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The Black Russian

Series: Great Lives
3.82 goodreads logo

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( 587 ratings, 110 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Black Russian by Vladimir Alexandrov is a captivating biography that tells the extraordinary life story of Frederick Bruce Thomas, an African American who defied the odds of his time. Born into the harsh realities of the post-Civil War South, Thomas ultimately carved out a remarkable path as a successful and influential nightclub owner in pre-revolutionary Russia. The book explores themes of racial identity, perseverance, and the transformative impact of ambition set against a backdrop of tumultuous historical change.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book might appeal to you if you enjoy fascinating tales of resilience and adventure, set against a backdrop of significant historical events. It chronicles the extraordinary life of Frederick Bruce Thomas, an African American who overcame racial barriers to build a successful and remarkable existence in Russia and later in Europe. This intriguing biography delves into themes of identity, reinvention, and the pursuit of dreams.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The story of Frederick Thomas, a black man born to former slaves in Mississippi who became a rich and successful nightclub owner in two European capitals.

The story of Frederick Thomas, a black man born to former slaves in Mississippi who became a rich and successful nightclub owner in two European capitals.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The extraordinary story of Frederick Bruce Thomas, the son of former slaves who fled America to build a life in Tsarist Russia.

'A fascinating tale' Anne Applebaum
'Thoroughly enjoyable' Spectator
'Extraordinary and gripping' Adam Hochschild

After 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'hΓ΄tel 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.

With evocative backdrops in Moscow and later in Odessa and Constantinople, where Thomas rebuilt his life after the revolution, The Black Russian is an inspiring story of personal reinvention set in one of history's richest periods.

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  • The Black Russian
    The extraordinary story of Frederick Bruce Thomas, the son of former slaves who fled America to build a life in Tsarist Russia. 'A fascinating tale' Anne Applebaum'Thoroughly enjoyable' Spectator'Extraordinary and gripping' Adam Hochschild After 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...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Black Russian by Vladimir Alexandrov has been described as a fascinating and enthralling narrative that skillfully navigates cultural clashes and historical shifts. Critics have praised the biography for its captivating storytelling and sensitivity in depicting the life of its subject. The book is noted for its ability to mesmerise readers with its vibrant, novel-like quality, making it an extraordinary and gripping read.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781804549865

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 July 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Apollo

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 248g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Vladimir Alexandrov is B.E. Bensinger Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Yale. He is the author of books on Nabokov and Tolstoy, and has published numerous articles on Russian writers and topics.

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