What to read, bearing in mind a visit to St Petersburg… EPISODE 6
If you’re interested in history, Simon Montefiore is your man. Fantastic novel-like narrative, but all “true facts”. His portraits of Stalin are the only books I’ve read on people like that, which truly helped me understand them. Orlando Figes is Montefiore’s dull cousin by comparison, but his books cover important subject matter (and I’m just being rude saying that).
Captain Fred Burnaby gives a rollicking tale of travel across Tsarist Russia in the 19th Century. It’s a true story, by a Captain in the British Army. All political correctness filters are off, he says it like he sees it, it’s funny, informative, amazing, and page-turning. Read this one – almost nothing’s changed, and it starts in Petersburg.
Well, I hope that’ll give you an idea of where to start.
Love,
W.