Russland

Robert Heywood is known as the writer of several travelogues, including: A Journey to Italy in 1826, A Journey to America in 1834, A Journey to the Levant in 1845 and A Journey in Russia in 1858. In this book Heywood describes his visit to St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Romain Rolland (29 January 1866 - 30 December 1944) was a French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915 "as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production and to the sympathy and love of truth with which he has described different types of human beings". He was a leading supporter of Josef Stalin in France and is also noted for his correspondence with and influence on Sigmund Freud. Rolland's most significant contribution to the theatre lies in his advocacy for a "popular theatre" in his essay The People's Theatre (Le Théâtre du peuple, 1902).

Using original research and documentation, master storyteller Jacob Abbott once again weaves his magic to transform dry history into an intensely readable and action-packed epic, this time turning his attention to the story of Peter the Great. Starting with the family intrigues which led to his ascension to the throne, this narrative tells of his military and political adventures which successfully expanded the czardom into an empire and ultimately a major European power. By personally visiting western Europe-often in commoner's disguise-Peter identified the necessary social, technological, and cultural reforms needed to jolt Russia into the Age of the Enlightenment-even if he, as Abbott shows too clearly, very often used medieval methods against his personal opponents. The reader is provided with many of the sometimes grisly details of palace intrigues and subversion, but also of the military victories Peter achieved in the Great Northern War with Sweden, and in the Crimea against the Turks. In addition, the story of the incredible efforts to build the metropolis of St. Petersburg, his marriage to the Empress Catherine, and Peter's ultimate end, are told with the detailed and customary flair and style which Abbott fans will know all too well.

In January 1959, ten experienced young skiers set out for Mount Otorten in the far north of Russia. While one of the skiers fell ill and returned., the remaining nine lost their way and ended up on another mountain slope known as Kholat Syakhl (or 'Mountain of the Dead').On the night of 1 February 1959 something or someone caused the skiers to flee their tent in such terror that they used knives to slash their way out. Search parties were sent out and their bodies were found, some with massive internal injuries but with no external marks on them. The autopsy stated the violent injuries were caused by 'an unknown compelling force'. The area was sealed off for years by the authorities and the full events of that night remained unexplained.Using original research carried out in Russia and photographs from the skier's cameras, Keith McCloskey attempts to explain what happened to the nine young people who lost their lives in the mysterious 'Dyatlov Pass Incident'.

Paperback