Imperium

Yes, this is a great book, but not because it shows disintegration of the Soviet Union. The book shows Russia's drive to depopulate ethnic Russia and plant Russians in various places in Eurasia where they hardly belong (Vorkuta). Russians are a hardy lot, and they have survived so far, but at the expense of incredible misery, lack of human rights, and continuous and unrelenting fear of the state. The book shows Russia's strengths and weaknessess, and it takes an optimistic view: the author suggests that Russia will survive, owing to the fact that Western governments will always help it survive. So far, he has been right.

At first I have to say, that I really haven't read that book in english, so I don't know the english translation, only the original version of the book. I LOVED IT. I have always been intrested in history and I have always loved "fact literature", and this book is a comprehensive and colorful, tragic story of a tragic country. It turns us inside-out. We can hardly stop reading. And all the time we have a chance to admire Ryszard Kapuscinski's specific, beutiful and simple in it's structure - style. We see a picture of a country of misery.Country of pain and blood. But not only. Through the author's eyes, we watch the people,see their emotins, their life, their faith and power.Ryszard Kapuscinski,unequalled for many world's great journalist,master of reportage has written a beautiful book, which made me a huge fan of him. Imperium - especially recommended.

I my opinion, that is the one of the best book of Soviet Union, of paranoy that resim. Kapuœciñski is for me a poet and his book is poem... I agree with Pavel (the first review). In 1998 in Poland Kapuœciñski publised his last book "Heban", it's about Africa. He went there of vew years (was like a respondent)and he write of african paradoxs. It's very good book too. I hope that it will be translaiting on English soon. I'm glade too, that "Imperium" was good translated, it's very importent.

I read this book about five years ago and still consider it one of the best and moving I have ever read. Kapuzinsky to me is a poet. No wonder another poetic friend of mine never returned the book.

Kapuscinski is one of the three greatest travel writers that I know of. (The others are Norman Lewis and William Dalyrimple.) Imperium is his best book.