{"title":"Vladimir Alexandrov","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the captivating works of Vladimir Alexandrov, an accomplished author who masterfully merges historical insight with thrilling narratives. His books, including \u003cem\u003eThe Black Russian\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eTo Break Russia's Chains\u003c\/em\u003e, offer readers an intriguing blend of Biography \u0026amp; Memoir with Crime \u0026amp; Thriller elements, creating a unique reading experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Black Russian\u003c\/em\u003e takes readers on a remarkable journey through the life of Frederick Bruce Thomas, an African-American who defied the racial constraints of his era to become a prominent nightclub owner in Europe. This gripping biography reveals an extraordinary life story set against the backdrop of early 20th-century global events.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eTo Break Russia's Chains\u003c\/em\u003e, Alexandrov delves into the harrowing tales of individuals who dared to challenge the oppressive Soviet regime. With meticulous research and gripping storytelling, he sheds light on the courage and resilience of those who sought freedom at great personal risk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you are an avid historian or simply love a good thriller, Vladimir Alexandrov's books promise to captivate your imagination and offer a deeper understanding of the intricate world of historical figures and events.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"to-break-russias-chains-by-vladimir-alexandrov-9781643137186","title":"To Break Russia's Chains","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA brilliant examination of the enigmatic Russian revolutionary about whom Winston Churchill said \"few men tried more, gave more, dared more and suffered more for the Russian people,\" and who remains a legendary and controversial figure in his homeland today.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough now largely forgotten outside Russia, Boris Savinkov was famous, and notorious, both at home and abroad during his lifetime, which spans the end of the Russian Empire and the establishment of the Soviet Union. A complex and conflicted individual, he was a paradoxically moral revolutionary terrorist, a scandalous novelist, a friend of epoch-defining artists like Modigliani and Diego Rivera, a government minister, a tireless fighter against Lenin and the Bolsheviks, and an advisor to Churchill.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of his life, Savinkov conspired to be captured by the Soviet secret police, and as the country’s most prized political prisoner made headlines around the world when he claimed that he accepted the Bolshevik state. But as \u003ci\u003eTo Break Russia's Chains\u003c\/i\u003e argues, this was Savinkov’s final play as a gambler and he had staked his life on a secret plan to strike one last blow against the tyrannical regime.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNeither a \"Red\" nor a \"White,\" Savinkov lived an epic life that challenges many popular myths about the Russian Revolution, which was arguably the most important catalyst of twentieth-century world history. All of Savinkov’s efforts were directed at transforming his homeland into a uniquely democratic, humane, and enlightened state.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere are aspects of his violent legacy that will, and should, remain frozen in the past as part of the historical record. But the support he received from many of his countrymen suggests that the paths Russia took during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries—the tyranny of communism, the authoritarianism of Putin’s regime—were not the only ones written in her historical destiny. Savinkov's goals remain a poignant reminder of how things in Russia could have been, and how, perhaps, they may still become someday.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten with novelistic verve and filled with the triumphs, disasters, dramatic twists, and contradictions that defined Savinkov's life, this book shines a light on an extraordinary man who tried to change Russian and world history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46675784597740,"sku":"9781643137186","price":72.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/276193482773.jpg?v=1752945012"},{"product_id":"the-black-russian-by-vladimir-alexandrov-9781804549865","title":"The Black Russian","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe extraordinary story of Frederick Bruce Thomas, the son of former slaves who fled America to build a life in Tsarist Russia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003e'A fascinating tale'\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cb\u003eAnne Applebaum\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003e'Thoroughly enjoyable'\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpectator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003e'Extraordinary and gripping'\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cb\u003eAdam Hochschild\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the brutal death of his father when he was a teenager, Frederick Thomas fled the stifling racism of the American South and headed for New York City, where he worked as a valet and trained as a singer. Through charisma and cunning, Thomas emigrated to Europe, where his acquired skills as a multilingual maitre d'hôtel allowed him to travel from London to Monte Carlo before settling in Moscow in the glorious days before the 1917 Revolution. There Thomas became a rich and respected nightclub impresario, opening a lavish nightclub called Maxim.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith evocative backdrops in Moscow and later in Odessa and Constantinople, where Thomas rebuilt his life after the revolution, \u003ci\u003eThe Black Russian\u003c\/i\u003e is an inspiring story of personal reinvention set in one of history's richest periods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46845995974892,"sku":"9781804549865","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/13512953482830.jpg?v=1758902309"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/vladimir-alexandrov.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}