4 comments about Eyewitness: Russia.

1. If you are afraid that you need to read War and Peace to learn about Russia, fear not. Russia (Eyewitness Books) succinctly and beautifully illustrates the life and people of Russia. The content is a bit deep for the audience of 9 to 12 year olds. But there is something here for lovers of things Russian of any age.



2. A few years ago, my father came home from a trip to Russia, he brought some matroyoshka nesting dolls and a gold toned porcelain hand painted serving dish. Now that one of my best friends is living in Russia, I was even more interested in seeing what her new world looks like.

   As the largest country in the world, there is so much to see although I would not mind heading over there to see a Siberian tiger! You will love the pictures of the ice festival in which the winter is enlivened with sculptures carved out of ice. There is also some interesting history to the story.

   This is a journey from Early Russia to the New Russia. While this book is written for children, adults will find it very interesting for the historical details alone.

   Educational!




3. Not so much a travel guide... As a look at Russian history.



4. My teen-aged son is fascinated by all things Russian. I wanted to get him a book that wasn't too little kiddie but also one that wasn't a slog to read through. This book is a children's book but it has lots of pictures and enough information to keep a teen or adult interested. My son has several books in the Eyewitness series and they're consistently good books. Eyewitness Russia is no exception.

5 comments about In Siberia.

1. This is a tremendous book, one that I would recommend to anybody that has either spent some time in Siberia or that is simply interested in the region. Indeed, one of the few criticisms that I have is that the book is too short. Thubron glosses over a lot of interesting places. He is undoubtedly more interested in peripheral, off the beaten track places than he is in major cities. He barely describes places such as Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia and the third largest in Russia. He similarly doesn't spend much time describing cities like Omsk, Ekaterinburg, and Krasnoyarsk, and he doesn't even make it to Vladivostok. Thubron's forte is describing life in places forgotten by Moscow and unknown to the outside world. I've long been fascinated by Siberia and have spent many hours poring over maps, identifying population points in the far north and wondering how on earth anybody could live there. Well, Thubron visits such places and portrays the difficult conditions of life there. He spends nearly a month in a small town near the Arctic Circle. Since there are obviously no hotels there, he finds a bed in the hospital. He describes how every night the drunks knock on the doors and windows trying to get inside so to find a warm bed for the night. The local doctor is a highly educated man who could have had a successful career in any of Russia's larger cities, and it is fascinating to read his story of how he ended up in this godforsaken place. Thubron also describes how Soviet planning destroyed many of the traditions and ways of life of the native peoples of Russia's far north. The author has a fine ear for detecting racism in his discussions with ordinary Russians, whether it is directed against the ethnic minority groups whose traditions were altered under the Soviets or the Chinese who have immigrated in large numbers to Russia's Far East. Among the more interesting parts of the book is Thubron's stay in Birobidzhan, the capital of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast' in the Far East. This region was originally established to serve as a homeland for Russia's Jews, and many Jews from abroad immigrated there in the early Soviet period. Thubron describes how most of the Jews have emigrated to Israel and those still living there are planning to do so as soon as they find the means. Whatever semblance of a Jewish community that existed there in the past has pretty much evaporated. Thubron also visits a community of Orthodox Old Believers in the Republic of Buryatia and describes how they are trying to hold on to their traditions amid the social upheavals that have engulfed post-Soviet Russia. The book ends with Thubron's visit to Kolyma, the infamous prison camp during Soviet times. He provides a chilling account of the atrocities that occurred there and it is simply eerie reading his description of the buildings that still stand. Overall, Thubron does not provide a great deal of direct political analysis. Rather, his tactic is to understand how the tumultuous events of Russia's history, both recent and distant, have shaped the lives of ordinary people. Thubron is at his best when he lets these ordinary people speak for themselves and relate their experiences. This is truly a great book for anybody interested in Russia, past and present. I only wish that Thubron would write a sequel to this work!



2. We found Colin Thubron at least the equal of Newby and Theroux with the confidence to depend on his unique description skills without photographic backup. What puts this book among the top few is his commitment to the language which permitted him to hear first hand the concerns of those he met, which he reported while allowing the readers to draw their own conclusions. This is an essential reference for inclusion among the few strictly necessary aids to travel through a tortured and fragile land.



3. I thought that the depiction of Siberia was magical, and would certainly recommend this book to those that have not read it yet. For those who have, and are interested in more about this land, I would recommend Tent Life in Siberia: An Incredible Account of Siberian Adventure, Travel, and Survival.



4. What on earth drives Colin Thubron? Why, traversing a subcontinent whose name has become synonymous with suffering, would he face tedium, banality and appalling weather to seek out agonizing communities, explore Artic death camps, plumb the worldview of demoralized individuals and contemplate remote sites where dramatic events unfolded years, if not millennia, ago? Certainly there is an unrelenting fascination with the mysterious heart of Eurasia, crisscrossed at least three times by the Russian and Chinese-speaking author, but there seems to be more. The intensity of the effort to bear witness to mankind's resistance to inexorable forces sometimes seems like part of a manic attempt to hold back the passage of time itself. Whatever the motivation the result is particularly appropriate when dealing with a place where not only maps, but also human memory and history itself have already been partially "blanked out" by a truly evil empire. This splendid book not only enlightens us about a part of the world and its peoples of which most people are ignorant but makes us regard with awe the commitment of its author.



5. Colin Thubron takes you right into Siberia with him. And with him, you can experience the hardships and the love of the land that these people face. This is not a tourist book. It is a book about people, interwoven with geographic fact.

4 comments about Russia & Belarus (Lonely Planet Travel Guides).

1. So you have already seen the present (Moscow) and former (St. Petersburg) capital, and now you would like to see the "real Russia", or you have an airplane conference to attend in Kazan, or you have adopted a child from Murmansk, or you are meeting a prospective bride from Magadan (don't laugh--whenever I answer questions from people who are traveling to regions outside of Moscow/St. Petersburg, 80% are going for adoption or marriage!). There are almost no current guidebooks to regions such as Perm, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Volgograd, Crimea, Minsk, and the Far East. The 'Lonely Planet Russia and Ukraine' has the largest area coverage of any guide currently published in English.

   It is also ideal for those taking a river cruise between Moscow and St. Petersburg.

   The coverage of the famed Trans-Siberian route is ok, although I think the 'Trans-Siberian Handbook' and 'Siberian Bam Guide : Rail, Rivers & Road' do a better job for those particular regions.

   The Moscow/St. Petersburg sections are ok as well, although anyone spending more than a few days in each of those cities should look into guides that cover only those cities.

   Restaurant, hotel and travel information are good, although could use more details. The history sections are adequate considering the scope of the book. Also, the twice-yearly updates at Lonely Planet's web site, although lacking in breadth and depth, provide some more timely information than what appears in the book.

   Marc David Miller, Discovering Russia, New York




2. The only problem with this book is that if you're planning to travel just to an area of Russia, you won't need as much information of others. Russia is huge so the place you're travelling to, probably just will have a couple of paragraphs....



3. There is a wealth of information in this book but some of the information is way off. For example the restaurant Lechaim is said to be "excellent" and the cooking is "served in hearty portions". I got a small portion of fish, two soups and salad for an outrageous price of $50. LP warns that prices change but the book is only a few months old. Also the authors are overly sensitive about fitting in by suggesting that you use a plastic bag like the locals instead of a backpack to carry your things. First of all what is wrong with looking like a foreigner? Are they suggesting that Russians don't like foreigners? Anyway many locals use back packs. I also didn't get stopped by police outside the Moscow railway station. The book sanctions some level of paranoia possibly to protect themselves. Maps are accurate and so are many of the museum schedules. I would suggest trying some of the restaurants not mentioned in the book. You can find some good food that way.



4. What to say about Belarus? Well, we spent the day the White Russkis commemmorate the end of WWII there, so I've seen it in all of its "grandeur". Not much to recommend it, go and see Belarus if you missed out on the post WWII East European dictatorships, because Belarus is the last of its kind. A genuine personality cult around the president runs politics, and you can get a feel for what it was like in 1970's E. Europe. Guess what- you will not like it. Take some pics of Minsk & move on to Moscow. And if you can find a decent hotel in Minsk, you've done better than my wife and I did.

5 comments about Imperium.

1. Ryszard Kapuscinski is a guru to many people in Poland, and his books were always received with unending awe - because he traveled, when hardly anybody else could o anywhere apart from other countries of the Communist bloc, and moreover - he could write about what he saw... I still marvel how he managed to write so many things, which were in principle against the system, and still get published, but it is another question (Polish censorship was maybe not that tight or not that clever, or - most likely - clever enough to allow the chosen one his writing in the name of relative peace???).
   
   "Imperium" is one of my favorites among Kapuscinski's books (NB. I have read the original, so have no idea about the translation, but after reading some earlier reviews I think it must be good too). I have been driven to the mystery of Russia and its acquisitions as well as to the phenomenon of Soviet Union for a long time, and here Kapuscinski gives a lot on these subjects in a concise form.
   
   The book is divided into several parts, starting with the author's earliest memories of Soviet Union, when he was a schoolboy of what is now Belarus, and with his surprisingly acute observations (reminding me of my own, never put into words, forty years later, when everything was already much more relieved, but still the school was mysteriously insane). Then we go through Siberia on the Transsiberian train (still a cult trip for many students in Poland, albeit it must be very different now), and proceed to the other republics of the Soviet Union.
   
   Kapuscinski traveled as a journalist, but always he managed to get something private out of each visit, which had to have an official program and probably nothing more was permitted. He talked to people in the forgotten corners of the Imperium and in the representative places, watched them, saw the ancient rituals and old habits under (and clashing with) the overwhelming, transplanted Russian culture, and wrote about it, preserving the memories and triggering in several generations the urge to see it with their own eyes, managing to capture the atmosphere of each place he got to... He evokes the image of "Homo Sovieticus", at the same time wondering about Russian soul.
   
   The book is full of literary allusions and connections and contains a rich bibliography at the end, which is also recommended. "Imperium", as Kapuscinski warns at the beginning, is a collection of observations and his thoughts, as deep as they can be in this form, but because the subject is vast, everything is treated personally and rather as an encouragement to inflame greater interest, and then more monographic works come in handy (e. g. reading in "Imperium" about the North led me to excellent books by Mariusz Wilk, a longtime resident of Solovki).
   
   I heartily recommend this book - it cannot disappoint!



2. Russia for all its' history has only worked well when it had a philosopher- king as its' ruler. Peter and Catherine did more to pull the country into a modernized version than all of their predicesors. Ivan III (not the terrible but the venerated) and Stalin had many of the same megalomaniac ideas of how to govern. I.e. Banish or exterminate anyone who doesn't agree with you (both had a son murdered on their orders) and rule by fear.
   
   The one thing that you would have expected the CPSU (Communist Party of the Soviet Union) to have accomplished in seventy years, was the construction of a massive infrastructure to allow them to better control the population. But the biggest problem in Russia today, is the work that was done during the communist period. Pre-revolutionary buildings (built before 1914) have held up better than those built under Stalin and especially those built after WW2. Russia has never been able to feed its' own people during the twentieth century because of the poor distribution system that exists to this day. It is estimated that half the harvest is lost each year due to a lack of infrastructure to move food from the farms to the cities.
   
   Kapuscinski gives us a background on the ways in which the CPSU controlled the country but never learned to govern it. He begins with his visits in the pre-WW2 era, gives us extended tours during the middle century and an interesting view at the time of the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
   
   In his ending section (His Sequel) he is prescient in discussing how he sees the beginning of the failure of 'democrats' to rule Russia and the beginning of the growth of monopolies and dictatorship. Only a strong hand will help Russia survive while it tries to set its' house in order. He saw Putin coming before anyone knew his name.



3. "Imperium" is more than a mere travelogue of the states comprising the former USSR, although if the book were only visit to far-off spots (like Kolyma, Zabaykal'sk and Nagorno-Karabakh) that very few get to see, it would be worth your time. Ryszard Kapuscinski's masterful work not only describes places within "the Imperium" and the history behind them, it plumbs the very soul of Russia.
   
   The book starts in Pinsk, in 1939, when the author was a boy. Stalin ruled the USSR and the Soviet Army's invasion of Kapuscinski's home city gave the author his first glimpse of the terror of the Soviet regime -- made even more terrible by the utterly arbitrary use of power. The remainder of the first section of the book describes Kapuscinski's travels on the Trans-Siberian railway in 1958 and in the southern portions of the USSR in 1967. Here we learn about the beauty and tragedy of Armenia and are given a feel for life in the "stans."
   
   The second, and longest, section of the book describes the vast areas of the USSR visited by Kapuscinski between 1989 and 1991. Kapusczinski describes Moscow as it was, before Napolean's invasion, Moscow before the Bolsheviks took over, and their transformation of Moscow into a dreary, vaguely industrial-looking city. The symbol of the replacement of worship of God with the mastery of the State is the nearly overnight destruction of the magnificent Temple of Christ the Savior, which was built over sixty years, and its replacement with the Palace of the Soviets. Kapuscinski travels to Georgia, Armenia, and icy Vorkuta. In a chapter on Central Asia, Kapuscinski describes the destruction of the Aral Sea -- another man-made ecological disaster, caused by Brezhnev's order to turn Uzbekistan into a land of nothing but cotton. But the most heartbreaking chapter is on Kolyma, part of the gulag where millions were sent to their frozen, hungry deaths. This is difficult to read, but important.
   
   Whither Russia? When this book was written, more than a dozen years ago, it seemed that Russia was starting to unfreeze -- at least politically and economically. Kapuscinski's outlook at the time was bleaker than most. He recognized the enormous problems facing Russia -- the legacy of terror and repression, the poverty, the demoralization of significant portions of the society and the ecological depredations. He also predicted a confrontation between Christianity and Islam in the border regions.
   
   I wish that the author had been able to return to the Imperium and provide his unique insights into Putin-ruled Russia today. Unfortunately, Ryszard Kapuscinski died this year. This book is part of his important legacy.



4. A lyrical masterpiece by this superlative writer! Nowhere have I found a dissection of the Evil Empire done with such fluid verse. He goes from the periphery into the heart of the beast and everywhere he discovers that appearances deceive and what seems to signal change is really a re-hash of old. Kapuczinski's sharp analysis and trenchant comments will be sorely missed!



5. Perhaps history will never be told better than through the eye of this travelling writer (or is it a writing traveller?). Read and be awed by the staggering proportions of recent history in the vast empire that is no more, the Sovjet Union. And be chilled to the bones by the unimaginable amounts of suffering inflicted by the sovjet leaders on their own people. And be astonished that in the midst of the most utter despair, poverty, and enslavement, Kapuscinski can find optimism, humor, and love of life.

No comments about St Petersburg (City Guide).

5 comments about Russian: Lonely Planet Phrasebook.

1. Possibly an excellent book for a student of the Russian Language, but too much info for the casual traveler to Russia. I did not have the time or inclination to study pages of grammar and pronunciation when a phonetic translation would have surficed. Also, when words were spelled phonetically the stress syllable was not "stressed" with darker ink and the"quick reference" had no clue as to what syllable is stressed(unless one read pages and pages of pronunciation.) I also objected to the profanities. Who needs to know how to be crude and rude in another language?



2. As the founder of Discovering Russia, a company devoted to enriching cultural and business travel to Russia, we are always looking for good travel books to recommend for our clients. "Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook" is such a volume for those who are trying to learn more than the barest of phrases.
   
   Many guidebooks include a few pages in the back with a Russian alphabet and brief phrase guide (including Lonely Planet's various guides to Russia). This is a good book for those looking to learn a few phrases as well as basic grammar. The size is perfect for a traveler to supplement their basic guidebook when touring.
   
   As most with most other dictionaries, "Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook" does NOT have clear syllable stress marks, which are very important in Russian. Also, many of the phrase choices are almost archaic in contemporary Russia (and the inclusion of vulgarity is a complete waste of space).
   
   The "Lonely Planet Russian Phrasebook" is useful bridge between the brief phrase lists in guidebooks and a minicourse in Russia. It is useful for travelers to carry around during their journey of Discovering Russia.
   
   Marc David Miller, Discovering Russia, New York



3. Lonely Planet Russian is basically two helpings of basic grammar followed by many sections of phases you won't likely ever use. For instance, the guide provides several pages each of lists of occupations, nationalities, college majors, items of stationary, jewellery, colors, insects, flowers, aquatic sports(!), electrical appliances, camping terms,and so on. Also provided are pat phrases to employ at a hotel's front desk, at a doctor's, at the optometrist, and eating out, among other mini-sections. The book, in effect, is set up to be taken out to be used once a day, if that. It's an improvement on Berlitz phrase books, but not by much. (Berlitz simply divides their books into 10 or so color coded sections such as: "sightseeing," "relaxing," "shopping," travelling around," "money," "eating out," etc.)
   
   Rough Guide Russian, in comparison, is structured completely differently. The first 50 pages gives you numbers, days of the week, time, etc., and a 20 minute course in Russian grammar. Oh no, you might be saying, but it is presented very simply. For instance it presents a handful of common verbs and their conjugations. So on one page you can see how to say "I have," "he has, " etc. and "I like," "he/ she likes," etc.
   
   The rest of the book is split between an English-Russian dictionary (130 pages approx), a Russian-English dictionary (70 pages, approx.), and a 20 page menu reader. What makes the English-Russian dictionary pages unique, though, is that most every other page (at least) has dialogue boxes relating to the most useful word(s) on that particular page. For instance, when you thumb through the book for the word "live," you get the word itself, but also the phrases "I live in..." and "Where do you live?" It'll take you 10 minutes to find such a phrase in Berlitz or Lonely Planet in their "getting to know others' section. But because Rough Guide is structured as a dictionary, with hundreds of really useful phrases highlighted in boxes within, you can access something you want to say rather swiftly...and actually deliver it just a minute or so after looking for it. Add the grammar section, where you learn useful verbs and how to conjugate their past tenses, and the number section, and you can learn easily to chat with someone about where you are from, where you are going, where you have traveled thus far, what you like/liked, and so on. Likewise, knowing have to say "have" make sit easily to ask whether a hotel has rooms, whether the room has a shower (after thumbing through the book for the word for shower), etc. And when the answer comes back that the hotel doesn't have one, or they say "we have...," you can actually catch what they are saying.
   
   If still not persuaded, next time you're in a bookstore compare a Berlitz, a Lonely Planet, and a Rough Guide language phrase book side by side. If you just want a book for emergencies (say, breaking a leg, etc.) then Berlitz and/or Lonely Planet phrase books will serve you well...in your pocket until you are faced with such a situation, since they do have many more specific terms (like 50 different parts of the the body), but if you really want to be able to say some things in Russian on a daily basis during your trip you'll be much better served by The Rough Guide to Russian Dictionary Phrasebook 3 (Rough Guide Phrasebooks). Cheers



4. This little book helped me immensely on my trip to Russia... basic survival skills were laid out up at the front and the pronounciation was dead on. The social section produced some smiles with the friends that I met.



5. If you just want to learn basic Russian, enough to get you through without looking like a total ignoramous, then this is for you. It has useful phrases along with sounding the words out for you. It is categorized nicely into situations with colored binding. A very helpful little (pocket sized) book.

5 comments about Trans-Siberian Handbook: Seventh Edition of the Guide to the World's Longest Railway Journey (Trailblazer Guides).

1. I used this book while traveling along the Trans-Siberian railroad and in planning my trip beforehand. It provides a great amount of quality information for planning purposes, but it is not complete. For example, when it lists the time table of trains, please note that it is only a sample of the most popular "tourist" trains. We found hundreds of trains going along the route, leaving at all times of day and night (of course we figured this out once we got there).
   The translations were useful if you do not know the Russian alphabet. The pronunciation guide is good.
   The best part of the guide was the section which gave you fun facts along the kilometer markings of the railroad. These made up a great portion of our entertainment while riding the train (4 days of sitting and looking out the window, chatting with other travellers, etc.). The little tidbits were very interesting!
   The city guides within the book were an okay start to get familiar with the cities, but as with any guidebook which tries to cram it all in, it was not nearly complete.
   My only con of the book was the large size of it. It is very thick, but I guess it must be (it has sooooo much info inside!)
   I would recommend buying it if you are traveling along the railroad, or just as a great reference!



2. I bought it as part of a package deal, and it never arrived.



3. My friend and I did part of the trip last summer, and the guide was simply invaluable. We were in the major cities decribed in the book, and we took the train Irkutsk--Ulaan Baator. The book was very helpful both when we were planning the trip (has train schedules) and on the spot, directing us to places of interest. Overall, gives you a good idea what to expect. Start reading the guide at least half a year before the planned trip. You'll need good 4 to 5 months to arrange everything.



4. For passengers on traveling on all or most of the Trans-Siberian Railway and visiting the cities along it, there are only two English-language travel guides. The Lonely Planet guide appeared in 2003 with a second edition in 2006, while Bryn Thomas updates his guide almost yearly and in 2007 it reached its seventh edition. I'm a two-time veteran of the Trans-Siberian, using the 1st edition of the Lonely Planet on the eastbound Trans-Manchurian route, and the 2nd edition on the eastbound Trans-Mongolian. When I recently discovered Bryn Thomas' guide in the local library, however, it struck me as the guide that I wish I had had on the trip.
   
   The Lonely Planet guide and Thomas' have much in common. Both include a history of Russia in the Trans-Siberian era and general information about culture. They both give sightseeing guidance and lodging listings for the cities along the way. The LP sticks to the three traditional routes between Moscow and Beijing or Vladivostok, but Thomas has now added Yakutsk, soon to be accessible by rail) and other possible rail terminus cities like Prague and Hong Kong.
   
   What makes Thomas' guide real special is his enthusiasm for the train journey itself. Unlike the LP guide, he gives timetables for the route, truly equipping the reader to prepare for the trip without having to look for too much information outside the book. Thomas discusses in detail the layout of carriages, specifics of what the carriage attendant can do for those under her charge, and things to look out for at kilometre markers along the way. The LP guide has little about the journey itself, and what little interesting information it did have in the first edition disappeared in the second.
   
   Thomas' tone is also much more pleasant to read than in the common guidebooks for independent travelers. He doesn't try to sell you places you have already decided to visit with an overuse of words like "vibrant" and "spectacular". I also admire that he succeeds in writing for a general audience. While some of the accomodation listings are pricey, it doesn't feel like he is dismissing backpackers like certain sell-out guidebook lines.
   
   I don't think I will ever travel the Trans-Siberian all the way again. While still fairly low considering the distance, fares are rising and I usually have the three free weeks needed to hitchhike from Europe to Ulan-Ude or Vladivostok. Nonetheless, I'd certainly recommend this to travelers planning a trip that is well-worth doing at least once.



5. Because I plan to trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway next year I bought this book hoping to read some advice and tips on how to travel the whole trip, where to stay, how much it costs, where to stay etc.
   
   But his book absolutely surpassed all my expectations!! There are not only those tips on trans-siberian rail, but also "travel guides" for cities like Moscow, Irkutsk and even tips on how to get to Mongolia, where to stay in Ulan-Bator and so forth.
   
   I have no idea how I would plan my trip without this book! It's really amazing how much information (and even with tips from other "ordinary" travellers!!) is in that, for instance bus-numbers from Moscow airport heading to the center of the city ...
   
   The book absolutely worth the money.

5 comments about St. Petersburg (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. This book gives ou a nice overview of the region, and incredible specific tips for visiting St. Petersburg.



2. 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.



3. Great book. Glossy Paper and small enuf to carry along. Recommend DK books



4. I purchased this guide because it looked to be a good value and fairly current. I have been delighted with how useful this guide turned out to be, with particular emphasis on finding good restaurants. The restaurants we tried were just as described.
   
   St. Petersburg is not so big that you need to carefully plan your time as you would in London or Rome, for example, and this guide strikes a good balance between too much detail and not enough to get by on. The one catch is that you'll need some additional info on speaking Russian if you are not traveling with a tour group.



5. The book helped me a lot on my visit to St. Petersburg as I don't know Russian. The maps have the street names in English and Cyrillic Also the street index. There is also a metro map with stations written in both languages. The metro map and phrase book at the end - should be written in bigger letters. The book is very colorful and helps you to identify the sights and find your way.
   I didn't read all the history section which seems very detailed but for a traveler - there should be a summery page of the important events and people who had an impact on St. Petersburg's history and Architecture.
   Information that I found lacking or should be improved (Only from my experience in the city and I didn't see or visit all the sites)
   1.Yosupuv Palace - no information about the beautiful interior and collections (p. 120) A gallery or hall guide should be added.
   2. There are three guided walks ( P. 133-139) but a very important one "Dostoevsky walk" ("Crime and Punishment") around the area of Sennaya Ploshchad is missing . there is a small map on p.115 with "sights at glance" without the buldings were Dostoevsky lived. There is a mention of him on page 123 with limited information.
   A map, the walk and more information linking the area to the relevant books (" Crime & Punishment"," The Gambler" etc.) must be added.
   3. Traskoe Selo or Pushkin (P.152-155) - no mention of the impressive Holocaust "Formula of Grief " also not on the map on page 155.

5 comments about Moscow (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. Its up to the minute information is invaluable as you travel around St. Petersburg. But, its AAA apearance is so dull you hardly want to use it. My recommendation is to buy this for the current info. and the EYEWITNESS GUIDE for its intelligent and beautifully illustrated usability.



2. These are by far the best travel books out there, because of the detailed picture maps and the specific historical info for each area of the cities.



3. This book gives ou a nice overview of the region, and incredible specific tips for visiting Moscow.



4. I have used this series for other cities and have found them always excellent, the best at what they do.



5. I really like the new edition of the book. It is quite accurate, and easy to use while exploring Moscow. As with all these DK guides, the photographs and accompanying text offer a unique companion to your travels. My only complaint is the sections on sites outside and around Moscow are weak. More people need to explore outside the city.

4 comments about Frommer's Moscow & St. Petersburg (Frommer's Complete).

1. 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!



2. 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!



3. 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.



4. 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.