No comments about Russia. St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kharkoff, Riga, Odessa, the German Provinces on the Baltic, the Steppes, the Crimea, and Interior of the Empire.

4 comments about Russian at a Glance: Phrase Book and Dictionary for Travelers (At a Glance).

1. Cultural information is interspersed throughout the vocabulary in the phrasebook section; this really kept me interested in reading further.

   Features I really liked: the Quick Grammar guide covers an astonishing amount of material in a mere seven pages. Essential verbs (such as "want, "can," "need," etc.) are conjugated in the dictionary section so that the average tourist can use the correct form.

   This is another excellent entry in the publisher's "At a Glance" series.




2. This is an excellent phrasebook, with a very small form factor so that you can easily carry it in a coat pocket. The most useful feature is that words are shown in both Cyrillic and phonetic spellings so that you can pronounce the word or phrase with complete confidence. The emphasized syllable is capitalized. (Example: thank you = spaSIba) There's a nice dictionary in the back, and the grammar section is concise with easy rules. Great value for the money!



3. "Russian at a glance" is an excellent choice as a compact phrasebook to accompany you to Russia or other CIS countries. I have to be honest telling you this one is not as "worn" as our Lonely Planet phrasebook (my first choice). In spite of that, it definitely has a few great advantages.

   The first difference you'll notice will be the addition of maps of Russia, Moscow and the Moscow Metro. If you are going to Moscow, that in itself could be a lifesaver (I dare you to find a small map anywhere on the street when you need one!)

   It also incorporates a bit more helpful material such as passport control info and a brief cultural guide to each section- shopping, entertainment etc. The truth about traveling in Russia is that you will have a tough time finding much help once you get off the plane or train. The more you have thought through in advance or have at your fingertips the better.

   Another strong point is a decent sized dictionary for a phrasebook. The phonetic pronunciation guide for each phrase is good as well. This book is small, but not ideal at 3.75 X 6 inches and around 240 pages. The book isn't thick (3/8"), but the pages are tightly bound and a little difficult to turn. You may find it just a bit awkward to keep around at times.

   This will be a good choice for you, but honestly, this became our "number two" phrasebook during our 7 or so trips to Russia and Eastern Europe in the past two years. It was just a hair too big to keep in my pocket and we constantly opted for the Lonely Planet book instead. The lack of wear it received compared to the other speaks for itself.




4. I really like this phrase book / dictionary and after reviewing it with my Russian born soulmate, she agreed that it's well designed and very helpful. After looking at quite a few similar books that neglected to give helpful tools for learning syllable emphasis, I was delighted to find that this one does a great job throughout. The size is ideal for pocket use, which for me is more helpful in allowing me to keep it with me daily as I learn my soulmate's native language (rather than as a travel aid).
   
   Along the lines of "suitability for daily use", my only complaint so far with this book is with it's physical construction. I purchased a new copy ... and the cover was already partially coming detached from the body of the book when I took it out of the box. This did not appear to be shipping damage, as there was no damage to the box and the separation didn't appear to be due to a blow the book had taken. It looks like it was just never attached very well in the first place.
   
   I like what's inside well enough to keep it, but if you're planning to bring this one on a trip with you or use it every day as I do, you might want to keep a rubber band or other kind of little book carrier with you to make sure all the pages stay together. A book of this quality content deserves better construction.

No comments about St Petersburg (CitySpots) (CitySpots).

2 comments about St. Petersburg.

1. I have over 60 books on Russia and St. Petersburg, and this is one of my favorites. Steve Ramer is a National Geographic photojournalist who spent considerable time in St. Petersburg during a period of great change. The book is beautifully illustrated with an easy to read informative text. Ramer shows everything from the palaces and opera houses to ordinary people on ordinary streets. Having been to St. Petersburg twice, I can appreciate the honesty of his images. This is a great coffee table style book. In his epilogue to the book, Ramer states that he took 26 rolls of film to make the book. The images he selcted for the book are very good. I only wish I could see the rest of his photos. If you are looking for this book and are unable to find a copy, you may want to look through old National Geographic magazines from the early 1990's for Ramer's article on St. Petersburg. Of course, if you do, you'll only have a greater desire to find the book.



2. This has to be one of the worst books ever written. I had a terrible time following the plot of the story as the book jumped around and bored the reader with uninteresting conversation as way too much description of unimportant objects. I had to force myself to read it and did not finish it. Supposedly, the novel is full of symbolism, yet I can find little to none of that. Perhaps the translation is off. Or maybe the book itself is over-emphasized as a great novel. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

4 comments about Cracks in the Iron Closet: Travels in Gay and Lesbian Russia.

1. as a student in russia and eastern european studies, Tuller's book casts much needed light on the stuggles of gays and lesbians in Russia. it has helped me to more fully understand the russian mind and soul. thank you



2. Tuller gives remarkable insights into the modern world of Gay and Lesbian Russia. He takes the reader to a world of transexual lesbians, weekends in the country, and a sexual identity just gestating, waiting to be born. It was very enjoyable reading, and even for the heterosexual reader, it gives excellent insights into the dramatic changes that occured in Russia after 1991 -- all of it explained on a personal level.



3. Through a lovely, personal account, Tuller invites the reader to see the West from a Russian point of view. Here, a gay reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle came to Russia to study the so-called gay and lesbian movement there only to fall in love with Ksyusha, a mercurial lesbian. As we too fall in love, Tuller, a sensitive and insightful writer, subtly liberates, allowing human experience to be more mysterious, comic, delicious, and tragic than the acceptance of appearances or the application of trite, political labels permit.



4. Dave Tuller captures the essence of our experience but you sort of had to be there. Remember, this was 1992 Russia. We were followed by KGB the whole time because we dared have a "kiss-in" in front of Moscow City Hall. A whole bunch of gay/bi/straight radicals demanding fair treatment in that environment, it was crazy. He also misses the visit to the AIDS ward where we met people who had not been touched, hugged or kissed since they were locked up. It was heartbreaking.
   
   Dave's a good friend, a good writer, and a great photographer. Well worth reading.

5 comments about The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo.

1. Paula Huntley left her home in California, and traveled with her husband, Ed, to Kosovo in 2000, one year after the NATO bombing of that province. Ed Huntley desperately wanted to do something to help in the war-torn Balkans. So he volunteered for an American Bar Association project to help rebuild Kosovo's legal system. Paula trained to teach English as a second language, (TESL), while she was still in the States. "The Hemingway Book Club Of Kosovo" is her memoir of that period, taken from the journal she kept during the eight months they lived and worked in Prishtina. Ms. Huntley movingly writes of her experience, and of the intimate bond she forged with her students.

   The Huntleys arrived in Prishtina and found that the city had not been totally destroyed. Since the Serbs needed Prishtina, the capital city, they had left most of the buildings intact. However, as in most of Kosovo, there had been massive looting, vandalism and violence, murders were committed on a large scale, as was ethnic cleansing of the Kosovo Albanians. Huntley writes, "Most of the destruction in Prishtina was below the surface - in the hearts and minds of the residents. I saw this every day, and I never got used to that destruction."

   Her students, and every native Albanian, had lost ten years of their lives under the brutal oppression, and apartheid imposed by the Kosovo Serbs. Learning English, in many ways, was key to the economic advancement of the students and their families. Ms. Huntley was deeply touched by the students' eagerness to learn not just English, and grammatical structure, but about the American culture and work ethic. She wanted to provide a safe forum for them to discuss their feelings, and the traumas of the past decade. A book club was established, that met at the Huntley home. The selection was Ernest Hemmingway's "The Old Man And The Sea." The club took-off and became so much more. And the book became a vehicle through which the young people could discuss their lives. Hemmingway's book was fairly easy for them to read, but the novel's meaning was far deeper than the relatively simple language. The students identified with the fable of the triumph of hope and courage over adversity.

   The harrowing stories of the young Albanians, and their courage, and determination, are remarkable, and inspirational. Paula Huntley's memoir is an extraordinary tale of cross-cultural human connections, and bonds forged through literature and loving kindness. Highly recommended!




2. With the review you have given to Paula's book - that is considered an angel for me - you made me laugh despite the sad
   reality of what you non-sense'd about.
   "Hemingway book club of Kosova" a racist book??? No way, in contrary you were recommending a racist book that protects what
   Serbs have done to Kosova, Croatia and Bosnia.
   Goodness me, I can not understand people who make (war) crimes
   and yet find reasons to justify their ugly deeds. Shame to all of them who do that.

   Hemingway Book Club of Kosova, is the best book written about KOSOVA so far, that's in my opinion and if since I can make recommendation in here - I'd like to recommend Philip J. Cohen's
   book "Serbia's Secret War" - that has some similiarities with
   Hemingway book Club of Kosova.
   Hemingway book Club of Kosova talks about LOVE between Kosovars
   and Americans while the "Serbia's Secret War" talks about the
   Serbian cooperations with Nazi's throughout the 2-nd world war. And by the way, I am asking you since "I have forgotten"
   Who was the person who started the First World War, and those in Slovenia, and Croatia, and Bosnia and Kosova at last.
   With all due respect to you "peace loving person" - You have no room to protect the Serbs who have done more then horrible crimes
   in not less than 4 countries.
   Now who's the racist here, Mrs Huntley or the Serbs she talked about (even though she didn't generalize them all).

   God Bless Mrs Huntley and her husband, God Bless U.S.A and all
   Peace loving people throughout the world - excluding the fake ones.




3. I learnt a lot from and was infinitely moved by Paula Huntley's journal of the eight months she and he husband spent working in post-war Kosova. Understated, beautiful writing and none of the straining for effect that mars so many memoirs. She was clearly writing straight from the heart. I rarely do this but as soon as I finished the book, I found her website and donated something to the scolarship fund for young Albanian Kosovars. A fascinating and inspiring story of some very resilient people.



4. The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo is a wonderful tale of the virtues and rewards of volunteering to help those in countries less fortunate (at least for the present) than the US; at the same time, it's not exactly great literature or great writing. However, that's not what it's advertised to be, and it's not the aspiration of the author to compete with the writers of great literature. For how it came to be (a collection of emails to friends and family during the 8 months the author spent teaching English in Kosovo), this book more than meets its goal.
   Paula Huntley went to Kosovo with her husband, who volunteered for an ABA project to help set up a new legal system for the new war-torn country. She took a crash course in teaching English as a second language and, once in Prishtina, Kossovo, quickly found a job teaching the language to a classroom of eager and charming Albanian students.
   The book begins as Huntley's story but quickly evolves into being the story of the country and its inhabitants, specifically those who were blessed to be her students. Like volunteers everywhere, Huntley quickly learned that she was gaining and receiving far more than she was giving, in terms of compassion, understanding, insight, and personal growth.
   It's not `literature,' but it's sure a terrific little book. Don't miss it. I learned a whole, whole lot about a part of the world about which I have very little knowledge.



5. First let me say that I have the utmost respect for Paula Huntley and her husband, for what they did, and for the lives they touched. Her writing was just enough to show the day to day lives of these people who have gone through so much. I wish more people would take a more active role in the world around them. It would be a better world if they did.
   
   However, the more I read the book the more frustrated I got. The book was a collection of horrific stories. People need to know that this happened. But much was missing. While she provided us with a picture of the crumbling war torn town, she did little to give us any historical background. What was the culture like, who were the famous artists, statesmen, writers? What was Kosovo (and the entire region for that matter) like before the war, befor Tito. What were the politics that lead to decisions years ago which fired up the conflict? And where on earth was a good map of the region? I realize that I was probably asking for too much. But the blurb by Jason Elliot raised my expectations. It is good, esp if you know nothing about the region. But I really did want more.

No comments about Around the Golden Ring of Russia: An Illustrated Guidebook.

No comments about The Gypsies.

5 comments about Russian Journal.

1. The book is written about the 1970's Soviet Union. So those of you who look for a pre-trip information will not find the book useful as Russia has changed dramatically since then (even the customs).

   The author goes on a tag-a-long study abroad trip with her Russian-Studies husband. They stay at a Moscow State University dorm, which in actuality is a pretty posh place to live in the city. The book is very descriptive of the architecture, the weather, and the people.

   Unofruntelly, the author portrays things in a negative way. At the very beginning, she condesendingly refers to her appartment building as a "exacake-shaped mple of Stalin-gothic" Througout the book, the author uses her "elevated" aethetic perspective to describe the clothing, the food, the habits of the Russian people.

   As a native Russian, I was upset about some things written in the book, and I felt the author misunderstood much of what is Russian.




2. It seems strange that a book like this warrants a reprint, when it's not only outdated, but clearly tendencious. Russia today is quite different from the Soviet Russia in the 70s. Makes me wonder, whose interests are served by pushing the image of vulgar, grim and uncivilized Russia.



3. Sure, Andrea Lee comes off smug at times....but she is being honest! And she was 25! What an amazing writer.



4. Andrea Lee and her husband were Harvard graduate students who went to Russia for advanced studies. Ms. Lee wrote a series of essays that captures the people she met and the events and spirit that would eventually lead the Soviet Union to "freedom" and the collapse of communism. Her style is unique, and her insights into the people she met are beautifully described, with occasional flashes of irony and clever observation. For example, she notes that (in an essay on farmer's markets) that the Russians have done to architecture what American's have done to food: gone for size without taste. Is it outdated? Of course it is, this was a country beginning to fray around the edges (this was the mid '70's) politically, but she captures the spirit of the people she met and the country she saw (the "unofficial" one) perfectly. As a depiction of a time and a place it is a wonderful read, and she has a style (or voice) that is uniquely her own. I for one, am glad that this "place" no longer exists, but I am glad that this book does if for no other reason than to remind one of the harsh conditions under which the Russian people lived for so long. It is a small masterpiece of the "travel" genre, and an excellent example of the art of the essay. It is literature, not history, a fact that seems to have been lost on some of the reviewers.



5. While one immediately realizes that this book is a bit outdated, that does not make it less poetic and a vibrant portrait of a repressed people. This book made me fall in love with Russian culture and people, even at its darkest time Lee paints a lovely (and realistic) portrait of a country and a people. Very worth picking up!

No comments about The Russians on the Amur; Its Discovery, Conquest, and Colonisation.