Douglas Smith is an award-winning historian and translator whose work centers on Russia. His extensive experience in fieldwork and analytical work for Radio Free Europe has provided him with a unique insight into Russian history and society. Smith's style is characterized by deep subject knowledge and an ability to compellingly narrate complex historical events. Through his books, he brings pivotal moments of Russian history and their repercussions to readers.
Recognized with multiple prestigious nominations, this book stands out for its compelling narrative and engaging themes. It explores intricate character dynamics and thought-provoking concepts, appealing to a diverse audience. The accolades highlight its impact within the literary community, showcasing its quality and relevance. Readers can expect a captivating journey that resonates with both emotional depth and imaginative storytelling.
Struggling with violent impulses, Senecus must confront his darker instincts while navigating a world that challenges his morality. As he grapples with his inner demons, he seeks redemption and a path to control his urges, leading to a tense exploration of the human psyche and the consequences of unchecked aggression. The narrative delves into themes of self-discovery, the battle between good and evil, and the quest for peace in a chaotic existence.
The second half of life presents an opportunity for growth and fulfillment, yet many struggle with the changes that come with aging, such as shifts in family dynamics, health, and relationships. This book explores the reluctance to embrace these transitions and the tendency to cling to outdated habits that may hinder personal evolution. It encourages readers to accept the invitation to evolve and find deeper meaning in this stage of life.
Shortlisted, Maxine Tynes Nova Scotia Poetry Award, 2021Burden is the story of a seventeen-year-old British soldier, Private Herbert Burden, who was shot for desertion during World War IHe was one of hundreds so executed. It is now understood that many had committed no crime, but were suffering from PTSD. Burden’s story is told in the voice of Lance Corporal Reginald Smith, the author’s uncle. The author discovered years later in a box of papers that his uncle, Lance Corporal Smith, had befriended Private Burden but then was ultimately commanded to join in the firing squad that killed his friend. This slim book reaches below standard indictments of war―it shows us that “terrifying,” “senseless,” “horrific” don’t go deep enough. To utter them, the eye must already be closing over. Smith’s account is an object lesson in why poetry matters. It takes us to places even the best journalism can’t reach.
Douglas Smith's The Russian Job tells the captivating story of how American volunteers saved millions of people from starvation in Bolshevik Russia.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZENearly a century after his murder, Rasputin remains as divisive a figure as ever. Was he really a horse thief and a hard-drinking ruffian in his youth? Was he a a devout Orthodox Christian, or was he in fact a just a fake holy man? Are the stories of his enormous sexual drive, debauchery, and drunken orgies true or simply a myth? How did he come to know the emperor and empress and to wield so much influence over them? What was the source of his healing power? Was Rasputin running the government in the final years of his life? And if so, was he acting on his own or on the orders of more powerful, hidden forces? Did Prince Yusupov and his fellow conspirators act alone or were they other parties involved in Rasputin's murder-British secret agents or even an underground cell of Freemasons, as has been claimed? And to what extent did Rasputin's murder doom the Romanov dynasty? Drawing on major new sources hitherto unexamined by western historians, Douglas Smith's book is be the definitive biography of this extraordinary figure for a generation.
A shapeshifter hero confronts ancient spirits and a secretive government agency while grappling with his troubled past. His quest to solve a pivotal murder intertwines personal stakes with a larger threat, as the outcome could have catastrophic implications for the world.
The riveting and harrowing story of the Russian nobility caught in the upheaval of the Revolution Winner of the Pushkin House Russian Book Prize Named a Best Book of the Year by The Kansas City Star and Salon Epic in scope, precise in detail, and heartbreaking in its human drama, Former People is the first book to recount the history of the aristocracy caught up in the maelstrom of the Bolshevik Revolution and the creation of Stalin's Russia. It is the story of how a centuries-old elite, famous for its glittering wealth, its service to the tsar and empire, and its promotion of the arts and culture, was dispossessed and destroyed along with the rest of old Russia. Chronicling the fate of two great aristocratic families—the Sheremetevs and the Golitsyns—it reveals how even in the darkest depths of the terror, daily life went on. Told with sensitivity and nuance by acclaimed historian Douglas Smith, Former People is the dramatic portrait of two of Russia's most powerful aristocratic families and a sweeping account of their homeland in violent transition.