Petrograd - by Philip Gelatt (Paperback)

About the Book

"The year is 1916, and the First World War is tearing the European continent to shreds. It is an apocalyptic war, with the fate of millions of people in the balance. But in the Russian city of Petrograd, all that seems a world away. Especially to British intelligence officer Cleary. He drinks and parties with the rich and powerful; he flirts and cavorts with workers and countrymen--his life is all late, drunken nights, bleary-eyed mornings, and the occasional report back to London. However, there are dark clouds on the horizon for Cleary. Word is that the Tsarina's most trusted advisor is counseling the tsar to make a separate peace with Germany. If Russia pulls out of the war, the French and English will be overwhelmed. It would be a disaster, and Cleary, to his horror, is tasked with ending the influence of that advisor. A religious zealot with strange heretical views and enormous power: Grigori Rasputin. And so the stage is set for one of the most infamous and strangest assassinations of all time"--

Book Synopsis

Petrograd tells the untold tale of the international conspiracy behind the 1916 murder of Grigori Rasputin.

The year is 1916. The fate of millions of people hangs in the balance, and in Russia's capital city of Petrograd, corruption rules the day and conspiracy rules the night. But to British intelligence officer Cleary, the Petrograd post is all about relationships and carousing. He drinks and parties with the rich and powerful; he flirts and cavorts with workers and countrymen. His life is all late, drunken nights, bleary-eyed mornings, and the occasional report back to London.

However, the city is like a tinder box ready to be set ablaze, and there are dark clouds on the horizon for Cleary. Rumors circulate that the Tsarina's most trusted advisor is counseling the Tsar to make peace with Germany. Cleary, to his horror, is tasked with ending the influence of that advisor. A man famous for his acts of debauchery; for his heresy and his power: Gregori Rasputin. And so, the stage is set for one of the most infamous and strangest assassinations of all time, and a world that would never be the same.

Acclaimed writer and director Philip Gelatt (Europa Report, They Remain) and renowned artist Tyler Crook (B.P.R.D., Harrow County)'s debut comic is back in print, featuring a new cover and introduction from established historian David R. Stone.

Review Quotes

"A tense, compelling espionage thriller."-- "Library Journal"

"Petrograd feels a lot like a Will Eisner graphic novel-and that's about the highest praise I know."--Mike Mignola (Hellboy)

"A sharply executed graphic novel, good for more than just historical espionage fans."-- "Booklist"

"Recommended for history buffs and thriller lovers, as well as a curative for those who think history is boring."-- "Library Journal"

About the Author

Philip Gelatt has worked in film, TV, comics, and video games. His work as writer and director includes the award-winning thriller They Remain, and the rotoscope-animated fantasy epic The Spine of Night. He was the writer of the 2013 sci-fi film Europa Report, and is the lead writer on the adult-animated Netflix series Love Death + Robots.

In video games, he received a WGA award for his work on Rise of the Tomb Raider and has been working with Frictional Games on their follow-up to Soma.

Gelatt lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with his wife and son.

Professor David R. Stone received a B.A. from Wabash College and a Ph.D. in history from Yale University. He has taught at Hamilton College and Kansas State University. His book "Hammer and Rifle: The Militarization of the Soviet Union" (2000) won the Shulman Prize of ASEEES and the Best First Book Prize of the Historical Society. He has also published "A Military History of Russia" (2006) and "The Russian Army in the Great War: The Eastern Front, 1914-1917" (2015). He edited "The Soviet Union at War, 1941-1945" (2010). He is the author of several dozen articles on Russian military history and foreign policy.

Tyler Crook is a comic book artist and illustrator. For over two decades, he has worked as a comics creator, artist, and 3D modeler in the video game industry. Released in 2011, Petrograd was Tyler's first published comic and earned Tyler the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award. Since then, he has worked on dozens of comics titles including B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth, Witchfinder, Bad Blood, and The Sixth Gun. In 2016, Harrow County, the horror comic he created with Cullen Bunn, was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best New Series, and his Comixology Original book, Stone King, was nominated for Best Digital Comic in 2019. Tyler lives in rural Oregon with his wonderful spouse and many terrible pets