Customer Reviews

Dispatches from the Former Evil Empire

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Richard Threlkeld spent 25 years as a foreign correspondent, covering war and peace, triumph and tragedy for CBS and ABC. He was CBS's Man in Moscow from 1996 to 1999. His 43 "dispatches" paint a vivid picture of life and work in the former Soviet Union. He combines history, journalism and the best kind of travelogue in a memoir that entertains and educates. Threlkeld listens to the heartbeat of the nascent Russian democracy. He describes the voters in the old town of Zaraisk who bring their children to the polls, so they'll learn to vote when they grow up. His humor rivals P.J. O'Rourke's as he reads us the traffic signs in Moscow ("No turns between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. except for vehicles that are not trucks") and takes us to a restored hotel in Vladivostok ("There's a casino on the thrid floor but no drawers or closets in the rooms.") Whether he is reporting on the tax-free investments of the Russian Orthodox Church or the habits of Azerbaijani Talish centenarians, Threlkeld delivers the good news and the bad, the heartbreak and the hope of this enormous and amazing new Russia. His journalism is insightful, trustworthy and eminently readable.

The word "former" appears many times in Threlkeld's book, but don't let that fool you. This book is as timely as any writen on Russian Republic. The author is smart and sensitive and what he saw in the late 1990's is indispensable to an understanding of Russia today. The Moscow Christmas described in chapter four, for example, is a brilliant account of a people who are revisiting old traditions after 70 years of Communist rule. The Russians are paying a terrible price for their mistakes, but one can see how these stoic and determined people will bring about the birth of a new Nation from the wreckage of the Soviet Union.

Richard Threlkeld's writing skills are outstanding, showing what an asset he was to CBS before he retired. The book is a book about the Russian people, how they are living, how they are dealing with the government and the changes in their country. Richard writes about living in Moscow, visiting villages where there were many people over 100 years old, the plight of the miners, and even ventures out to Cuba where he went to cover the Pope's visit. Although life in Russia at this time has many difficulties, Richard speaks of a people who are survivors, but want things to improve without the bloodshed that has accompanied changes in the past. The book was written about Richard's life there in the late 1990s, and I couldn't help but want to know about life there in the present and have hopes that these people will indeed develop a society where there is good medical care, education and employment opportunities.

Carol Troestler
Author, Flow On Sweet Missouri

This is a very interesting commentary on Russia during its transformation from communism. Note that it is a commentary, not a reporting. To use an analogy, this book is as though written by a sporting event color analyst rather than by the play-by-play announcer, a difference that provides a better understanding of what happened during that period. Richard Threlkeld, who is a very competent reporter, made his personal notes during a long assignment in Russia at that time and this book reflects those impressions more than the reporting job he was doing. In several cases, he describes his observations in reference other observations he has made elsewhere and/or in reference to historical facts. It is a very fascinating read.

If you don't understand the critical role of Russian Orthodoxy in Russian life historically and culturally - don't spout off on it - you'll risk coming across as a fool, which is exactly what the author does in Chapter 18 on the resurgence of the Russian Orthodox Church. Russia wouldn't be Russia and Russians wouldn't be Russians without the Russian Orthodox Church. This is not a heterogeous culture like America's that supports a religious smorgasbord with zealous non-Orthodox missionaries running around. Russia's ultimate strength is in its identification with Russian Orthodoxy. The 70+ years of Communist rule have been bitterly hard on believers and significantly negatively impacted several generations of living Russians who, while baptized Orthodox, were mostly denied access to church culture and church tradition growing up. It is going to take a number of decades for this to come back, decades in which the lack of interference by non-Orthodox proselytizers will only be appreciated by the Russians in the long run. The Russian Government understands this. The West, of course, in seeking to impose its own values on Russia (which in many respects do not belong here), does not. So don't criticize what you don't understand.