In this riveting; New York Times-bestselling memoir—first published by Harper in 1967—Svetlana Alliluyeva; subject of Rosemary Sullivan’s critically acclaimed biography; Stalin’s Daughter; describes the surreal experience of growing up in the Kremlin in the shadow of her father; Joseph Stalin.Svetlana Iosifovna Alliluyeva; later known as Lana Peters; was the youngest child and only daughter of Joseph Stalin and Nadezhda Alliluyeva; his second wife. In 1967; she fled the Soviet Union for India; where she approached the U.S. Embassy for asylum. Once there; she showed her CIA handler something remarkable: A personal memoir about growing up inside the Kremlin that she’d written in 1963. The Indian Ambassador to the USSR; whom she’d befriended; had smuggled the manuscript out of the Soviet Union the previous year—and returned it to her as soon as she arrived in India.Structured as a series of letters to a “friendâ€â€”Svetlana refused to identify him; but we now know it was her close friend; Fyodor Volkenstein—this astounding memoir exposes the dark human heart of the Kremlin. After opening with Stalin’s death; Svetlana returns to her childhood. Each letter adds a new strand to her remarkable story; some are wistful—romanticized recollections of her early years and her family—while others are desperate exorcisms of the tragedies that plagued her; such as her mother’s suicide and her father’s increasing cruelty. It is also in some ways a love letter to Russia; with its ancient heritage and spectacularly varied geography.Candid; surprising; and utterly compelling; Twenty Letters to a Friend offers one of the most revealing portraits of life inside Stalin’s inner circle; and of the notorious dictator himself.
#214307 in Books Carlsen William 2016-04-26 2016-04-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.37 x 6.00l; .0 #File Name: 0062407392544 pagesJungle of Stone The True Story of Two Men Their Extraordinary Journey and the Discovery of the Lost Civilization of the Maya
Review
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful. Brilliant Narrative of the Discovery of Mayan RuinsBy Brent SiegelA brilliantly written page turner about the discovery of the major Mayan ruins in the first half of the nineteenth century. Mr.Carlsen's writing gives the reader a real sense of the challenges faced by these adventurers; one of whom; John Stephens was a great travel writer and the other; Frederick Catherwood; was a brilliant artist. Mr. Carlsen includes many of Catherwood's drawings and offsets some of them with current photographs of the same sites so the reader gets a real sense of the detail that went into these drawings. Anyone with any interest in the history of early civilizations; particularly in the Western Hemisphere should read this book.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the Mayan civilization and its amazing architecture. The entire story of discovBy comstock lodeI picked this book up at the library; and after reading a few pages; I knew I needed my own copy. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the Mayan civilization and its amazing architecture. The entire story of discovery of the ruins by William Carlsen is fascinating. Edgar Allen Poe called the original book by John Lloyd Stephens; "perhaps the most interesting book of travel ever published". (Yes; I said "Edgar Allen Poe")!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Gripping 19th Century exploration of places people still fear to go!By R. HudsonReads like an adventure novel; except it's all true. A tale of two men who are opposites personally but together they changed the world of archaeology that grabs your attention and doesn't let go. Plan on reading this way past your bed time. A worthy companion to this book is The Lost Cities of the Maya: The Life; Art; and Discoveries of Frederick Catherwood. This large format collection of Catherwood's illustrations is not to be missed; it is the closest to visiting these sites you'll get without a passport and vaccinations.
