Transit Point Moscow: The True Story of an American's Imprisonment in a Soviet Gulag and His Astonishing Escape

by Gerald Amster, Bernard Asbell

Gerald Amster recounts how his thirst for adventure led to imprisonment in a Soviet labor camp and describes his escape and the six months he spent in a Moscow safe house

Genres: Nonfiction

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I wanted to feel some real sympathy for the author's plight in this story, Gerald Amster, an American living in Europe made some amazingly bad decisions that landed him in a Soviet gulag in 1976. Written in 1983 this story chronicles his cavalier life in Amsterdam when he is approached by a stranger to 'make some easy money'. Not showing much sense he agrees to fly to Southeast Asia and smuggle drugs through Moscow on the way back to Europe.

Does he even think that bringing a suitcase back full of drugs would be a very bad idea? No, and he gets caught in Moscow. Put on show by the Russians at the height of the cold war, he is sentenced and sent to a gulag for foreign prisoners.

The story is intriguing in that it provides an inner view of the terrible conditions as well as the somewhat painful but humourous world-view of Soviets living in a closed society.

A fast read, I must say I did enjoy it but couldn't help but wonder what has happened to Amster later in life and those left in the gulag system after they 'officially' shut down in 1990-1991. According to the narrative, Soviets could never admit anyone was there 'unofficially' and where they ended up is anyone's guess.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book. I wish the ending had more about what happened to him and the others he mentions in the book. Left me hanging. Otherwise I recommend it.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

An astonishing read about Gerald, who's thirst for adventure eventually had him & his accomplices incarcerated in a Soviet Russian town of Mordovia for attempting to smuggle heroin via Moscow to France.

On reading this autobiography/story two years ago, I have now kept my perspective during this time of Covid restrictions, as Gerald endured & survived all sorts of unthinkable and inhumane experiences in the Gulag.
You cannot complain or feel sorry for yourself for having to isolate, or not being able to get a haircut
I could not put this book down. I ordered this through Bookfound because I wanted the hardcopy

[Cheryl R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is weirdly one of my favorite books. Although it's a biography of an American caught up in the Soviet criminal justice system, it also has some surprisingly philosophical gems of wisdom about punishment and incarceration in general. This book could be considered "true crime", but it also reads like a spy thriller.