Vladimir Alexandrov is B.E. Bensinger Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Yale. He is the author of books on Nabokov and Tolstoy, and has published numerous articles on Russian writers and topics.
'A fascinating tale of culture clash and historical change' -- Anne Applebaum 'Like Thomas's midnight cabarets, it provides a thoroughly enjoyable display' * Spectator * 'Vladimir Alexandrov manages his narrative superbly' * TLS * 'Enthralling... The author is to be congratulated for shining a light on this extremely interested, sometimes inspiring and sometimes tragic life' * Bookbag * 'An extraordinary and gripping book' -- Adam Hochschild 'The ride of a lifetime' -- John Bailey 'An extraordinary story interpreted with great sensitivity' * New York Review of Books * 'Vaults breathlessly from set-piece to set-piece. Evocative, compelling, throughly enjoyable' * Spectator * 'A tale so colourful it reads more like a novel than biography. Endlessly fascinating' * Literary Review *