 stars Much ado about nothing
I got this book as a gift- fortunately.
I have a good command of English, but I suspect that Dimbleby swallowed a dictionary before writing this. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mr. A. N. Hasluem

2.0 out of 5 stars Erroneous and misapprehending
After quick first reading I have found how difficult it could be for a West foreigner to learn Russia without more or less good knowledge of Russian language. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Dmitry Luzin

3.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring journey through Russia
After a shaky start with this one I really did get into the journey across Russia as experienced by the well know J Dimbleby. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Sally Wilton

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
This book is an interesting guide to modern Russia. Very good for people like myself who had little prior knowledge of Russia and the history of its politics and the public... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mr. A. Wadley

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
I was initially enjoying this book, but Dimbleby's constant lecturing tone to his hosts and readers about anything related to politics or history becomes extremely grating after a... Read more
Published 13 months ago by D. Galbraith

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