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World » Asia » Russia » Page 3

Russia Books

recommended by journalists and historians

Last updated: June 04, 2025

    The Best Tales of Soviet Russia, recommended by Robert Chandler

  • Read
    The Best Tales of Soviet Russia - The Russian Countess by Edith Sollohub

    1

    The Russian Countess
    by Edith Sollohub

  • Read
    The Best Tales of Soviet Russia - The Road by Vasily Grossman

    2

    The Road
    by Vasily Grossman

  • Read
    The Best Tales of Soviet Russia - The Russian Word’s Worth by Michele A Berdy

    3

    The Russian Word’s Worth
    by Michele A Berdy

  • Read
    The Best Tales of Soviet Russia - The Foundation Pit by Andrey Platonov & Robert Chandler (translator)

    4

    The Foundation Pit
    by Andrey Platonov & Robert Chandler (translator)

  • Read
    The Best Tales of Soviet Russia - Black Earth City by Charlotte Hobson

    5

    Black Earth City
    by Charlotte Hobson

  • Robert Chandler, one of the best known translators of Russian literature, recommends some of his favourite tales of Soviet Russia. There's the one about a dog in space and the one about the Soviet café which stocked nothing but champagne and Mars bars...

  • The Best Tales of Soviet Russia - The Russian Countess by Edith Sollohub
  • The Best Tales of Soviet Russia - The Road by Vasily Grossman
  • The Best Tales of Soviet Russia - The Russian Word’s Worth by Michele A Berdy
  • The Best Tales of Soviet Russia - The Foundation Pit by Andrey Platonov & Robert Chandler (translator)
  • The Best Tales of Soviet Russia - Black Earth City by Charlotte Hobson

The Best Tales of Soviet Russia, recommended by Robert Chandler

Robert Chandler, one of the best known translators of Russian literature, recommends some of his favourite tales of Soviet Russia. There’s the one about a dog in space and the one about the Soviet café which stocked nothing but champagne and Mars bars…

The Best Tales of Soviet Russia, recommended by Robert Chandler

    The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus, recommended by Thomas de Waal

  • Read
    The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus - Bourdieu’s Secret Admirer in the Caucasus by Georgi M Derluguian

    1

    Bourdieu’s Secret Admirer in the Caucasus
    by Georgi M Derluguian

  • Read
    The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus - Azerbaijan Diary by Thomas Goltz

    2

    Azerbaijan Diary
    by Thomas Goltz

  • Read
    The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus - My Brother’s Road by Markar Melkonian

    3

    My Brother’s Road
    by Markar Melkonian

  • Read
    The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus - Ali and Nino by Kurban Said

    4

    Ali and Nino
    by Kurban Said

  • Read
    The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus - The Butter Battle Book by Dr Seuss

    5

    The Butter Battle Book
    by Dr Seuss

  • Acknowledged expert on the unresolved conflicts of the South Caucasus selects five books that encapsulate the fragility of the region and the impact of the desperate scramble for the spoils of the Soviet Union

  • The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus - Bourdieu’s Secret Admirer in the Caucasus by Georgi M Derluguian
  • The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus - Azerbaijan Diary by Thomas Goltz
  • The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus - My Brother’s Road by Markar Melkonian
  • The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus - Ali and Nino by Kurban Said
  • The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus - The Butter Battle Book by Dr Seuss

The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus, recommended by Thomas de Waal

Acknowledged expert on the unresolved conflicts of the South Caucasus selects five books that encapsulate the fragility of the region and the impact of the desperate scramble for the spoils of the Soviet Union

The best books on Conflict in the Caucasus, recommended by Thomas de Waal

    Best Vladimir Nabokov Books, recommended by Maxim D Shrayer

  • Read
    Best Vladimir Nabokov Books - The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov by Vladimir Nabokov

    1

    The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov
    by Vladimir Nabokov

  • Read
    Best Vladimir Nabokov Books - Glory by Vladimir Nabokov

    2

    Glory
    by Vladimir Nabokov

  • Read
    Best Vladimir Nabokov Books - Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov

    3

    Pnin
    by Vladimir Nabokov

  • Read
    Best Vladimir Nabokov Books - Vladimir Nabokov by Brian Boyd

    4

    Vladimir Nabokov
    by Brian Boyd

  • Read
    Best Vladimir Nabokov Books - Vladimir Nabokov (Overlook Illustrated Lives) by Jane Grayson

    5

    Vladimir Nabokov (Overlook Illustrated Lives)
    by Jane Grayson

  • Bilingual author and translator with his pick of the five must-reads by - and about - Nabokov. Says a revisionist biography of the writer is due, which comes to terms with the Jewish influence on his work

  • Best Vladimir Nabokov Books - The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov by Vladimir Nabokov
  • Best Vladimir Nabokov Books - Glory by Vladimir Nabokov
  • Best Vladimir Nabokov Books - Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov
  • Best Vladimir Nabokov Books - Vladimir Nabokov by Brian Boyd
  • Best Vladimir Nabokov Books - Vladimir Nabokov (Overlook Illustrated Lives) by Jane Grayson

Best Vladimir Nabokov Books, recommended by Maxim D Shrayer

Bilingual author and translator with his pick of the five must-reads by – and about – Nabokov. Says a revisionist biography of the writer is due, which comes to terms with the Jewish influence on his work

Best Vladimir Nabokov Books, recommended by Maxim D Shrayer

    The best books on The Caucasus, recommended by Oliver Bullough

  • Read
    The best books on The Caucasus - The Russian Conquest of the Caucasus by John Frederick Baddeley

    1

    The Russian Conquest of the Caucasus
    by John Frederick Baddeley

  • Read
    The best books on The Caucasus - A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov & translator Vladimir Nabokov

    2

    A Hero of Our Time
    by Mikhail Lermontov & translator Vladimir Nabokov

  • Read
    The best books on The Caucasus - Nart Sagas of the Caucasus by John Colarusso (translator)

    3

    Nart Sagas of the Caucasus
    by John Colarusso (translator)

  • Read
    The best books on The Caucasus - The Nation Killers by Robert Conquest

    4

    The Nation Killers
    by Robert Conquest

  • Read
    The best books on The Caucasus - A Dirty War by Anna Politkovskaya

    5

    A Dirty War
    by Anna Politkovskaya

  • Author and former Reuters correspondent in Moscow chooses books on the Caucasus and says the only language Russia understands is unconditional surrender, whether they are ruled by the Tsars, the Communists or Putin

  • The best books on The Caucasus - The Russian Conquest of the Caucasus by John Frederick Baddeley
  • The best books on The Caucasus - A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov & translator Vladimir Nabokov
  • The best books on The Caucasus - Nart Sagas of the Caucasus by John Colarusso (translator)
  • The best books on The Caucasus - The Nation Killers by Robert Conquest
  • The best books on The Caucasus - A Dirty War by Anna Politkovskaya

The best books on The Caucasus, recommended by Oliver Bullough

Author and former Reuters correspondent in Moscow chooses books on the Caucasus and says the only language Russia understands is unconditional surrender, whether they are ruled by the Tsars, the Communists or Putin

The best books on The Caucasus, recommended by Oliver Bullough

    Books from the KGB Archives, recommended by Lyuba Vinogradova

  • Read
    Books from the KGB Archives - My Journey by Olga Sliozberg

    1

    My Journey
    by Olga Sliozberg

  • Read
    Books from the KGB Archives - Writers and Soviet Leaders by Boris Frezinsky

    2

    Writers and Soviet Leaders
    by Boris Frezinsky

  • Read
    Books from the KGB Archives - The Forsaken by Tim Tzouliadis

    3

    The Forsaken
    by Tim Tzouliadis

  • Read
    Books from the KGB Archives - Stalingrad by V Khristoforov

    4

    Stalingrad
    by V Khristoforov

  • Read
    Books from the KGB Archives - The Cold Civil War by Andrei Okulov

    5

    The Cold Civil War
    by Andrei Okulov

  • The author and academic talks about KGB tricks to get American victims of the Great Depression in Russia to take Soviet citizenship. 'They had to hand over their American passports temporarily and never saw them again'

  • Books from the KGB Archives - My Journey by Olga Sliozberg
  • Books from the KGB Archives - Writers and Soviet Leaders by Boris Frezinsky
  • Books from the KGB Archives - The Forsaken by Tim Tzouliadis
  • Books from the KGB Archives - Stalingrad by V Khristoforov
  • Books from the KGB Archives - The Cold Civil War by Andrei Okulov

Books from the KGB Archives, recommended by Lyuba Vinogradova

The author and academic talks about KGB tricks to get American victims of the Great Depression in Russia to take Soviet citizenship. ‘They had to hand over their American passports temporarily and never saw them again’

Books from the KGB Archives, recommended by Lyuba Vinogradova

    The best books on Tsarist Russia, recommended by Andrei Maylunas

  • Read
    The best books on Tsarist Russia - Notes on Russia by Sigismund von Herberstein

    1

    Notes on Russia
    by Sigismund von Herberstein

  • Read
    The best books on Tsarist Russia - Catherine the Great and Potemkin: The Imperial Love Affair by Simon Sebag Montefiore

    2

    Catherine the Great and Potemkin: The Imperial Love Affair
    by Simon Sebag Montefiore

  • Read
    The best books on Tsarist Russia - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

    3

    War and Peace
    by Leo Tolstoy

  • Read
    The best books on Tsarist Russia - Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov

    4

    Oblomov
    by Ivan Goncharov

  • Read
    The best books on Tsarist Russia - Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky

    5

    Demons
    by Fyodor Dostoevsky

  • From the days it was known as Muscovy to the Russian Empire described by the great novelists of the 19th century, historian Andrei Maylunas recommends books that give a feel for the country. Two are works of history, one is notes from a visiting ambassador in the 16th century, two are novels. All are entertaining to read and key to understanding the present.

  • The best books on Tsarist Russia - Notes on Russia by Sigismund von Herberstein
  • The best books on Tsarist Russia - Catherine the Great and Potemkin: The Imperial Love Affair by Simon Sebag Montefiore
  • The best books on Tsarist Russia - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
  • The best books on Tsarist Russia - Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov
  • The best books on Tsarist Russia - Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The best books on Tsarist Russia, recommended by Andrei Maylunas

From the days it was known as Muscovy to the Russian Empire described by the great novelists of the 19th century, historian Andrei Maylunas recommends books that give a feel for the country. Two are works of history, one is notes from a visiting ambassador in the 16th century, two are novels. All are entertaining to read and key to understanding the present.

The best books on Tsarist Russia, recommended by Andrei Maylunas

    The best books on Azerbaijan, recommended by Nigar Hasan-Zadeh

  • Read
    The best books on Azerbaijan - Ali and Nino by Kurban Said

    1

    Ali and Nino
    by Kurban Said

  • Read
    The best books on Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan Diary by Thomas Goltz

    2

    Azerbaijan Diary
    by Thomas Goltz

  • Read
    The best books on Azerbaijan - Mirror of the Invisible World by Nizami Ganjavi

    3

    Mirror of the Invisible World
    by Nizami Ganjavi

  • Read
    The best books on Azerbaijan - Leyla and Majnun by Fuzuli (Muhammad bin Suleyman).

    4

    Leyla and Majnun
    by Fuzuli (Muhammad bin Suleyman).

  • Read
    The best books on Azerbaijan - The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

    5

    The Master and Margarita
    by Mikhail Bulgakov

  • Rated by the British Library as among the top ten foreign poets based in London, Nigar Hasan-Zadeh discusses a range of books—from love stories, to poetry, to oil field reporting—to boost our insight into Azerbaijan.

  • The best books on Azerbaijan - Ali and Nino by Kurban Said
  • The best books on Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan Diary by Thomas Goltz
  • The best books on Azerbaijan - Mirror of the Invisible World by Nizami Ganjavi
  • The best books on Azerbaijan - Leyla and Majnun by Fuzuli (Muhammad bin Suleyman).
  • The best books on Azerbaijan - The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

The best books on Azerbaijan, recommended by Nigar Hasan-Zadeh

Rated by the British Library as among the top ten foreign poets based in London, Nigar Hasan-Zadeh discusses a range of books—from love stories, to poetry, to oil field reporting—to boost our insight into Azerbaijan.

The best books on Azerbaijan, recommended by Nigar Hasan-Zadeh

    The best books on Totalitarian Russia, recommended by Robert Service

  • Read
    The best books on Totalitarian Russia - Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell

    1

    Nineteen Eighty-Four
    by George Orwell

  • Read
    The best books on Totalitarian Russia - History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides

    2

    History of the Peloponnesian War
    by Thucydides

  • Read
    The best books on Totalitarian Russia - Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

    3

    Crime and Punishment
    by Fyodor Dostoevsky

  • Read
    The best books on Totalitarian Russia - The Twelve by Alexander Blok

    4

    The Twelve
    by Alexander Blok

  • Read
    The best books on Totalitarian Russia - My Life by Leon Trotsky

    5

    My Life
    by Leon Trotsky

  • Robert Service, Professor of Russian Studies at Oxford, when forced to choose between Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin, says Stalin was definitely the worst of the lot. He takes a look at the dynamics of totalitarian Russia, gleaning insights from Thucydides to Orwell.

  • The best books on Totalitarian Russia - Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
  • The best books on Totalitarian Russia - History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides
  • The best books on Totalitarian Russia - Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • The best books on Totalitarian Russia - The Twelve by Alexander Blok
  • The best books on Totalitarian Russia - My Life by Leon Trotsky

The best books on Totalitarian Russia, recommended by Robert Service

Robert Service, Professor of Russian Studies at Oxford, when forced to choose between Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin, says Stalin was definitely the worst of the lot. He takes a look at the dynamics of totalitarian Russia, gleaning insights from Thucydides to Orwell.

The best books on Totalitarian Russia, recommended by Robert Service

    The best books on Russian Cinema, recommended by Ian Christie

  • Read
    The best books on Russian Cinema - Kino by Jay Leyda

    1

    Kino
    by Jay Leyda

  • Read
    The best books on Russian Cinema - Early Cinema in Russia and its Cultural Reception by Yuri Tsivian

    2

    Early Cinema in Russia and its Cultural Reception
    by Yuri Tsivian

  • Read
    The best books on Russian Cinema - Sergei Eisenstein by Oksana Bulgakowa

    3

    Sergei Eisenstein
    by Oksana Bulgakowa

  • Read
    The best books on Russian Cinema - Ivan the Terrible by Yuri Tsivian

    4

    Ivan the Terrible
    by Yuri Tsivian

  • Read
    The best books on Russian Cinema - Tarkovsky: Cinema as Poetry by Maja Turovskaja

    5

    Tarkovsky: Cinema as Poetry
    by Maja Turovskaja

  • From Eisenstein to Tarkovsky, film scholar Ian Christie looks at the titans of Russian cinema and draws attention to the pre-Revolutionary Siberian gold merchant's daughter who opened a cinema purely for the upper classes.

  • The best books on Russian Cinema - Kino by Jay Leyda
  • The best books on Russian Cinema - Early Cinema in Russia and its Cultural Reception by Yuri Tsivian
  • The best books on Russian Cinema - Sergei Eisenstein by Oksana Bulgakowa
  • The best books on Russian Cinema - Ivan the Terrible by Yuri Tsivian
  • The best books on Russian Cinema - Tarkovsky: Cinema as Poetry by Maja Turovskaja

The best books on Russian Cinema, recommended by Ian Christie

From Eisenstein to Tarkovsky, film scholar Ian Christie looks at the titans of Russian cinema and draws attention to the pre-Revolutionary Siberian gold merchant’s daughter who opened a cinema purely for the upper classes.

The best books on Russian Cinema, recommended by Ian Christie

    The best books on Soviet Law, recommended by Stephen Lucas

  • Read
    The best books on Soviet Law - Soviet Workers and the Collapse of Perestroika by Donald Filtzer

    1

    Soviet Workers and the Collapse of Perestroika
    by Donald Filtzer

  • Read
    The best books on Soviet Law - Lenin's Tomb by David Remnick

    2

    Lenin's Tomb
    by David Remnick

  • Read
    The best books on Soviet Law - The Socialist Offensive by R W Davies

    3

    The Socialist Offensive
    by R W Davies

  • Read
    The best books on Soviet Law - Communists and Their Law by John N Hazard

    4

    Communists and Their Law
    by John N Hazard

  • Read
    The best books on Soviet Law - The History of International Law in Russia 1647-1917 by V E Grabar

    5

    The History of International Law in Russia 1647-1917
    by V E Grabar

  • Dr Stephen Lucas is a partner in the banking group of an international law firm, Linklaters LLP and a student of Soviet law. He recommends books on communist legislation in the former USSR

  • The best books on Soviet Law - Soviet Workers and the Collapse of Perestroika by Donald Filtzer
  • The best books on Soviet Law - Lenin's Tomb by David Remnick
  • The best books on Soviet Law - The Socialist Offensive by R W Davies
  • The best books on Soviet Law - Communists and Their Law by John N Hazard
  • The best books on Soviet Law - The History of International Law in Russia 1647-1917 by V E Grabar

The best books on Soviet Law, recommended by Stephen Lucas

Dr Stephen Lucas is a partner in the banking group of an international law firm, Linklaters LLP and a student of Soviet law. He recommends books on communist legislation in the former USSR

The best books on Soviet Law, recommended by Stephen Lucas
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