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Tina Tamman

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Tina Tamman

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Born
Valga, Estonia
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November 2014

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I was 26 when I came to the UK from what was then Soviet Estonia, not knowing much about Britain at all. Everything was new and interesting for quite a long time. For five years I worked in the wine trade and was awarded a certificate from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, but then realised I was not really a salesperson. Working for the BBC by contrast was very rewarding. It was at Monitoring in Caversham Park that I listened to radio news in Estonian and Russian and translated selectively, later also edited the news.
In 2011 I was awarded a PhD from the University of Glasgow for my research into Estonian-British diplomacy. My thesis, the biography of an Estonian diplomat, was later published as "The Last Ambassador: August Torma, Sold
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Tina Tamman I have changed my name quite a few times and moved around a lot. And so, because of my research into an intelligence officer who did something similar…moreI have changed my name quite a few times and moved around a lot. And so, because of my research into an intelligence officer who did something similar, I have wondered what a stranger would make of my life if he/she wanted to write my biography in years to come. Not sure anybody would want to, but this has led me to thoughts of how hard it might be in our electronic age to put together the pieces that form a human life. Will there be no more biographies?(less)
Tina Tamman The best thing is to have something tangible at the end of the day. In any case, I very much like books. Just the sight of them fills me with pleasure…moreThe best thing is to have something tangible at the end of the day. In any case, I very much like books. Just the sight of them fills me with pleasure and wonderment. I like to smell them and run my hands over the cover, particularly if the lettering is embossed. (less)
Average rating: 3.83 · 23 ratings · 16 reviews · 3 distinct works
Portrait of a Secret Agent ...

3.86 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions
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The last ambassador: August...

liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2011 — 4 editions
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The Last Ambassador: "augus...

0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
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delights of reading Soviet fiction

I recently bought a copy of the book that I loved in my teens - two short novels by Aleksandr Belyayev. You've probably never even heard of him, and that's a pity. But all is not lost. Both The Amphibian and The Ruler of the World are now available in English (the latter by CreateSpace, which is a self-publishing platform). I, however, read them in Estonian which is my mother tongue.
I was born an Read more of this blog post »
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Published on April 01, 2017 09:05 Tags: russia, science-fiction

Tina’s Recent Updates

Tina Tamman is currently reading
The Last Mazurka by Andrew Tarnowski
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The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By by Georges Simenon
"I'm not into crime as a genre, and I always believed the most interesting, and ridiculous, thing about Simenon was not his novels but his claim to have slept with 10,000 women, but this was more enjoyable than I thought it was going to be. And deeper" Read more of this review »
All That Lives by James Oswald
"“If you sup with the devil you need to use a long spoon.” Old advice needed in this contemporary crime story.

There are many pluses to be found in reading this book. It is essentially a good procedural set in Edinburgh. There is a new drug killing you" Read more of this review »
Tina Tamman rated a book it was ok
Münsteri juhtum by Håkan Nesser
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Raske uskuda, et mees, kes kirjutas "The Secret Life of Mr Roos" ja "Hour of the Wolf" on sama, kes kirjutas ka selle raamatu, aga iga kirjaniku teos ei pruugigi meeldida. Aga esimene oli pärl ja teinegi tavalisest huvitavam, ja sellises järjekorras ...more
Tina Tamman and 12 other people liked Jim Fonseca's review of The Silent Angel:
The Silent Angel by Heinrich Böll
"The setting of this novel is more important than the minimal plot. Hans, a soldier who deserted from the German army near the end of the war, is living with his mother in in the rubble of Cologne right after the end of WW II. People use ration ticket" Read more of this review »
Tina Tamman is currently reading
Münsteri juhtum by Håkan Nesser
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Tina Tamman is now following Marc Lamot's reviews
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The Lovers by Paolo Cognetti
The Lovers
by Paolo Cognetti (Goodreads Author)
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This is a small book - altogether 194 pp sparsely spaced text, therefore too lightweight for me. However, I will remember the mountains - the scene is Northern Italy - that seem to haunt the author and characters alike. Very atmospheric.
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Hopeful Monsters by Nicholas Mosley
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Not for me, didn't finish it, stopped at half-way mark. I was given the book as a present many years ago, picked it up guiltily after the giver had died. At first its idea appealed to me: telling a love story through people who met well-known persons ...more
Tina Tamman wants to read
Beasts Head for Home by Kōbō Abe
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Annette Dabrowska
“A man is nothing without dreams. A man is called idiot while he dreams. Whatever he does, he'll be judged and thrown away from the circle of clowns. And yet he needs acceptance and security from sick society, which is discriminatory far too often. But a man is blinded by other people opinions. He wants to fly and they say, “You moron, you can't do that, it's forbidden, it's stupid.” And a man gives up on his dreams.”
Asper Blurry, Train to the Edge of the Moon

73787 The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) — 854 members — last activity Jan 30, 2026 11:52AM
This group is moderated by Jessica Bell, publisher of Vine Leaves Press. Jessica is also a widely published indie author and a Goodreads Librarian. Sh ...more
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message 2: by Kathy

Kathy Shuker Hi Tina. Thanks for the friend request. Good to meet you.


message 1: by Jane

Jane Thanks for the friend request. I actually live in Chicagoland, but I'm FROM the UK...


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