Vladimir E. Alexandrov (Books)

Vladimir E. Alexandrov Books

This author delves into the profound questions of human existence through meticulous research in literature and the humanities. Initially drawn to geology, they discovered that understanding oneself and others required a deeper exploration of the human experience. This quest led to a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and an academic career at Harvard and Yale, specializing in Russian literature and culture. Their work for a general audience, informed by this interdisciplinary approach, explores fascinating themes and motivations that have shaped history and human destinies.

Black Russian

320 pages
12 hours of reading

"The Black Russian" is the incredible true story of Frederick Bruce Thomas, born in 1872 to former slaves who became prosperous farmers in Mississippi. After his father was brutally murdered, Frederick left the South and worked as a waiter in Chicago and Brooklyn. Seeking greater freedom, he traveled to London, then crisscrossed Europe, andin a highly unusual choice for a black American at the time went to Russia. Because he found no color line there, Frederick settled in Moscow, becoming a rich and famous owner of variety theaters and restaurants. When the Bolshevik Revolution ruined him, he barely escaped to Constantinople, where he made another fortune by opening celebrated nightclubs as the "Sultan of Jazz." However, the long arm of American racism, the xenophobia of the new Turkish Republic, and Frederick s own extravagance landed him in debtor s prison. He died in Constantinople in 1928."