jlnprt Posted February 19, 2019 #1 Share Posted February 19, 2019 I will post this on the northern Europe board as well, but thought I'd ask here, too, since there are so many of you that are so well traveled. Dh and I are going on the Jewels of the Baltic cruise this summer. Does anyone have recommendations for books about the area? Not sightseeing books, but historical books or fiction about the area. Thanks for any suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colbe Posted February 19, 2019 #2 Share Posted February 19, 2019 Go to tripfiction.com. Lots of good ideas for pre-reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walfam Posted February 19, 2019 #3 Share Posted February 19, 2019 (edited) Not sure if this is what you're after . . . Ruta Sepetys Link to her web site has written two that might be of interest to you. They cover the time period around WW II. Both are historical fiction, set in Lithuania (Between Shades of Gray) and East Prussia (Salt to the Sea). Very well written and educational as well. I have heard good things about Out of the Easy, so it is on my TBR list in the future. Edited February 19, 2019 by Walfam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted February 19, 2019 #4 Share Posted February 19, 2019 (edited) History, biography and non-fiction: I would explore Peter the Great and Catherine the Great of Russia and anything you can find about about the Hanseatic League. Very good for this area: The Edge of the World: A Cultural History of the North Sea and the Transformation of Europe by Michael Pye Edited February 19, 2019 by OlsSalt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennybear Posted February 20, 2019 #5 Share Posted February 20, 2019 I enjoyed The Winter Palace and Empress of the nIght by Eva Stachniak. They both are about Catherine the Great and are easy reads. I too love reading about an area we are visiting. The Amber room by Steve Berry is another novel of interest. Enjoy one of my favourite cruises. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberta Quilter Posted February 20, 2019 #6 Share Posted February 20, 2019 11 hours ago, OlsSalt said: History, biography and non-fiction: I would explore Peter the Great and Catherine the Great of Russia and anything you can find about about the Hanseatic League. There are three books by Robert K. Massie that are very good. They are about Peter, Catherine, and Nicholas and Alexandra. Huge books, start reading them well in advance of your cruise! When we were in St Petersburg, the scenes were really brought to life. Enjoy your cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeezLouise1 Posted February 20, 2019 #7 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Second "Catherine the Great" by Massie. Excellent read. And you might like "The Siege" by Helen Dunmore and "The Madonnas of Leningrad" by Deborah Dean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy-Europe Posted February 20, 2019 #8 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Maybe it is a little bit dated - but I really liked "Desiree" from Annemarie Selinko https://www.amazon.com/Désirée-Bestselling-Story-Napoleons-First/dp/1402244029 You learn a lot about swedish history (and french history too) or The Man From St. Petersburg from Ken Follett or Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlnprt Posted February 20, 2019 Author #9 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Thanks for all of the suggestions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted February 20, 2019 #10 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Yes, books about the Siege of Leningrad. That was a theme that came up over and over again - how much the Russians (Soviets at the time) sacrificed and how they felt indeed it was their valor that had really won the war in Europe during WWII (true), yet the Americans seemed to garner all the VE credit. The younger Russians are still very affected by that horrific time their city had to face siege and starvation and how much they wished Americans tourists would just say "thank you". You will touch your Russian guides almost more than a generous tip, if you have genuine interest and appreciation for that harrowing time. There are several movies about this time as well - Netflix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted February 20, 2019 #11 Share Posted February 20, 2019 (edited) For a rollicking romp across the decades of the Soviet Union as seen through food, recipes, traditions and longing this is a wonderful book and memoir -" Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking" : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17262126-mastering-the-art-of-soviet-cooking Edited February 20, 2019 by OlsSalt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrolleyGirl Posted February 20, 2019 #12 Share Posted February 20, 2019 19 hours ago, colbe said: Go to tripfiction.com. Lots of good ideas for pre-reading. OMG, this is super COOL!!!! Thank you for the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 3rdGenCunarder Posted February 20, 2019 #13 Share Posted February 20, 2019 22 hours ago, colbe said: Go to tripfiction.com. Lots of good ideas for pre-reading. Thank you! This is a fantastic site! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrheadlass Posted February 20, 2019 #14 Share Posted February 20, 2019 On 2/19/2019 at 4:49 PM, colbe said: Go to tripfiction.com. Lots of good ideas for pre-reading. Wow, I’m a retired librarian and have never heard of this site. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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