Silverland: A Winter Journey Beyond the Urals [Paperback]

Dervla Murphy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2008

Journey through the wind-blown snowscapes of Far Eastern Russia with the septuagenarian globetrotter Dervla Murphy in this engaging travelogue. As Murphy travels deeper into the hinterland, she encounters a strange world of lynx and elks, indigenous tribes and shamanism, reindeer broth and taiga-berry pie. The slow-train takes Murphy into relatively untouched regions where she meets a host of colorful and generous characters who enjoy fireside debates bolstered by steaming samovars of sweet tea. Insightful, warm, and original, this is an amazing account of the secrets of Siberia and beyond.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'It is Murphy's caustic opinions which make this book ...Dervla Murphy is a free-thinking traveller, at once a romantic and a realist, extraordinary for her determination to cross Eurasia at the age of 75 with only her walking sticks and a smattering of Russian ... One hopes that the new generation will inherit her indefatigable spirit and gift for good crack' -- Rory MacLean, Sunday Telegraph 'Murphy's great skill is her ability to win the friendship of locals in small town ... she remains a formidably intrepid traveller' -- James Owen, Daily Telegraph 'To say that she is intrepid is an understatement ... she writes with humour and empathy ... A delightfully idiosyncratic piece of writing' -- Clover Stroud, Sunday Telegraph 'Outstanding ... richly illuminated by the blend of erudition and sympathy' -- Celia Brayfield, The Times 'I've always thought the underlying strength of Murphy's writing is her genuine awe of people living in extremis, and her stalwart rejection of Western European and US squanderlust' -- Louisa Waugh, Herald 'Dervla Murphy is the traveller many of us want to be: independent, insightful and intrepid with an ability to gain something edifying from almost any situation' -- Ruby Millington, Daily Express

About the Author

Dervla Murphy has been writing accounts of her journeys to the remoter areas of four continents since 1964; her books include Eight Feet in the Andes and Through Siberia By Accident.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: John Murray (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0719568293
• ISBN-13: 978-0719568299
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 5 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,455,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too political, February 17, 2008

By 

Elinor Radlund "Ellie" (Rockford IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Silverland: A Winter Journey Beyond the Urals (Paperback)

I have read Dervla Murphy for years and enjoyed her usual open mindedness about people and places,
which did not include polemics. Perhaps it is her age (I am 10 years older) but she seems disenchanted
and possibly depressed by today's world. I do not like US politics, multinational corporations' callous use
of people and the environment, and the abuses of capitalism which are the bete noires throughout her
enjoyable vignettes of the people and experiences of her Siberian travels. But her opinions were not
necessary--one could draw their conclusions from her observations. Her historical background was
excellent and needed. I kept thinking that we of the WW 2 generation are very sad at how the world
has turned out and maybe her exposes were needed for younger readers, but they were superfluous
to my enjoyment.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Siberia Redux: An Anti-Travelogue by the Irish Babushka, March 2, 2008

By 

Thossy (Somewhere in Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Silverland: A Winter Journey Beyond the Urals (Paperback)

If you are thinking of traveling through Siberia by slow train in winter, this book is a 'must pack.' Dervla Murphy's account of her second swing through parts of the Russian hinterlands is replete with useful traveler's details. And it is clear that she researched her topic: the pages of 'Silverland' are peppered with long excerpts from European travel accounts (going back even to Roman times).

The most engaging sections involve the author's interactions with various Siberians and her sometimes harrowing depictions of mishaps and hardships.

'Silverland' also documents the severe environmental damage still being done to a landscape so recently pristine--particularly around Lake Baikal--and the resultant damage to human beings who breathe foul air and drink polluted water.

Dervla Murphy strikes a somber note in this book. Her angst at the way the world is run is obvious and blatant. She is long on criticism and short on solutions, not that any reader would expect them. (Not that there are any.)

Having had a long acquaintance with Dervla Murphy's experiences as related in her many books, I can only thank her for her service and wish her well. Each book reveals as much about the author as the subject, and 'Silverland' is no exception.