Sunlight At Midnight St. Petersburg And The Rise Of Modern Russia

New York: Basic Books, 2001. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover with Dust Jacket. Near Fine/Fine.

No Flaws or Blemishes but minimal shelf handling and a remainder mark; Appears unread.  9.5 inches tall; 419 pages with Chapter Notes, and Index, illustrated with period photographs and drawings.. For Russians, St. Petersburg embodies power, heroism, and fortitude. It encompasses all that Russians are and aspire to be. Opulence and artistic brilliance, intertwined with images of monumental suffering, define the historic persona of W. Bruce Lincoln's lavish "biography" of this complex city.

In 1703, Tsar Peter the Great envisioned a new capital in the muddy marshes of the Neva River delta, disregarding the area's adverse climate and comfort. Despite its unattractiveness, Peter saw potential in the place he named Sankt Pieter Burkh, and his vision was realized as St. Petersburg swiftly became the political, cultural, and economic hub of a vast empire.

This book explores the city's rich history, where revolutionaries, laborers, tsars, poets, soldiers, and statesmen all play significant roles, revealing the diverse human and natural forces that shaped both its modern history and the nation it represents.