Russia: Part I
My sophomore year in high school, I planned to convince a couple of friends that we could travel across the Soviet Union on the trans-Siberian railroad--from Vladivostok to Moscow. I could never convince even one friend to commit but over the years, I bought books to guide me across Russia. Turns out that there a few books on the topic. Here are mine. 1. Murders in Mausoleums: Riding the Back Roads of Empire between Moscow and Beijing, Jeffrey Taylor (2009). Taylor traveled the steppes of sourthern Russia, the Caucuses, meeting a wide range of ethnic groups. A great travelogue penetrating Russia's remote central regions. Bought new. 2. Through Russia's Back Door, Richard Lauterbach (1947). Lauterbach was Time Magazine's Moscow Bureau Chief who traveled by train across the Soviet Union shortly after WWII. Black and white photos showing the expanse of the country. Bought used at State Department b...