The Name of Hero

by Richard Seltzer

An historical novel based on the life of Alexander Bulatovich, a Russian who was an explorer in Ethiopia, a cavalry officer during Russia's conquest of Manchuria in 1900, and later, as a monk at Mount Athos, led a group of "heretics" who challenged the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, asserting the divinity of the Name of God. (Originally published by Tarcher/Houghton Mifflin.) Set in early 20th century Manchuria, the Boxer Rebellion raging throughout the coutnry, the Name of Hero involves readers in the strange career of Alexander Xavierevich Bulatovich of His Majesty's Life Guard Hussar Regimetn. Plotted in the panoramic tradition of James Michener, this historical novel blends fact, fiction, and adventure. It tells of women and war, of turbulent events sparked off by religion and railroads, and the tension between facts and faith.

Nook

First published September 1, 1981

About the author

Author of two dozen books, I've been editor, novelist, Russian translator, parttime spy, Internet evangelist, and ebook entrepreneur. I've published children's fantasies, historical novels, and pioneering books about how to do business on the Internet. As a spokesperson for Digital Equipment, a tech leader in the early Internet, I saw how consumer choices and business models molded the outcomes we live with today. My latest book, "In Flux," puts AI into context and suggest how we can nudge the future toward either serving us or oppressing us.

I graduated from Yale, with a major in English and went to grad school there in Comparative Literature. At Yale I had creative writing courses with Robert Penn Warren and Joseph Heller.

In my 70s I've finally been able to write what I want when I want, and I've been publishing 2-3 books a year. Most don't fit in established genres and hence agents and editors aren't interested. So I've gone with small and hybrid publishers which makes it difficult to get the attention of traditional reviewers. Now I'm finally getting some recognition, with reviews of three of my books appearing in the same issue of Publishers Weekly (June 9). Another book of mine (One Family) was reviewed in their July 21 issue. And yet another will be reviewed in their Sept. 8 issue. One Family also won the Connecticut Press Club's annual award for best non-fiction book.

My personal web site is seltzerbooks.com My Twitter account is @seltzerbooks

A list of every book I have read since 1958 (over 3500 books) appears at seltzerbooks.com/readall.html

Reviews

[Richard Seltzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the author of this historical novel.
It is based on the life of Alexander Bulatovich, a Russian who was an explorer in Ethiopia, a cavalry officer during Russia's conquest of Manchuria in 1900, and later, as a monk at Mount Athos, led a group of "heretics" who challenged the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church, asserting the divinity of the Name of God. This book focuses on his experiences in Ethiopia and Manchuria.
This book, now out of print, is available for free at my website
http://www.seltzerbooks.com/hero.html

Bulatovich's own account of his adventures and observations in Ethiopia is available in the book Ethiopia Through Russian Eyes, translated by me. Red Sea Press sells it in hardcover and paperback. The text (with the original photographs of Ethiopia in 1897) is available for free at my website
http://www.seltzerbooks.com/russianey...

I just reread The Name of Hero as I begin my research for a related novel covering the rest of his life (becoming a monk, "heresy" battle at Mount Athos, World War I, and the Russian Revolution).

Enjoy.