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Travels in Siberia Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Ian Frazier (Author, Narrator), Macmillan Audio (Publisher)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 376 ratings
Editors' pick Best Nonfiction
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A Dazzling Russian travelogue from the best-selling author of Great Plains.

In Travels in Siberia, Ian Frazier trains his eye for unforgettable detail on Siberia, that vast expanse of Asiatic Russia. He explores many aspects of this storied, often grim region, which takes up one-seventh of the land on earth. He writes about the geography, the resources, the native peoples, the history, the 40-below midwinter afternoons, the bugs.

The book brims with Mongols, half-crazed Orthodox archpriests, fur seekers, ambassadors of the czar bound for Peking, tea caravans, German scientists, American prospectors, intrepid English nurses, and prisoners and exiles of every kind - from Natalie Lopukhin, banished by the czarina for copying her dresses; to the noble Decembrist revolutionaries of the 1820s; to the young men and women of the People’s Will movement whose fondest hope was to blow up the czar; to those who met still-ungraspable suffering and death in the Siberian camps during Soviet times.

More than just a historical travelogue, Travels in Siberia is also an account of Russia since the end of the Soviet Union and a personal reflection on the all-around amazingness of Russia, a country that still somehow manages to be funny.

Siberian travel books have been popular since the 13th century, when monks sent by the pope went east to find the Great Khan and wrote about their journeys. Travels in Siberia will take its place as the 21st century’s indispensable contribution to the genre.

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  1. Listening Length
    20 hours and 26 minutes
  2. Author
    Ian Frazier
  3. Narrator
    Ian Frazier
  4. Audible release date
    October 12, 2010
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Macmillan Audio
  7. ASIN
    B0046XYBTI
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 20 hours and 26 minutes
Author Ian Frazier
Narrator Ian Frazier
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date October 12, 2010
Publisher Macmillan Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0046XYBTI
Best Sellers Rank #92,896 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#1 in Russia Travel & Tourism
#25 in General Russia Travel Guides
#137 in Russian History (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
376 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's compelling narrative and engaging history. They praise the well-written, observant writing style and appreciate the thorough research and detailed observations. The travel content is described as enjoyable and up-to-date. Readers find the humor entertaining and find the book a worthwhile companion.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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InterestHistoryWriting qualityInformation contentTravel contentReadabilityHumorNarrative quality
50 customers mention "Interest"50 positive0 negative

Customers find the book compelling and engaging. They enjoy the author's stories and sketches that bring back memories. The book is a long but good read, with an enthusiastic writing style.

"...Frazier is funny and candid, and his wry humor and observations permeate every description...." Read more

"...In the end I think it's a good book because it covers so much territory and Frazier's eye for simple but revealing detail combined with his..." Read more

"...much to learn and discover about Russia and I appreciated Frazier's interesting, concise and occasionally humorous lessons on the country's history,..." Read more

"...] is a fascinating book about an area of the world we seldom hear about." Read more

42 customers mention "History"39 positive3 negative

Customers find the history of Siberia interesting. They appreciate the author's humor and honesty as they provide a good sense of current life in Siberia. The book includes information on Russia's past and present, with a good sense of how people live there today. Readers describe it as one of their favorite travel memoirs about Siberia.

"...Frazier is an expert on Siberia in many respects, and the book is loaded with history, geography, geology, politics, and culture from this..." Read more

"...trip to the country this year; there is so much to learn and discover about Russia and I appreciated Frazier's interesting, concise and occasionally..." Read more

"Frazier is a master of combining historical research, detailed observations, and personal reflections into a unified whole...." Read more

"...The way he connects historical events to ordinary, yet outstanding people he admires, people I wouldn't have heard of otherwise, makes his look into..." Read more

42 customers mention "Writing quality"35 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the book's writing quality. They find it well-written, observant, and entertaining. The author blends humility and authority to create a poetic work. Readers appreciate the concise and humorous lessons.

"...He yields to its cruel but beautiful nature to create this poetic work." Read more

"...The book is fact-filled, very detailed, and generally written in an entertaining style...." Read more

"...Frazier is funny and candid, and his wry humor and observations permeate every description...." Read more

"...Frazier is an excellent writer who focuses on the small detail, such as types of trash on the road, the types of clothes, food, restrooms, service..." Read more

26 customers mention "Information content"26 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and well-written. They appreciate the thoughtful research, detailed information, and good sources for further reading. The book provides an outsider's view into Russian history and culture, giving a glimpse into a part of the world most people know little about. Readers also mention that the bibliography is useful.

"...Frazier did a great job with a lot of information. The book is fact-filled, very detailed, and generally written in an entertaining style...." Read more

"...Frazier is funny and candid, and his wry humor and observations permeate every description...." Read more

"...book because it covers so much territory and Frazier's eye for simple but revealing detail combined with his excellent writing and humor keep it..." Read more

"Frazier is a master of combining historical research, detailed observations, and personal reflections into a unified whole...." Read more

22 customers mention "Travel content"19 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the travel content. They find the book enjoyable, with unique characters and drama. The writing is described as thorough, up-to-date, and a mesmerizing story of travel and discovery. Some readers consider it the best book on Siberia.

"...The book is also a travel memoir, full of unique characters and drama of a type and sensibility that, according to Frazier, are unique to Russia and..." Read more

"`Travels in Siberia` is an excellent and up to date travel book through Siberia by American writer Ian Frazier, best known for his 1980s travel book..." Read more

"...alone- this book would go down as perhaps one of the greatest travel books of all time...." Read more

"This is the best book on Siberia. Well written, researched and loaded with facts that are not heavy on the reader...." Read more

21 customers mention "Readability"16 positive5 negative

Customers find the book informative and enjoyable. They say it takes you there with grace, humor, and a love of words. The book offers something for everyone to enjoy, making it a worthwhile companion.

"...This is, without a doubt, Frazier’s best book...." Read more

"`Travels in Siberia` is an excellent and up to date travel book through Siberia by American writer Ian Frazier, best known for his 1980s travel book..." Read more

"...Still worth a read? I think so, but just be warned you may have to grit your teeth a few times." Read more

"Like Siberia, this book is big. Like Siberia, this book takes a long time to get through. And like Siberia, it's fascinating and compelling...." Read more

9 customers mention "Humor"9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find it engaging and laugh out loud at several passages. The author rarely makes fun of others, but he notes all the details.

"...simple but revealing detail combined with his excellent writing and humor keep it always interesting and fun to read." Read more

"...Indeed, I found myself laughing out loud at several passages - a valued experience during a good read for me!..." Read more

"...I really liked this book, a great combination of humor, tribulation and history... from a part of the globe still a faceless wasteland to many...." Read more

"...He has a deadpan style for the most part and rarely makes obvious fun of someone, but he notes all the quirkiness of the Russians (and others) he..." Read more

9 customers mention "Narrative quality"4 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed views on the narrative quality. Some find it interesting with breaks that keep the flow going, and a great combination of humor, tribulation, and history. Others found it tiresome, repetitive, and disjointed, with little adventure and tedious details that dragged the book down.

"...Finally, the book needed a good editor. Got tedious by the end. Doubt if I'll read any prior books of Frazier's." Read more

"...over a period of about a year, which you can do because the narrative has breaks in it and you won't lose the flow if you put it down and come back..." Read more

"...so many trips to Russia would be a man full of energy, but this poor guy is tired...." Read more

"...I really liked this book, a great combination of humor, tribulation and history... from a part of the globe still a faceless wasteland to many...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Melanie "Vaxxed & Masked" Gilbert
    5.0 out of 5 stars Siberian Dreams
    Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    All great countries have physical places of enchantment where strange and wonderous things happen that defy, challenge, overwhelm, inspire and enrich our existence. The United States has the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Niagara Falls, to name just a few. Russia has the vast expanse known as Siberia. Author Ian Frazier, like many before him, is magnetically drawn to its mythical power and beauty, and embarks on a 7-week, nine-thousand-mile, West to East road trip to explore its secrets.

    What starts as a straight-forward geographical adventure, which he amply documents in Part I of his five-part book, quickly evolves into a more nuanced feel for the impact this magnificent land has on the history and culture of present-day Russia. Americans believe in the doctrines of Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion, a mindset that not only is change inevitable, but also that we were the inevitable agent of that change – we’re fixers and doers. Instead, Siberia changes Frazier – he discovers that the land exerts an inexorable power over everything in and on it, resisting the puny efforts of humans to master it.

    When he finally submits to its dominion, the realization produces a radical shift in both his perspective and his writing. This is, without a doubt, Frazier’s best book. I would even argue that his other travelogue-type works – which I reread after finishing this one – were simply warm-up acts that helped him be ready for the extraordinary gift of submission that Siberia teaches him. This is a massive tome whose density is offset by maps, photographs and Frazier’s quirky line drawings. He gives rich detail in storytelling language as when he writes that “Some of the rivers can be used as ice highways for trucks” which tells you about the harsh conditions of the terrain without even mentioning the temperature.

    One of his Russian tutors tells him that “being inside a language was like being in a person’s house – after a while you came to see why the teapot was where it was.” Siberia got inside Frazier’s head and heart – the language, the landscape, the people, the history and its infinite possibilities. He yields to its cruel but beautiful nature to create this poetic work.
    18 people found this helpful
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  • Myra A. Mason
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well researched, but a little off-putting....
    Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed all the research included in this massive history of Siberia. Frazier did a great job with a lot of information. The book is fact-filled, very detailed, and generally written in an entertaining style. Good map showing the location of towns he visited -- although I'd recommend that readers refer to maps that show the geography from the "top" of the globe instead. His map seriously distorts the northeastern part of Siberia.

    Prior reviewers have covered the strong aspects of the book better than I can. But the some things were a little off-putting.

    For instance, it made me squirm when he too-frequently compared himself to fellow-travelers and his hired tour guides, with himself coming off as the better person. That's not something nonfiction readers enjoy in an author.

    And he missed out on a lot of the culture of the country by sanctimoniously avoiding the consumption of vodka or people drinking it. Hey, he's in Russia! What about When in Rome, do as the Romans do? Not that he needed to be a strong imbiber, but imagine all the good stories, camaraderie and experiences he missed out on! It's like a foreigner writing about rural America and refusing to attend a potluck, whether he ate the food or not.

    Too: I'll bet his married tour guides didn't much appreciate him tattling on them and their escapades. Imagine the stories Frazier could've told if he'd occasionally accompanied them! Maybe he did... Would love to read a book with their version of the long journeys with him.

    He very briefly mentions a few people he encountered who were exploring Siberia without paid hand-holders. Those are the kind of stories I'd recommend and will be looking for next. Also, like a previous reviewer noted, I wish he'd included more about the many ethnic groups in Siberia. And why couldn't he have found or taken better photographs?

    Finally, the book needed a good editor. Got tedious by the end. Doubt if I'll read any prior books of Frazier's.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • A reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Gold Standard in Travel Memoirs
    Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Like Siberia, this book is big. Like Siberia, this book takes a long time to get through. And like Siberia, it's fascinating and compelling. However, unlike Siberia, it is not freezing cold in winter and overrun with killer mosquitoes in summer. I read it over a period of about a year, which you can do because the narrative has breaks in it and you won't lose the flow if you put it down and come back to it later.

    A book this size is going to have a lot of detail in it. If you're looking for a quick overview, this ain't it. And if you're an impatient person who likes to skim, it's probably not for you. There are things missing; for instance, there's barely a mention of the history of the indigenous populations of Siberia. But Frazier is an expert on Siberia in many respects, and the book is loaded with history, geography, geology, politics, and culture from this incredible place. Frazier is funny and candid, and his wry humor and observations permeate every description. The book is also a travel memoir, full of unique characters and drama of a type and sensibility that, according to Frazier, are unique to Russia and Russians. It's low key in tone, but epic in scope.

    All in all, it's one of the most interesting and entertaining books I've ever read.
    21 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Richard Carr
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting history of Siberia
    Reviewed in France on August 12, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting read. Good history of Siberia.
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  • Angel Martinez Sanchez
    4.0 out of 5 stars encantador
    Reviewed in Spain on November 6, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Me encanta leer libros de viajes y sentir la evocación de viajar por lugares remotos como si estuvieras alli. El autor sabe trasladar la pasión que siente por los lugares que recorre y ello ayuda mucho a reforzar tu atracción y encanto por esos lugares. Encantador. Espero poder visitar dentro de poco algunos de esos lugares y libros como este serán una buena compañía añadida para los ratos de lectura.
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  • berlin
    5.0 out of 5 stars ... about ten books on Siberia - this is the best: full of movement
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I've read (I suppose) about ten books on Siberia - this is the best: full of movement, anecdote, information, vivid description. I was left wanting to read Frazier's other books, and surprised I hadn't heard of him before this one.
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  • Dr. Colin L. Sheppard
    5.0 out of 5 stars SIBERIA: THE UNDISCOVERED FRONTIER
    Reviewed in Australia on April 30, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I read this after a recent, much shorter trip to Kamchatka & Easter Siberia. It is a delightful exploration of a vast unknown world. The book Tiger & the amazon film, Last Roar of the Tiger, are also excellent peaks into this world. Like Frazier, I also have a tendency to that strange ailment of "Russia love". One wonders if the bizarre western antagonism to Russia represents a counterphobic response to the allure of this vast land & its people & culture .
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  • Jean Shinkle
    5.0 out of 5 stars good enough to give as a gift
    Reviewed in Canada on November 19, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I'd give this book to my favourite people, in hardcover even, because I enjoyed it so much. Informative, insightful and entertaining, it leaves one with a better understanding of Russia, and, one hopes, of the Russian people. As a hard-core travel-in-uttermost-Asia fan, I needed this to bring me forward in time from the age of the great military adventurers and plant collectors - but not as far as the current age of the bored-in-busses.
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