Brought to you by Penguin.
Just after the iron curtain fell on Eastern Europe John Steinbeck and acclaimed war photographer, Robert Capa ventured into the Soviet Union to report for the New York Herald Tribune. This rare opportunity took the famous travellers not only to Moscow and Stalingrad - now Volgograd - but through the countryside of the Ukraine and the Caucasus.
From Australia
Anastasia
5.0 out of 5 stars a treasure
Reviewed in Australia on 19 December 2018
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really great travel journal with some photos about the post WW2 USSR
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annette bagot
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in Australia on 19 July 2015
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I expwcted more.
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From other countries
Jared Gaston
5.0 out of 5 stars Readable and fun.
Reviewed in the United States on 19 July 2022
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Great journalism and clever characterization
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emed0s
5.0 out of 5 stars A good close-up on late 40s Russia
Reviewed in Spain on 24 April 2016
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Some good things about this book:
- No amount of previous WWII books and documentaries had made me "see" the devastation the Nazis caused in the east as this book has. The scarred earth full of trenches and craters in the former front lines, the ubiquitous metal skeletons being recycled into Soviet tractors and cars, the long lines of Germans POWs moving rubble ... the marks on the belts showing the improving conditions and the harsh past years.
- The take on censorship and generally working under the Soviet institutions is eye opening, think bureaucracy not fighting you but itself and making everyone who dares come near its victim.
- The love for partying of both Steinbeck and Capa, plus the numerous quirks of the latter, will never let the smile disappear form the reader's face.
Bad things ... I cannot think of anything I didn't like.
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LULU071950
5.0 out of 5 stars Prémonitions
Reviewed in France on 6 September 2024
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Livre qui permet de mieux comprendre la situation actuelle en Ukraine et en Géorgie où Poutine se prend pour Staline...
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Justina
5.0 out of 5 stars Another classic from Steinbeck!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 May 2014
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I love John Steinbeck and everything he wrote (maybe apart from the winter of our discontent) and this is one of my favourites. Extremely funny writing shows every country he visits from a human perspective - no judgement is passed regarding its political situation. This is a book about normal people travelling with no hidden agenda, very refreshing view, and obviously excellent writing. My personal favourite is the chapter written by Steinbecks travel companion, but the whole book is the most enjoyable read I had in a long time!
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Chandra Bhakuni
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply delightful
Reviewed in India on 12 June 2015
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I only have praise for this book as it kept me glued all the time, and whenever I took a break and tried to read my other ongoing books, I was somehow drawn back to the book, for why not, when Robert and John are travelling, won't the Tim of today want to accompany?
Beginning from an uncertain visit arrangement to undulating transport rides of then Soviet Union, to streets of the after-war Moscow, Kiev and Georgia, this memoir is simple Steinbeck wizardry and simplicity. Steinbeck's interpretation of religion, patriotism, art, literature, work, food, recreation and living in Russia is simply people centric here. The bits on strange facts of Russian life amused me at every level. Although the book expresses uncertainty with government's censorship the book is light and funny.
'A Russian Journal' is a delightful journal with Steinbeck's words made complete by Capa's pictures, or one can argue the other way round.
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Leonid Kunin
5.0 out of 5 stars A Russian Journal (Penguin Modern Classics)
Reviewed in Germany on 9 February 2020
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Sehr gut
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gnikkus
5.0 out of 5 stars Bellissima cronaca di un paese che non esiste più
Reviewed in Italy on 22 March 2019
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Si legge di un fiato, con le belle immagini scattate da Robert Capa. Per nostalgici di un mondo post guerra che non esiste e non tornerà mai più.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on 17 February 2018
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OK
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alfa_brk
4.0 out of 5 stars Steinbeck is charming and funny, as is the one section written by Capa
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 September 2015
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A really straightforward and forthright account of the Soviet Union at a time when this kind of information was not available in America. Steinbeck is charming and funny, as is the one section written by Capa. This isn't traditional travel writing but remains a very enjoyable read. The only shame is that the paperback format doesn't really allow Capa's photographs to come to life. I'd love to see the collection of his photos from this trip in better circumstances (i.e. printed properly). Do not buy this paperback version if you're interested in Capa's photographs buy it for Steinbeck's excellent (if minimalist) writing.
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ANON
5.0 out of 5 stars A chez d’œuvre.
Reviewed in France on 2 July 2022
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A heart warming acount of Steinbeck and Capa’s travels through Russia.
This book is ever so more valuable now when one considers the overwhelming Russophobia of our Western village.
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RH McElroy
5.0 out of 5 stars A nice account of Steinbeck's adventures behind the Iron Curtain
Reviewed in the United States on 7 May 2015
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I have been a John Steinbeck fan for many years and enjoy everything of his I've read. As much as I love his fiction, I love his nonfiction more. He can be cranky sometimes but more often than not, his humor shines through as it does here, especially when he writes of Robert Capa. Reading this reminds me of Travels with Charley and There Once was a War, in all he tells the story as if he were sitting across the table from you, like a friend, sharing a good cup of coffee or a beer and a fantastic yarn about a place he'd been.
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shilpam vaid
1.0 out of 5 stars misleading !
Reviewed in India on 25 March 2021
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very ordinary paper quality and photo's, this is a book meant to have excellent photo's, very misleading to not have mentioned this in the description itself
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emer jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars War and Peace
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 January 2026
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This book should be listened to or read by anyone with the smallest interest in a world without war. It is so strange to read of post WW2 Ukraine and other countries in the region, as well as Russia itself at a time when Russia is tearing Ukraine apart.
If this makes the book sound very serious, it's not! Steinbeck and Capa are on a mission of reportage. No politics, no statistics. They simply want to talk to ordinary people and report back to ordinary people in the USA at a time when the Cold War is imminent. So they visit, talk, eat (do they eat?), drink, party and photograph people in their own houses, in the fields, in farms, restaurants, trains, airports, anywhere and everywhere. Most places they visit, the two men share a room. The dynamics are hilarious. Their welcome almost everywhere is warm and very friendly. The partying made me want to be there. The beauty of some of the places made me desperate to see them.
However, the serious side exists and Steinbeck is adept at pinpointing it. The farm council of a small collective farm described how it had been before the Germans came, 'this farm had 700 horned cattle, and now there were only 200 animals of all kinds. They had had two large gasoline engines, two trucks, three tractors and two threshing machines. And now they had one small gasoline engine and one small threshing machine. They had had forty horses, and now they had four.'
That small village of 362 houses had lost over a hundred men and there were great numbers crippled and maimed. Some of the children were legless and some had lost eyes. But Steinbeck states categorically, 'They were not sad people. They were full of laughter, and jokes, and songs.'
There are so many moments in this book, when I had to pause and wonder how what is happening now in the world can possibly be happening. Not least, when the Steinbeck and Capa looked at a young couple, struggling with heavy beans to build a roof for their new house. Their host told them that the couple had three small children who have never had a house to live in. 'They must have peace, they want their house,' he said. 'There cannot be in the world anyone so wicked as to want to put them back in the holes under the ground. But that is where they have been living.'
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C. Bradley
4.0 out of 5 stars The Human Experience in Steinbeck Fashion
Reviewed in the United States on 20 February 2010
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I read A Russian Journal upon returning home from a two-month stint of teaching in Moscow and was excited to dive into another Steinbeck. Not surprisingly, Steinbeck offers a truthful and compassionate portrayal of the human experience through eyes which seem to dissolve cultural barriers. Respectfully intruding into the lives of normal people during post World War II Soviet Union, Steinbeck, accompanied by Robert Capa, documents the thoughts, work ethics, and questions of those who the rest of 1940s America failed to understand. Forging ahead behind the iron curtain, Steinbeck retells tales of normal, family-oriented, hard-working people found in the midst of his travels through the countryside who in many ways were no different than the Americans who feared and often disdained them.
Most remarkably to me, Steinbeck tells of a Moscow that is relatively unchanged today. Incredibly, this slice of Russian culture has remained the same in many ways though it has experienced such a turbulent century. I would recommend A Russian Journal to anyone planning on visiting Russia soon (because it is still relevant) and also to anyone who enjoys Steinbeck. It is simple, heartfelt, and relatively unbiased in its attempts to portray normal life in another culture. Its style is easily comparable to Travels With Charley, although I believe because Steinbeck understands his own American culture so much more richly, he is able to portray connections and summations about what he experiences much more definitively in Travels With Charley. Regardless, A Russian Journal is certainly an interesting and enjoyable read.
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Christopher Schemm
5.0 out of 5 stars a quiet visit to USSR
Reviewed in the United States on 9 January 2011
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This cold war visit explores a country feared and mysterious. The points of view of a novelist Steinbeck known for his stories about ordinary people and hard times in America plus the world renound photographer Capra makes for a seemingly true view
of the ordinary people that they met on their wanderings. They do not have any agenda , but develope admiration for those who fought the Nazis and endured so much suffering. Steinbeck and Capra are not blind to the faults of the ruling party there. A wonderful human story from two sides.
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Alexandra Sevko
5.0 out of 5 stars the book is a good and interesting reflection of everyday life by the eyes ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 September 2017
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Although the author confuses constantly Soviet ppl in general calling them all Russians (he himself makes remarks that Georgian and Ukrainian ppl are not really Russian and speak their own languages), the book is a good and interesting reflection of everyday life by the eyes of a foreigner in USSR after the WWII. Also the author gave a flavour of different cultures/habits in different republics of USSR. Being born and grown up in USSR, I found this reading really interesting. No politics involved, which makes this piece unique.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book of humanity
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 February 2024
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I am not worthy of writing about John Steinbeck or his genius. His understated style and simple plan for a travel book is so clever in the way he achieves his aim of finding his truth about his contemporary Russia has changed my view and understanding of quality writing. John Steinbeck cares to understand people, he structures his writing in a way that the reader can progress without effort in the way that great writers can, helping the reader to understand the people he writes about quickly and efficiently so as to achieve momentum. I dare say that this is an important historical book - how wonderful that John Steinbeck wrote it and that I am privileged to read it.
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Julie D
5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating story of Russia after the second world war
Reviewed in the United States on 9 May 2017
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Fascinating story of the strength and faith of the Russian people after the second world war. And of course Steinbeck's writing is always so good.Interesting to see how our enemies of the cold war were just as afraid of us as we were of them.But the hopefulness of a people who lost so much was very inspiring.
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Kevin McLachlan
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting journal though pic quality poor
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 March 2021
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I bought this for the photos - the book is smaller than anticipated and the reproduction is poor. However, once I got reading it, I was less concerned with the photos and more concerned with the writing. Definitely worth a read - I would pay more for a book with better reproduced photos.
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Mariela Sagel
4.0 out of 5 stars Getting to know the Russian sould
Reviewed in the United States on 15 June 2016
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I was surprised to know that John Steinbeck wrote this notes about his visit to Russia just after the war, with all the restrictions that American could have had. I enjoyed every chronicle and specially, the details about Robert Capa, the photographer that traveled with him. It is remarkable how well he describe the Russian people, its generosity in terms of making you feel well with food and liquor. It is highly recommended for those who, like me, still have many things to learn about the "Russian soul"
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Stanley G.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 10 June 2017
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Steinbeck avoids his personal biases and writes a beautiful novel about post-World War II Soviet Union. Wonderful read.
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Mr William Moore
3.0 out of 5 stars A journal in every sense of the word
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2013
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Definitely a reportage and not as interesting as 'Travels with Charlie' also by Steinbeck which is what I thought it would be like. Steinbeck's observations are still as vivid as you come to expect from him.
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Metal Head
5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of the best books I have ever read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 December 2014
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This is a great buddy story which will make you gap and laugh. It's well written but I wish the photographs in this digital version were higher res. Strongly recommended to a readership who wants to read something different.
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Fae Roberts
4.0 out of 5 stars The condition of this book was great. I bought a used copy but it was like new.
Reviewed in the United States on 1 June 2022
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I have wanted to read this for years, and with the war in Ukraine, now was the time. Amazon's prices were really good, so I finally read it, and was completely satisfied.
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MartinB
4.0 out of 5 stars Steibeck eschewed the high-up officials and did his best to encounter real people
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 June 2015
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Remarkably objective account of a visit to the Soviet Union just as the Cold War was breaking. Steibeck eschewed the high-up officials and did his best to encounter real people.
Robert Capa's fine photos are spoilt by very poor reproductions printed on cheap paper. Pity.
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tina yorston
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm happy to the extreme with all that John Steinbeck wrote
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2017
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I'm happy to the extreme with all that John Steinbeck wrote.....it's a very good account of what was experienced and found to be 'real' in that country at that time....it's like listening to his voice....a good read....
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Mash
2.0 out of 5 stars Did not live up to expectations
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 March 2016
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I tried hard to enjoy this book. The idea appealed to me: a favourite author teaming up with a crack photographer to document life in the most interesting country in the World. What's not to like? Well, plenty. For one thing, the photos in the Kindle edition are abysmal. More fundamentally though, say-what-you-see journalism only works if you understand what you are seeing, and my impression was that Steinbeck did not. And why would he? He spoke no Russian, was constantly chaperoned during his trip, and wrote at a time when researching Russia would land you on an FBI watchlist. Sadly then, this is a book mainly about vodka, pretty girls, tractor factories, ferocious old ladies, cold weather, dysfunctional bureaucracy and other tired Soviet tropes. Frustrating.
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Bob Thompson
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 September 2016
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As ever, Steinbeck produces the goods in the most direct and uncompromising form of journalistic truth.
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