{"title":"Orlando Figes","description":"\u003cp\u003eOrlando Figes offers a profound exploration of Russian and European history through vivid storytelling and meticulous research. His works delve into pivotal events and eras, capturing the complexities of revolutionary upheavals, cultural shifts, and national identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect richly detailed narratives that illuminate the human experience within historical moments, blending political analysis with social and cultural insight. Figes' books bring history to life, making the past accessible and compelling.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"natashas-dance","title":"Natasha's Dance","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNatasha's Dance\u003c\/em\u003e by Orlando Figes is an enthralling exploration of Russian culture and identity that spans centuries and geographical boundaries. The book intricately weaves a rich tapestry of stories and characters, illuminating the evolution of Russia from the splendour of 18th-century St Petersburg to the relentless drive of Stalinist propaganda. Through an evocative narrative, Figes brings to life an extraordinary cast of serf artists and aristocrats, revolutionaries and exiles, priests and libertines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eInspired by a memorable scene in Tolstoy's \u003cem\u003eWar and Peace\u003c\/em\u003e, where the young Countess Natasha instinctively dances to a peasant melody, Figes delves into the heart of Russian cultural identity. This scene symbolises the deep-rooted and instinctive connection Russians have to their cultural heritage, no matter their social standing or foreign education.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFiges' examination extends beyond literature to encompass the entirety of Russian artistic expression. From the poignant poetry of Pushkin and the emotive music of Mussorgsky to the revolutionary films of Eisenstein, \u003cem\u003eNatasha's Dance\u003c\/em\u003e showcases the diverse elements that have shaped Russian culture. The book also explores folk art, magic rituals of Asiatic shamans, and the resilience shown by ordinary people in the face of historical upheavals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOrlando Figes demonstrates how Russia's sense of identity is uniquely embedded in its culture, not only in its renowned artistic creations but also in common customs, habits, and beliefs. Despite the vastness and diversity of the Russian landscape, a distinctive national temperament has unified its people, enabling them to withstand immense adversity. From European Russia to the depths of Asia, this shared cultural core has held the nation together throughout its turbulent history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNatasha's Dance\u003c\/em\u003e offers readers an immersive experience, providing a profound understanding of what it means to be Russian. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the cultural forces that have shaped one of the world's most enigmatic and resilient nations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45658000261356,"sku":"9780140297966","price":33.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780140297966.jpg?v=1724847728"},{"product_id":"crimea","title":"Crimea","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eCrimea\u003c\/i\u003e by Orlando Figes is a masterful recounting of the tumultuous and devastating Crimean War that gripped the mid-19th century. This war, which resulted in the deaths of at least 800,000 men, saw Russia up against a formidable coalition of Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire. The conflict was driven by multiple motives: territorial ambition, religious fervour, and the fear of Russian expansion. Should the Ottoman Empire collapse, Russia could potentially control vast territories stretching from the Balkans to the Persian Gulf.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNot merely a war for land, the Crimean War was deeply rooted in religious convictions. Tsar Nicholas I and his ministers believed it was Russia's divine duty to rule all Orthodox Christians and establish dominance over the Holy Land. These convictions led to a war fought with a tragic blend of ferocity and incompetence. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFiges reimagines this extraordinary war with engrossing detail. It was a conflict that straddled both ancient and modern warfare paradigms. On one hand, it was the first war to be extensively photographed, utilise the telegraph, and be heavily reported in newspapers, earning it the moniker of the first \"media war.\" On the other hand, it was fought by illiterate soldiers led by amateur officers, and saw massive casualties due to disease.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing on an extensive array of fascinating sources, Figes brings to life the lived experiences of those embroiled in the war. He paints a vivid picture of the ordinary British soldier enduring the freezing conditions of his snow-filled trench, while also delving into the haunted psyche of Tsar Nicholas, a man consumed by a quest for religious salvation and determined to challenge the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eCrimea\u003c\/i\u003e is an exceptional work by one of the great narrative historians of our time. Figes' ability to weave complex historical events into a gripping and sweeping narrative makes this book a significant contribution to our understanding of a critical yet often overlooked war. For anyone interested in the intertwining of politics, religion, and human struggle, this book offers a compelling and enlightening read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45695316852972,"sku":"9780141013503","price":45.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780141013503.jpg?v=1725625035"},{"product_id":"the-story-of-russia","title":"The Story of Russia","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA 2022 BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR: \u003ci\u003eSunday Times \u003cem\u003e Irish Times \u003c\/em\u003e Spectator \u003cem\u003e Financial Times \u003c\/em\u003e Telegraph * Aspects of History\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘The history book you need if you want to understand modern Russia' \u003c\/b\u003e– ANNE APPLEBAUM\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘A magnificent, magisterial thousand-year history of Russia . . . by one of the masters of Russian scholarship' \u003c\/b\u003e– SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘A great historian at the peak of his powers' \u003c\/b\u003e– WILLIAM DALRYMPLE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'[An] excellent short study’ \u003c\/b\u003e– MAX HASTINGS, \u003ci\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘If you really want to understand Putin’s Russia today, anchored in its past of myths, then you simply have to read Figes’s superb account’ \u003c\/b\u003e– ANTONY BEEVOR\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e‘A lucid chronological journey that ably illustrates how narratives from the nation’s past have been used to shape its autocratic present’ \u003c\/i\u003e– \u003ci\u003eOBSERVER\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A valuable, instructive overview'\u003c\/b\u003e – \u003ci\u003eINDEPENDENT\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the great storyteller of Russia, a spellbinding account of the stories that have shaped the country’s past – and how they can inform its present.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNo other country has been so divided over its own past as Russia. None has changed its story so often. How the Russians came to tell their story, and to reinvent it as they went along, is a vital aspect of their history, their culture, and beliefs. To understand what Russia’s future holds – to grasp what Putin’s regime means for Russia and the world – we need to unravel the ideas and meanings of that history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Story of Russia\u003c\/i\u003e, Orlando Figes brings into sharp relief the vibrant characters that comprise Russia’s rich history, and whose stories remain so important in making sense of the world’s largest nation today – from the crowning of sixteen-year-old Ivan the Terrible in a candlelit cathedral, to Catherine the Great, riding out in a green uniform to arrest her husband at his palace, to the bitter last days of the Romanovs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBeautifully written and based on a lifetime of scholarship, \u003ci\u003eThe Story of Russia\u003c\/i\u003e is a major and definitive work from the great storyteller of Russian history: sweeping, suspenseful, and masterful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePRAISE FOR ORLANDO FIGES\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘An outstanding historian and writer, he brings distant history so close that you could feel its heartbeat’ \u003c\/b\u003e– KARL OVE KNAUSGAARD\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Figes knows more about Russia than any other historian'\u003c\/b\u003e – MAX HASTINGS, \u003ci\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45707309908204,"sku":"9781526631756","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781526631756.jpg?v=1725898550"},{"product_id":"a-peoples-tragedy","title":"A People's Tragedy","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eOn the brink of the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, read the most vivid, moving, and comprehensive history of the events that changed the world\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is history on an epic yet human scale. Vast in scope, exhaustive in original research, written with passion, narrative skill, and human sympathy, \u003ci\u003eA People's Tragedy\u003c\/i\u003e is a profound account of the Russian Revolution for a new generation. Many consider the Russian Revolution to be the most significant event of the twentieth century. Distinguished scholar Orlando Figes presents a panorama of Russian society on the eve of that revolution, and then narrates the story of how these social forces were violently erased. Within the broad strokes of war and revolution, Figes delves into miniature histories of individuals, following the main players' fortunes as they saw their hopes die and their world crash into ruins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOrlando Figes brings to life the complex tapestry of the Russian Revolution through a detailed reconstruction of individual destinies and broader societal changes. \u003ci\u003eA People's Tragedy\u003c\/i\u003e offers readers a window into the personal experiences of ordinary people and notable figures who lived through the upheaval, highlighting how their lives and dreams were transiently transformed and ultimately shattered. This narrative enriches our understanding by showcasing the human cost and personal toll of massive societal changes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike previous accounts that trace the origins of the revolution to overreaching political forces and ideals, Figes argues that the failure of democracy in 1917 was deeply rooted in Russian culture and social history. He contends that what had started as a people's revolution contained the seeds of its degeneration into violence and dictatorship. This thought-provoking perspective challenges conventional wisdom and emphasizes the indigenous factors that contributed to the revolution's tragic trajectory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eComposed with a masterful and original synthesis, \u003ci\u003eA People's Tragedy\u003c\/i\u003e is unparalleled in its depth and insight. Orlando Figes sheds new light on the pivotal events that shaped the 20th century and changed the course of world history. His compelling and accessibly human narrative invites readers to explore the intricate balance between social dynamics and individual stories that defined this pivotal moment in time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you are a history enthusiast or a newcomer eager to understand the Russian Revolution's lasting impact, \u003ci\u003eA People's Tragedy\u003c\/i\u003e offers a comprehensive and emotionally resonant journey through the past, providing valuable historical context and breathing life into the relentless march of history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45748241826028,"sku":"9780140243642","price":85.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780140243642.jpg?v=1726744375"},{"product_id":"a-peoples-tragedy-by-orlando-figes-9781847924513","title":"A People's Tragedy","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe unrivalled, definitive history beautifully reissued with a new introduction for the 100th anniversary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnrivalled in scope and brimming with human drama, \u003cem\u003eA People's Tragedy\u003c\/em\u003e is the most vivid, moving, and comprehensive history of the Russian Revolution available today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A modern masterpiece' — Andrew Marr\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'The most moving account of the Russian Revolution since Doctor Zhivago' — Independent\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOpening with a panorama of Russian society, from the cloistered world of the Tsar to the brutal life of the peasants, \u003cem\u003eA People's Tragedy\u003c\/em\u003e follows workers, soldiers, intellectuals, and villagers as their world is consumed by revolution and then degenerates into violence and dictatorship. Drawing on vast original research, Figes conveys above all the shocking experience of the revolution for those who lived it, while providing the clearest and most cogent account of how and why it unfolded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIllustrated with over 100 photographs and now including a new introduction that reflects on the revolution's centennial legacy, \u003cem\u003eA People's Tragedy\u003c\/em\u003e is a masterful and definitive record of one of the most important events in modern history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46337742274796,"sku":"9781847924513","price":50.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/25972583482845.jpg?v=1743717312"},{"product_id":"the-europeans-by-orlando-figes-9780141979434","title":"The Europeans","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe acclaimed historical portrait of the love triangle between an opera star, a writer and an impresario - and their role in Europe's 19th-century cultural Renaissance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Europeans\u003c\/em\u003e is a richly enthralling, panoramic cultural history of nineteenth-century Europe, told through the intertwined lives of three remarkable people: a great singer, Pauline Viardot, a great writer, Ivan Turgenev, and a great connoisseur, Pauline's husband Louis. Their ambitious lives and complex loves were bound up with an astonishing array of writers, composers and painters, all trying to make their way through the exciting, prosperous European cultural landscape that came about as a result of huge economic and technological change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis culture - through trains, telegraphs and printing - allowed artists of all kinds to exchange ideas and make a living, as they travelled across the whole continent from the British Isles to Imperial Russia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Europeans\u003c\/em\u003e is Orlando Figes' masterpiece. It describes huge changes through intimate details, little-known stories and through the lens of Turgenev and the Viardots' touching, strange love triangle. 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The manipulation of many millions of people, first by Tsarist ministers and then by the Communists—on a scale and with a ferocity that their predecessors could not dream of—aimed to totally transform Russian society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough war and peace, Russia's rulers battled to subdue and control their vast state, fighting off a mass of real and imagined enemies until exhaustion, corruption, and intellectual bankruptcy brought the whole terrible experiment to an end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs the Soviet Union becomes ever more distant in our memory, \u003cem\u003eRevolutionary Russia\u003c\/em\u003e is an invaluable reminder of why this one, hideously violent and callous state became for so long the great focus of the hopes and fears of much of humankind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46338532868332,"sku":"9780141043678","price":17.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/5238763482238.jpg?v=1743734081"},{"product_id":"the-story-of-russia-by-orlando-figes-9781526631763","title":"The Story of Russia","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA 2022 BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR: \u003cem\u003eSunday Times \u003cem\u003e Irish Times \u003c\/em\u003e Spectator \u003cem\u003e Financial Times \u003c\/em\u003e Telegraph * Aspects of History\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘The history book you need if you want to understand modern Russia’\u003c\/strong\u003e ANNE APPLEBAUM\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘A magnificent, magisterial thousand year history of Russia . . . by one of the masters of Russian scholarship’\u003c\/strong\u003e SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘A great historian at the peak of his powers’\u003c\/strong\u003e WILLIAM DALRYMPLE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘[An] excellent short study’\u003c\/strong\u003e MAX HASTINGS, \u003cem\u003eSUNDAY TIMES\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘If you really want to understand Putin’s Russia today, anchored in its past of myths, then you simply have to read Figes’s superb account’\u003c\/strong\u003e ANTONY BEEVOR\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e‘A lucid chronological journey that ably illustrates how narratives from the nation’s past have been used to shape its autocratic present’\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eOBSERVER\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e‘A valuable, instructive overview’\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eINDEPENDENT\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the great storyteller of Russia, a spellbinding account of the stories that have shaped the country’s past – and how they can inform its present.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNo other country has been so divided over its own past as Russia. 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