Running with Reindeer: Encounters in Russian Lapland - Softcover

Took, Roger

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0719557399 ISBN 13: 9780719557392

Publisher: John Murray, 2004

Synopsis

Russian Lapland is rarely heard of today but after World War I it was briefly at the centre of the ideological divide as the Bolsheviks brought land clearances, slave labour and the suppression of the indigenous Lapps.

Travelling across tundra and taiga, through wetlands and forests, and in all seasons, Roger Took found a pristine wilderness full of wildlife. He lived among Saami families struggling to retain their traditions of herding and hunting, and was welcomed by pioneer villagers descended from medieval fur-traders. He describes life in the wild and isolated Soviet mining towns and the great industrial Arctic port of Murmansk, and also how he managed to uncover some of the secret lost areas, long closed to Russians and foreigners alike. As nuclear submarines rot and old industries crumble, he observes how new Russian biznes is creating wealth in its own way.

The result is a series of encounters, some emotional but historically rich, some comical but dangerous, others absurd but endearing. Moving between the lines of the official histories, coping with arduous Arctic conditions, avoiding the still-vigilant security services, Roger Took presents a vivid account of a unique part of Europe.

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Review

A compelling story of adventure spent with the reindeer-herding and hunting community that exists on the fringes of the modern world (Daily Express, BOOK OF THE WEEK)

Like most visitors to Russia, Roger Took finds warmth, humour and generosity. He gives an entertaining account of his experiences in a region that remains, despite salmon, apatite and the Northern Fleet, one of the uttermost parts of the earth (Independent on Sunday)

Pure adventure ... A fascinating and convincing picture of one of the most inhospitable and inaccessible corners of the world (TLS)

An absorbing and almost encyclopaedic account of northern travels ... Out of Roger Took's story emerges the beauty of the land, the well-observed character and comedy of the people, the smells of food and smoky tents (Trevor Fishlock, Daily Telegraph)

Gripping ... Full of information about historical sideshows, the book also charts the changes that have taken place in the last decade. It presents a picture of an utterly unfamiliar corner of the last Russian empire - remote, troubled and run-down (Justin Cartwright, Sunday Telegraph)

Enthralling ... as we ride with Roger, wrapped in deerskins, though a frosty forest, on a reindeer sledge (Wanderlust)

Roger Took has style, and his elegantly written and sometimes nicely self-depracating prose makes his book quite exceptional in recent travel writing on Russia (East-West Review)

One of those rare, remarkable books that leave the reader with a vivid sense of a part of world he is unlikely to visit ... Took's curiosity and gently self-depreciating style make him the perfect guide to this fascinating land (Mail on Sunday)

What a superb Reindeer book! It's now tempting me to read not only at bed-time, when reading for fun is allowed, but at intervals during the day when I should be writing. (Dervla Murphy)

Fascinating ... a remarkable image of this little-known region (Sunday Times)

Book Description

Shortlisted for the 2004 Thomas Cook Travel Book Award - extraordinary tales of living in the Murmansk region of north-western Russia after the collapse of Communism

About this edition

• Publisher: John Murray
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0719557399
• ISBN 13: 9780719557392
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384