A wonderful chronicle of a Jewish family in Belarus beginning in the early 20 th century and culminating in its destruction in Hitlers holocaust A cast of remarkable characters illuminates this novel : The fiery Rachel and her soft spoken husband Yacov Ivanovsky,Rachels father the respected and tough Abraham Rakhlenko,the colourful Khaim Yagudin and The Ivanovsky children includin the narrator,Boris and the beautiful Dina. We grow to know and love the characters And it with a profound sense of horror and tragedy that we see their cruel destruction at the hands of the Nazis

It is however through the few survivors such as Boris Ivanovsky and his sister Lyuda and the young Olya that we find hope . I cannot help however being frustrated by the ommission of the horrors of the Bolshevik Revolution and the Stalin years even though it is clear that due to censorship in the Soviet Union when the book was written in the 1970's, the writer could only hint at these things

You know, I say this all the time, but I have really got to learn Russian one of these days. This time the reason I wish I knew the language is because I'd like to see if the original of Heavy Sand has the same plainspoken, conversational tone which makes the English translation so engaging. It doesn't take long to get [wrapped up] into the story of the Rakhlenko family and to fall in love with all the characters, from the noble to the scoundrels, with all shades of messy humanity in between. At times you don't even feel as if you're reading a novel but hearing a good friend masterfully tell his story and those of his parents and grandparents. This is perhaps the most unpretentious great novel I've ever read.

The small events of the novel's first half blend seamlessly into the world events of the war and the destruction of the entire village, and in both times and places you feel utterly transfixed by what is happening to the people of this family and their village. And despite its depressing setting, Heavy Sand ends on a relatively uplifting note. There is plenty of horror in the book, but also plenty of hope.

I didn't want this book to be over. Highly recommended!

This book caught me with the first paragraph and never let go. (I found it browsing in a recycled store.) This epic story of family and romantic love, community, momentous change (the Russian Revolution) and war (the Nazi invasion and genocide) is told in the simple, conversational style of a master storyteller. It has the authentic an compelling voice of a participant, or witness to the events. (I find myself wondering about Rybakov... who is he? Did he live through these times? Is this his family's story? It feels that real.) This book is about far more than the Nazi attrocities (which occupy only about the last 1/4 of the book). It is really about human nature, and the nature of relationships under all sorts of conditions. It is one of the most moving and memorable works I have read, and it is truly a loss that it is out of print. Do search it out.

W. Bruce Lincoln does the best job I've seen so far of covering the ENTIRE Romanov history and that of her mother Russia. From rise to fall no writer could have imagined a greater plot. It was once said "to understand the present you must look to the past". To understand modern day Russia I suggest you look to this book.

Lincoln made a really tremendous accomplishment. He examined 300 year history of Romanov Dynasty in his peculiar way. Descriptions of military campaigns and court intrigues were very nice. But the most attractive part was one about Russian literature. He explained novels of great Russian writers and their relationships with Romanov Dynasty in such details that I could not help reading some of the novels.

When Peter the Great moved to St. Petersburg and forcefully imported Western European culture and europeanized his subject noblemen, a deep cleavage was made between aristocrats and peasant masses. That cleavage eventually led to the Revolution in 1917 under the weak personality of Nicholas II.

Lincoln excelled other historians in that he cast a new light upon Rasputin. In the fact that Rasputin recommended candidates for cabinet ministers to Aleksandra and she pressed her choices upon Nicholas, we should not forget the fact that Russian religious peasants prayed to Maria and Maria pressed the peasants' wishes to Jesus Christ or so did they believe. It seems to me that the whole Rasputin affair was politically arranged by extreme reactionaries with Nicholas' approval, though they miscalculated very much. This tragedy seems to have derived from the fact that the Tsar and aristocrats suspected each other. Lincoln provided many circumstantial evidences about this and just let readers judge it.

It would be very interesting to imagine what would have happened in Russia if Russian military machine had worked better and the Revolution had not happened. Protopopov must have become dead Rasputin's spokesman and a surge of religion would have dominated Russia and Balkan slavic countries.

Mr. Lincolm, unlike Robert Massie who wrote "Peter the Great," left me with the clear impression that he understood the source material he had at hand, and was able to verify through corroboration every thing he said. Some of the more incredible stories, or speculative rumors are left out. This does not make his work any less enjoyable, but it does lend Mr. Lincoln's work a feeling of solid thoroughness in its research--something that is lacking in Massie's book. If a story was left out, I felt quite confident that Mr. Lincoln knew of the story, but could not corroborate it to his satisfaction.

This book is very thorough and incredible in its vast sweep. But it is broken apart into major periods. Each period is further broken down into topics, such as political history, economic history, social history, and so on. This format makes the book quite useful as a reference as well as enjoyable to read. This is the best book on the story of the Romanov family in the English language to date. And I can see this book firmly establishing itself as a timeless classic, alongside Shelby Foote's "Civil War," or Gibbons, "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire."

I heard of this book via NPR's show "All Things Considered." They were sharing a list of book suggestions for winter reading. I took them up on Siberia Bound and was enthralled. This book imparted a true sense of Siberia through the eyes of an American. It displayed a sense of reality, not of watered down travelogue writing so commonly found today. Through the eyes of a somewhat skeptical and adventurous entrepreneur, an oppressed Siberian culture embraces both the good and the bad aspects of capitalism. Siberia Bound combines an overview of economic theory put into practice and subtle philopsophical views on the ritual of daily life, with an poignant dose of good old fashioned humor.

What a ride! I was hooked by the first page and the following few hundred pages were no dissapointment! I would ration myself to just a couple of chapters a night so I wouldn't "run out". I'm sending it to my father who is a tough critic in the literary world, I'm sure he'll identify with Alexander's search for living the hard yet simple way of life. Nothing can replace good people, good friendships, a challenge...not even a contact coziness that we have here in the US. Thank you!

Well and justly written. Two thumbs up to the young author.

This book is an absolute MUST READ for anyone contemplating adoption either by agency or independent. Ms. O'Rear is a licensed attorney who practices in all regions of Russia and her experience is priceless. The book is very thorough, concise and 'reader friendly'. She explains the whole process from beginning to end by giving the reader the 'big picture' view of Russian adoptions. This includes Russian culture, explanation of the different types of orphanage facilities, agency adoption vs independent adoption, the complete dossier list with explanations and instructions for notarization and references for obtaining apostilles. She details the referral process, court process and how to prepare oneself for the court proceedings, and even has a section devoted to Russian Law. She includes a FAQ section which is extremely insightful and websites that are helpful in providing additional information and so much more! I was so impressed with the book that I contacted her to thank her and have since retained her for my own adoption. It is truly amazing that you can have this quality of service and representation at a fraction of agency adoption costs!!!! She is with you from beginning to end and you are never left on your own without guidance! As a former judge in Russia and one who continues to practice law in Russia, her first hand experience and knowledge of the system is well worth the investment in this book! I am absolutely thrilled to have her as our representative who looks out for OUR best interest. I highly recommend her book (and her services) to anyone considering foreign adoption.

This is a must have book for adoption in Russia. It is well supportive of independent adoption. It covers the process of adoption in Russia in detail. The book also has a large section of Russian law, translated and explained, that is very helpful to adoptive parents. An excellent travel tool for Russian adoption.

For anyone who is interested in an indepth understanding of Russian Law and how it related to international Russian adoption, this is the book to read! Well written, well thought out, easy to use and very informative! Irina O'Rear has written an outstanding book that explains in detail how the law works in Russia and how it applies to adoption.

Did you know adoption in Russia is free? Did you know that the Russian Law DOES NOT require two trips? Did you know there is an appeals process for adoptions that are turned down by the judge? Do you want to know if you can request a specific child in a specific area, from a specific orpahage? Irina explains the whys and wherefores of the law, and how it applies to various adoption situations. She explains the adoption process, gives a list of documents commonly needed for a Russian dossier, and explains what is involved in the court hearing.

A well written, concise, and thorough book. A must read for anyone interested in adopting from Russia. A great place to get the right answers to some tough adoption questions.

This great collection of Ian Fleming's three James Bond thriller novels, From Russia, With Love, Doctor No, and Goldfinger is the best deal anywhere if you're looking for cheap classics. Even though it's not avaliable anymore, ... so if you get an oppurtunity buy it instantly.

From Russia, With Love is about a Soviet conspiracy involving a code machine called the Spektor, a lovely Russian female named Tatiania Romanova, and a professional killer who is affected by the moon. The girl sends for Bond, pledging her love and at the same time luring him into a trap that would seriously damage the Service's image. Great read and the best Cold War thriller out there.

In Doctor No, James Bond is sent to investigate two agents who have disappeared in Jamaica. He soon discovers the clues linking him to Doctor No, a Chinese/German doctor who has an island base in Jamaica, where he disrupts U.S. missile firing. James endures through his toughest physcial test of his career, and some consider Dr. No to be the best 007 novel ever written.

Goldfinger is in my opinion the best 007 novel of all. While investigating a cheat at cards by the name of Auric Goldfinger, James is informed that he is also involved in smuggling Great Britain's gold reserves to India, where the Russians wait for it. As James is captured, he discovers Goldfinger's master plan--to raid Fort Knox itself! With the smartest villian, the toughest henchman, and the most thrilling climax of all the James Bonds, Goldfinger is the by far the best masterpiece ever to come from the desk of Ian Fleming.

This wonderful trilogy is an enthralling epic of the Cold War, and I recommend it to anyone who has either read Ian Fleming before, or is thinking of starting very soon.

This is a great book, and after reading this I watched all the movies again, and they can't even compare. If you enjoy James Bnd you will enoy this, I mean I am only eleven and I couldn't tare my eyes away. I enjoyed the action, suspense, romance, and even the detail, Iam Flemming is truly a master writer, and can only portay James Bond. The movies are nothing comapred to this, this is a must get.

These three books together are, in some ways, the epitome of James Bond. However, I must correct one of the reviews. These books *are* sequential. These books are 5, 6, and 7 in the order that Fleming published them. The 8th was The Spy Who Loved Me and the 9th was Thunderball, the first book in the Blofeld trilogy. Aside from the 10th book, For Your Eyes Only (a collection of short stories), the story picks up in On Her Majesty's Secret Service and ends with You Only Live Twice. These three Blofeld books are available in the James Bond Omnibus, volume 2.

This book goes way beyond the normal stories of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsaritsa Alexandra Feodorovna. Charlotte Zeepvat leads us through the personalities in the Romanov family, and what part they played in imperial Russia and its downfall. Through these biographies the reader can understand the slide from a united family to the rival factions that partly brought about the Revolution and its aftermath. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever wondered about the imperial house of Russia , and the fate that awaited them.

This is a well written book that covers the last century of the Russian Romanov dynasty.

The author has chosen a wide focus rather than a narrow one on Nicholas II and Alexandra. For once we get to meet the other family memebers, learn about their personalities and what events shaped their lives and the fate of the dynasty.

We also get to read in detail about the various palaces and estates the family used. These are often referred to in other books without any real background information on their history or importance to the family being described. This book fills that vacume.

If you know nothing about the Romanovs this is a fantastic place to start as all these people's live stories weave in and out of each other to create an amazing and true story.

This wonderful book will give you a greater appreciation for the House of Romanov, with information about various family members and others not immediately included within Tsar Nicholas II's immediate family circle. Some unlikely - but vastly entertaining - stories come to light. You'll especially enjoy the section on Nicky's favorite uncle. :o) Zeepvat's own artwork illustrates the chapter introductions - delightful!

If you want to expand your knowledge of the Romanovs past NAOTMAA and aren't sure where to start, this book is a manageable beginning. It covers many relevant personages and situations from the ninteenth century - the last full century of Romanov rule.

I picked up this book shortly before I left to come to Azerbaijan for a year. It has been my constant companion while living in Baku (the capital) and in making countless excursions out of the city. Having been here almost a year, I can safely say it's the best travel book I've ever read for any place. It is delightful to read and its author's warm and quirky sense of humor make it a constant source of entertainment.

Perhaps the best recommendation for this books comes not just from the many expatriots who rely on it, but from the native Azeris who are astounded at how well Mark Elliott (native of UK) knows their country. Azeris are famous for assuming (perhpas rightly so) that the rest of the world knows nothing about their country. So, when Azeris recommend a book about their country, written by a foreigner, it is a pretty good endorsement.

By far the best aspect of the book are the scores of maps and illustrations--all done by the author. As a trained geographer, I appreciate the excellent maps loaded (almost overloaded) with information. They are easy to read maps that make it difficult for the traveler to get lost. I am particularly impressed by how a map can simultaneously accurate and amusing! My favorite entry is the map of the fascinating town of Quba that includes "Old Men" sitting in the park. Damned if they weren't still sitting there. On another map, the author suggests looking for grey beards at the point where you're supposed to make a particular turn. Sure enough, there they were.

Living in Baku, my family and often make use of Elliott's recommendations for restaurants. Of course restaurants come and go, but the information is nearly always accurate and detailed.

My eight-year-old son and I have enjoyed taking his "scavenger hunt" for artistic architectural oddities in the city. I think we've now found all the objects in the second edition, but a third one is already on the drawing boards.

Mark Elliott has a delightfully respectful attitude towards Azerbaijan and the Azeris. This is different form many travel books (Including the Lonely Planet Guide to the South Caucasus) which often take on a preachy attitude which tends to poke fun at the local cultures rather than respectfully describing them as Elliott does.

In addition to being a good travel book, this book also is a worthy source of information on the country for anyone interested in learning about it.

Having lived or traveled extensively in over fifty countries I can recommend this book most highly.

This is a travel guide with all the practical details you'd expect from a series like Lonely Planet, but with more soul and many more maps. If you go to this part of the world, make sure you have this book.

Mark Elliott's guidebook is more than the bare-bones "here's where you can stay and eat" sort of volume. Sure, he gives you all of that necessary information (prices, best value, etc.) but the true worth of this book lies in the pleasure reading it. Let's face it: If you're not planning on visiting a certain destination, you'd never pick up, much less buy, a guidebook on that locale. But Mark writes very well, with a sure-handed knowledge of the history and cultures that he comes across, and effortlessly works it into his background descriptions. The book is actually fun to read, and I suspect that if Richard Burton (not the actor!) were alive today, he'd pretty much be writing the same sort of thing. Don't know if I myself will ever make it to Azerbaijan, but I came away from reading this book -- actually reading! -- feeling like it's one of the places I'd really like to see in this world.
Baku or bust!

I love this book. Dr. Nuland takes you on a journey with him to his past and his family, in particular his relationship with his father. He tells his story in a manner that is simple, clear, yet deeply moving. His characters are real people who I really cared about while I was reading. I've read his previous books and was very impressed; this one is even better. His description of his severe depression was gripping. How I wish I could describe mine as well. Thank you, Dr. Nuland for a heart-warming book.

In an earlier book, Dr. Nuland told us How We Die. That book gave me some understand and comfort following my father's death. In this beautifully-written and heart-wrenching memoir, Dr. Nuland tries to come to terms with his own father's death and in doing so, managed to exorcise some demons.
This is a very brave memoir in that the author spares no one, including himself. It is at once brutally honest (sometimes so much so, that I had to stop reading) and incisive. His prose style--unusual for a doctor--is lyrical and succinct. He tells his story from a uniquely Jewish perspective (naturally) and so I wondered if readers with other religious affiliations would respond in the same way. Perhaps it doesn't matter. The book is a winner and I am enriched from having read it.

Whoa, this is a hard one. Lost in America, written by the gifted Nuland, is an ode to his father, a work of self-therapy for himself, a gift to his readers, and an offering to anyone looking for resolution and understanding of a difficult family situation.
Lost in America begins with the author admitting to coming under the grips of debilitating depression, and the writing of this book seems to have been his way of fighting out of that despair, of coming to terms with some of its causes, and of trying to explain all that went wrong with his father's life as a Jewish immigrant in America - and how those failures impacted Sherwin Nuland. The turning point comes with Nuland's discovery that his father suffered the mental and neurological effects of late-stage syphilis - and with his acceptance that happiness for him would be impossible.
Heartbreaking and oh, so beautifully written. But also difficult (on an emotional level) to read; you may find yourself putting it aside for a few days before wanting to continue. But persevere and read to the end. You won't regret it.

I'm a Russian Language and Literature major in Yonsei Univ. in Korea. Having lived in Moscow for around 3 years, I'd heard there a lot about Pushkin and read many of his famous works. The most prestigious of his, however, must be "Onegin." It's a great mixture of verse and prose in its form. If possible, try to read this in Russian, as well. This long poetical prose was written for 8 years and the ending rhyme perfectly matches for the entire line until the very end. Compared to others, it is definitely a conspicuous and brilliant one. "Onegin" can be the author himself or yourself. The love between Onegin and TaTyana is neither the cheap kind of love that often appears in any books nor the tragic one that is intended to squeze your tears. As a literature, this book covers not only love between passionate youth, but also a large range of literary works in it, which can tell us about the contemporary literature current and its atmosphere. Calling Onegin "My friend", Pushkin, the author, shows the probability and likelihood of the work. Finally, I'm just sorry that the title has been changed into English. The original name must be "Yevgeni Onegin(¬¦¬Ó¬Ô¬Ö¬ß¬Ú¬Û ¬°¬ß¬Ö¬Ô¬Ú¬ß)." If you are a literature major or intersted in it, I'd like to recommand you read this. You can't help but loving the two lovers and may reread it, especially the two correspondences through a long period of time. Only with readng this book, you'll also learn a huge area of the contemporary literature of the 19th century from the books mentioned in "Onegin" that take part as its subtext. Enjoy yourself!

I think this book/poem should be made manditory in every institution worldwide. I told everyone who was willing to listen and the rest that this was fantastic. I rang people while reading it to quote lines. It made me laugh and cry and was continuously brilliant. My every praise goes out to the translator.
When i had finished (by the way i read the whole thing in two sittings)i started flipping to random pages and found myself practically reading the whole thing all over again.
I do not speak Russian but have read many Russian books and this really does stand out as being amazing.

If you are thinking of reading this book you needn't think twice about it.

I have read four translations of this novel and James Falen's is my favorite one. He has translated Pushkin's classic in a fun, witty way which doesn't take too much away from the original Russian version (which I have also read). Granted, something is always lost in a translation, but it certainly doesn't take away from the humor and wit of this translation. If you are interested in a literal, as-close-to-the-original-as-possible translation, then I highly suggest Nabokov's translation, which (in my opinion) is somewhat dry and boring, but extremely accurate. It is all a matter of taste...what the reader wants. If you want accuracy, you will have to sacrifice some of the fun. If you want the fun, you will have to sacrifice some of the accuracy. I prefer the fun, therefore I preferred this version of Onegin.

This book is a wonderful collection of pictures, nicely organized to bring out different dimensions of the story of Nicholas and Alexandra. However, I found two mistakes early into the book. The first was the the statement that Victoria Melita married Grand Duchess Boris, when in fact she married his brother, Cyril. The second was the statement that the marriage between Victoria Melita and her first Husband, Ernst of Hesse, foundered after the death of their daughter. In fact, the child's death occurred well after the separation of her parents. Given the author's family relationship with his subjects, these lapses are surprising and indicative of extremely careless editing. It causes me to discount the accuracy of the volume, overall.

It's really too bad that this wonderful book is out of print. It's a gold mine! The photographs are organized by year, making identification sooo much easier. To boot, the pictures are of marvellous quality - clear, even, nicely composed, and evocative. You'll put this one down feeling like you've had a visit with the Imperial family. Highly recommended - This book plus Massie's _Nicholas & Alexandra_ make an excellent Romanov 'starter set'. ;o)

I think this book is really really fun. It has lots of colours and the pictures are great. I like looking underthe flaps best.