The Soviet Union is seen through a glass brightly... What makes the book so readable is Thubron's combination of an artist's aesthetic sensitivity with the literary craftsmanship to convey it. He sees things with the freshness of an innocent and the erudition of a scholar
Daily Telegraph
Superb... one of the best books on Russia to appear in years
New York Times
Travel writing has never been more provocative, profound or poetic
Time Out
The Thubron approach to travelling has an integrity that belongs to another age. And this author's way with words gives his books a value far transcending their topical interest; it is safe to predict they will be read a century hence
Irish Times
The perfect guide to one of the world’s most enigmatic cultures
- Christie Hickman, Sunday Express