Russian at a Glance: Phrase Book and Dictionary for Travelers [Paperback]

Thomas R. Beyer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0812042999 | ISBN-13: 978-0812042993 | Publication Date: February 1991

More than ever before, business people and holiday tourists are celebrating glastnost with increased travel in Russia. This traveler's aid is sure to be much in demand, offering some 1,500 phrases and 2,000 alphabetically listed words, shown in Cyrillic and with pronunciations, and presented with translations to and from either language.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Russian

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Barrons Educational Series Inc (February 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812042999
• ISBN-13: 978-0812042993
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 3.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #504,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > Travel > Asia > Russia
  • #92 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Russian

More About the Author

Thomas R. Beyer Jr was born in 1947 in Brooklyn, New York where he attended Xaverian HS. he is a graduate of Georgetown University (1969) and the University of Kansas (1974). For the past 35 years he has been a Professor of Russian at Middlebury College in Vermont. He is the author of over a dozen books to learn Russian, several translations of the Russian writer Andrei Bely. Considered an expert on Russian writers in emigration in Germany and the United States, Professor Beyer has lectured extensively in Russia, Germany and the United States. For the past few years he has offered seminars on the works of Dan Brown designed to permit students and readers separate fact from fiction.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for tourists and students, September 27, 1998

By 

J. David Eisenberg - See all my reviews

This review is from: Russian at a Glance: Phrase Book and Dictionary for Travelers (Paperback)

Cultural information is interspersed throughout the vocabulary in the phrasebook section; this really kept me interested in reading further.

Features I really liked: the Quick Grammar guide covers an astonishing amount of material in a mere seven pages. Essential verbs (such as "want, "can," "need," etc.) are conjugated in the dictionary section so that the average tourist can use the correct form.

This is another excellent entry in the publisher's "At a Glance" series.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This should be the "2nd" phrasebook you buy!, September 14, 2000

By 

Baltic Books "Vic" (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Russian at a Glance: Phrase Book and Dictionary for Travelers (Paperback)

"Russian at a glance" is an excellent choice as a compact phrasebook to accompany you to Russia or other CIS countries. I have to be honest telling you this one is not as "worn" as our Lonely Planet phrasebook (my first choice). In spite of that, it definitely has a few great advantages.

The first difference you'll notice will be the addition of maps of Russia, Moscow and the Moscow Metro. If you are going to Moscow, that in itself could be a lifesaver (I dare you to find a small map anywhere on the street when you need one!)

It also incorporates a bit more helpful material such as passport control info and a brief cultural guide to each section- shopping, entertainment etc. The truth about traveling in Russia is that you will have a tough time finding much help once you get off the plane or train. The more you have thought through in advance or have at your fingertips the better.

Another strong point is a decent sized dictionary for a phrasebook. The phonetic pronunciation guide for each phrase is good as well. This book is small, but not ideal at 3.75 X 6 inches and around 240 pages. The book isn't thick (3/8"), but the pages are tightly bound and a little difficult to turn. You may find it just a bit awkward to keep around at times.

This will be a good choice for you, but honestly, this became our "number two" phrasebook during our 7 or so trips to Russia and Eastern Europe in the past two years. It was just a hair too big to keep in my pocket and we constantly opted for the Lonely Planet book instead. The lack of wear it received compared to the other speaks for itself.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to follow pronunciation shown for every word!, June 15, 2000

By 

Gregory R. Martin (Shreveport, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Russian at a Glance: Phrase Book and Dictionary for Travelers (Paperback)

This is an excellent phrasebook, with a very small form factor so that you can easily carry it in a coat pocket. The most useful feature is that words are shown in both Cyrillic and phonetic spellings so that you can pronounce the word or phrase with complete confidence. The emphasized syllable is capitalized. (Example: thank you = spaSIba) There's a nice dictionary in the back, and the grammar section is concise with easy rules. Great value for the money!