A Russian Journal Audiobook By John Steinbeck cover art

A Russian Journal

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A Russian Journal

By: John Steinbeck
Narrated by: Richard Poe
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Steinbeck and Capa's account of their journey through Cold War Russia is a classic piece of reportage and travel writing.

Just after the Iron Curtain fell on Eastern Europe, Pulitzer Prize-winning author 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 travelers not only to Moscow and Stalingrad - now Volgograd - but through the countryside of the Ukraine and the Caucasus. Hailed by the New York Times as "superb" when it first appeared in 1948, A Russian Journal is the distillation of their journey and remains a remarkable memoir and unique historical document.

What they saw and movingly recorded in words and on film was what Steinbeck called "the great other side there... the private life of the Russian people." Unlike other Western reporting about Russia at the time, A Russian Journal is free of ideological obsessions. Rather, Steinbeck and Capa recorded the grim realities of factory workers, government clerks, and peasants, as they emerged from the rubble of World War II - represented here in Capa's stirring photographs alongside Steinbeck's masterful prose.

Through it all, we are given intimate glimpses of two artists at the height of their powers, answering their need to document human struggle. This edition features an introduction by Steinbeck scholar Susan Shillinglaw.

©1948 John Steinbeck (P)2014 Penguin Audio Art & Literature Authors Russia Travel Writing & Commentary War Soviet Union
Historical Testimony • Humorous Anecdotes • Excellent Narration • Cultural Insights • Personal Observations • Clear Tone
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I like this book for several reasons.

One is that John Steinbeck’s writing never disappoints. It is clever, simple, precise, and oftentimes really funny.

Another reason is that the book glimpses a small but important slice of Russian/Soviet reality soon after the WWII.

The next reason is that Steinbeck traveled to different republics of then huge country of the USSR and wonderfully described his experiences.

The last reason is the feeling of pure joy that a reader gets from Steinbeck’s kind-hearted and often self-deprecating humor. He seems to have had a quality of contagious humanity. What can I say - that’s why he is one of my most beloved authors!
I do recommend this book. A lot.

Another delightful work by my favorite author

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Steinbeck with great insight and humor shows how we are all similar while simultaneously creating a longing to visit the land and people.

An Excellent Account

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Condensed Twain-like humor (A Tramp Abroad) which seems to model some of the writing, but the author seems to become exhausted and ends up in narration, and seems tired of his own book. The narrator is unflagging, and I, for one, liked the pacing.

Great moments

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Steinbeck and Capa provide the best available survey of post WW2 Soviet Union on a whirlwind tour of multiple regions and cultures. From food (and plenty of it) to poetry to work and travel they journal multiple aspects of Russian culture that bring them closer to their ultimate goal of characterizing the country. They succeed in their mission.

Into the Unknown

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its a great story, interesting to hear about the soviet union of the late 1940s

a great story, well read worth a listen

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book even if it wasn’t fictional. I’ve never been very prone to reading non-fiction but Steinbeck drew me in with his narrative and the narrator kept me going. It is very good!

My first Steinbeck.

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This was a v Pleasant read Richard Poe was much lighter then I’ve ever hear him in any of the McCarthy stuff the book was great the political analysis that Steinbeck gives on the Russian/Ukrainian/Georgen perspective on that time period of the cold war with lots of good info ab Russia etc also very interesting to hear ab how the Ukrainians felt ab everything

Times haven’t changed

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Steinbeck fan and while this steers clear , with one exception, of his style it’s refreshingly good.

That exception is his focus on the “ common man “

I’ve read and studied quite a bit of classic Russian authors and recent focuses on Gorbachev and Putin .

What’s wonderful about this work is , once again, the people behind the leaders, politics and headlines .

The ending , last two paragraphs or so , to this book is a lesson for the ages .

At the end of the day the peoples of our earth are more alike than dissimilar

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Just love going through all Steinbeck’s stuff this way. The performance was spot on you could almost hear Steinbeck’s style in the voices . Was soooooo well done .

Another. Great story

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This is so relevant today. The relationship between Russia and America is taking another turn unfortunately. If only Mr. Steinbeck knew... Brilliant book, by genius writer. "They all want to live comfortably and they all want peace like everyone else."

Brilliant Mind of John Steinbeck

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