River of No Reprieve - by Jeffrey Tayler (Paperback)

About the Book

In a custom-built boat, Jeffrey Tayler traveled some 2,400 miles down the Lena River, from near Lake Baikal to high above the Arctic Circle, re-creating a journey first made by Cossack forces more than three hundred years ago. He was searching for primeval beauty and a respite from the corruption, violence, and self-destructive urges that typify modern Russian culture.

His only companion on this hellish journey detests all humanity, including Tayler. Vadim, Tayler's guide, is a burly Soviet army veteran whose superb skills Tayler needs to survive. As the two navigate roiling white water in howling storms, they eschew lifejackets because the frigid water would kill them before they could swim to shore. Though Tayler has trekked by camel through the Sahara and canoed down the Congo during the revolt against Mobutu, he has never felt as threatened as he does on this trip.

Book Synopsis

In a custom-built boat, Jeffrey Tayler traveled some 2,400 miles down the Lena River, from near Lake Baikal to high above the Arctic Circle, re-creating a journey first made by Cossack forces more than three hundred years ago. He was searching for primeval beauty and a respite from the corruption, violence, and self-destructive urges that typify modern Russian culture.

His only companion on this hellish journey detests all humanity, including Tayler. Vadim, Tayler's guide, is a burly Soviet army veteran whose superb skills Tayler needs to survive. As the two navigate roiling white water in howling storms, they eschew lifejackets because the frigid water would kill them before they could swim to shore. Though Tayler has trekked by camel through the Sahara and canoed down the Congo during the revolt against Mobutu, he has never felt as threatened as he does on this trip.

Review Quotes

"This is a fiercely evocative account of an astonishing journey, wrenched out of near-disaster." --Colin Thubron, author of In Siberia and The Lost Heart of Asia

"Tayler . . . is unique among contemporary travel writers . . . bracing . . . River of No Reprieve will be a difficult book to surpass." Publishers Weekly

"Thanks to Tayler's keen powers of observation, readers will relish this trip of high adventure." Booklist, ALA

"This engaging travel narrative mixes history with the author's personal desire to understand the region and its people." Library Journal

"An evocative glimpse of an isolated, seldom visited part of Russia." Kirkus Reviews

"Reading this exciting, engaging book gave me an adrenaline rush." --Spencer Rumsey Newsday --