[Rankin] does for England what Spike Milligan does for Ireland. There can be no higher praise

'Everybody should read at least one Robert Rankin in their life'

Strikingly effective

A brutal, harrowing, desperately sincere piece of writing

Impressive . . . Rutherfurd has indeed embraced all of Russia

Russka succeeds where [other books] of trendy Soviet-watching have failed ... Rutherfurd can take his place among an elite cadre of chroniclers such as Harold Lamb, Maurice Hindus and Henri Troyat

Fast moving ... Rutherfurd believes in adding color and adventure to facts that are exhaustively researched, making history palatable if not delicious

Sprawling ... Rutherfurd's close observation of Russia's religious and ethnic diversity gives this epic a distinctive flavor

Rutherfurd literally personifies history