What do you think?
Rate this book
Farewell to Russia
The unthinkable has happened at the Soviet nuclear plant at Sokolskoye. An accident of such terrifying proportions, of such catastrophic ecological and political consequence that a curtain of silence is drawn ominously over the incident. Major Pyotr Kirov of the KGB is appointed to extract the truth from the treacherous minefield of misinformation and intrigue and to obtain from the West the technology essential to prevent further damage. But the vital equipment is under strict trade embargo…
And in London, George Twist, head of a company which manufactures the technology, is on the verge of bankruptcy and desperate to win the illegal contract. Can he deliver on time? Will he survive a frantic smuggling operation across the frozen wastes of Finland? Can he wrong-foot the authorities … and his own conscience? Is it possible to say farewell to Russia?
Farewell to Russia is the first of Jim Williams’s astonishingly prophetic novels about the decline and fall of the Soviet Union.
And in London, George Twist, head of a company which manufactures the technology, is on the verge of bankruptcy and desperate to win the illegal contract. Can he deliver on time? Will he survive a frantic smuggling operation across the frozen wastes of Finland? Can he wrong-foot the authorities … and his own conscience? Is it possible to say farewell to Russia?
Farewell to Russia is the first of Jim Williams’s astonishingly prophetic novels about the decline and fall of the Soviet Union.
- GenresFiction
463 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2014
48 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
About the author
Jim Williams
11 books20 followersJim Williams first hit the news when his early novels had the uncanny knack of coming true. The Hitler Diaries was published nine months before the celebrated forgery came out in 1983. Farewell to Russia dealt with a nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union months before the Chernobyl disaster. Lara's Child, his sequel to Doctor Zhivago, provoked an international literary scandal and led to his being a guest speaker at the Cheltenham Festival. Scherzo, a witty and elegant mystery set in eighteenth century Venice, was nominated for the Booker Prize. All of his fiction has been published internationally. Tango in Madeira is his eleventh novel.
From the author:
I was born in Oldham, England, the son of a coal miner and a cotton mill worker and grew up in circumstances that would today be considered poor. However I had loving parents and benefitted from a good education.
I have a degree in law and sociology and speak French, German and Spanish and have a smattering of other languages. Since 1970 I've been a qualified barrister, though I no longer practice. I am a Fellow of the Indian Society of Arbitrators, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the founder and a fellow of the Institute of Applied Charlatanry. One of these qualifications is entirely worthless and I leave you to guess which.
The most important fact in my life is that I have had a long and loving marriage to a wonderful wife, and my grown-up family still gather with us most Sundays for a family dinner.
I seem to have a happy, easy-going nature and I take a great deal of pleasure in ordinary things such as walking or gardening. My wife and I enjoy theatre, ballet, opera, paintings and dancing at every possible opportunity.
From the author:
I was born in Oldham, England, the son of a coal miner and a cotton mill worker and grew up in circumstances that would today be considered poor. However I had loving parents and benefitted from a good education.
I have a degree in law and sociology and speak French, German and Spanish and have a smattering of other languages. Since 1970 I've been a qualified barrister, though I no longer practice. I am a Fellow of the Indian Society of Arbitrators, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the founder and a fellow of the Institute of Applied Charlatanry. One of these qualifications is entirely worthless and I leave you to guess which.
The most important fact in my life is that I have had a long and loving marriage to a wonderful wife, and my grown-up family still gather with us most Sundays for a family dinner.
I seem to have a happy, easy-going nature and I take a great deal of pleasure in ordinary things such as walking or gardening. My wife and I enjoy theatre, ballet, opera, paintings and dancing at every possible opportunity.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 8, 2015
This was a terrific yarn about a nuclear accident and the KGB's bungling attempts to correct it. I loved the skill of the author (I admire the Brits for their command of language!) in weaving the main story and the sub-plot concerning bureaucratic mismanagement at multiple levels (both corporate and governmental.) The story did bog down slightly from time to time (particularly when spelling out the technical details) but I pushed through because the plot was so interesting. I would like to read more by this author.
April 10, 2019
1980s thriller only gets thrilling halfway through
This book was a fascinating read for reminding me of what spy craft was like pre-internet, pre-mobile phones. But the first half of the long book is all setup, and rather tedious at that, so it didn’t take off until all the parts came together.
This book was a fascinating read for reminding me of what spy craft was like pre-internet, pre-mobile phones. But the first half of the long book is all setup, and rather tedious at that, so it didn’t take off until all the parts came together.
July 12, 2020
Slow start good finish
I had a hard time sticking with it in the beginning. I thought it must have to be coming to an end (finally) and realized I was only about half way through. I don't like to quit books so I kept going and thankfully it picked up. Twords the end it even became a page turner. It sucked me in enough I want to continue on to the next book.
I had a hard time sticking with it in the beginning. I thought it must have to be coming to an end (finally) and realized I was only about half way through. I don't like to quit books so I kept going and thankfully it picked up. Twords the end it even became a page turner. It sucked me in enough I want to continue on to the next book.
January 20, 2015
I liked this thriller more than I expected-—it was well researched, so while I followed the rather complex plot I learned a lot about containment strategies for a possible secret nuclear reactor spill and threats of contamination, particularly as the setting is in rural Russia in the 1980s. Therefore, I also learned about the intricacies of bureaucracy when forces within the KGB and the Soviet Army both want to cover their own butts, and there is general widespread corruption and disillusionment even as all see no escape from their own intertwining into the tentacles of state bureaucracy. We get a counterplay to the same theme with a businessman in the west—he’s a Brit but the company is American—it manufactures some needed containment supplies and holds the intellectual property rights to mechanisms that might help—except the US government has an embargo on any such trade with the Soviet Union. What is to be done, and by whom?
This is a sophisticated adventure tale that takes time to develop a few sympathetic characters —and also several weak or disillusioned ones – on both sides of that 1980s struggle for hegemonic control. It’s mostly an indictment of all bureaucracies, the unacknowledged tolls they make us all pay. When the action shifts to Finland, there’s an added bonus of getting some vicarious touring and tourism, and rising tension, in that Scandanavian land, which I don’t know as well as the others, so therefore, again, an opportunity for both entertainment and intellectual enrichment.
This is a sophisticated adventure tale that takes time to develop a few sympathetic characters —and also several weak or disillusioned ones – on both sides of that 1980s struggle for hegemonic control. It’s mostly an indictment of all bureaucracies, the unacknowledged tolls they make us all pay. When the action shifts to Finland, there’s an added bonus of getting some vicarious touring and tourism, and rising tension, in that Scandanavian land, which I don’t know as well as the others, so therefore, again, an opportunity for both entertainment and intellectual enrichment.
March 26, 2019
When one sets out to read a novel, the parameters of the story take on form as the reader progresses until a point is reached whereby the reader must make a decision: Discard? Continue? If one decides to continue, is there sufficient substance in what has been read to that point, to encourage the reader to head towards a satisfactory conclusion?
I chose this book for three reasons: a love of modern history, a fascination with the old Soviet empire and a keen interest in all things nuclear ( the events in Chernobyl in particular ). I came cold to both book and author and what I found was a superbly-woven tale of intrigue that became hard to put down as the story progressed: the plot was plausible, and the characters were finely crafted, with prosaic and believable attributes, who were then thrust into circumstances so unique that I began to wonder whether I was still reading a work of fiction. With one exception, none of the characters step outside of their own realities and indeed, its precisely the unremarkable lives that the characters lead that creates the perfect counterpoint to the dramatic events being played out. And the acid test of the novel - did I care about the characters - was a resounding yes. Five stars.
I chose this book for three reasons: a love of modern history, a fascination with the old Soviet empire and a keen interest in all things nuclear ( the events in Chernobyl in particular ). I came cold to both book and author and what I found was a superbly-woven tale of intrigue that became hard to put down as the story progressed: the plot was plausible, and the characters were finely crafted, with prosaic and believable attributes, who were then thrust into circumstances so unique that I began to wonder whether I was still reading a work of fiction. With one exception, none of the characters step outside of their own realities and indeed, its precisely the unremarkable lives that the characters lead that creates the perfect counterpoint to the dramatic events being played out. And the acid test of the novel - did I care about the characters - was a resounding yes. Five stars.
February 21, 2015
One of the best books I've read. In spite of a plethora of pesky names of Russian characters and places, and the overall length of the book - either of which has caused me to abandon books many times before - I found that the quality of writing, presentation, interwoven plot lines, and character development blended into a superb work that held my attention and interest throughout. I am not one to give books top ratings (there's nothing wrong with a 3- or 4-star rating), but this book is truly deserving of my 5 stars!
May 28, 2016
I usually like long books but this was way too long. Too much in this book that detracted from the overall plot. I got lost several times and put it down so many times I forgot about what this was supposed to be about. It seriously needs another edit to make this a great book. Didn't like the gratuitous vulgarities but it seems authors aren't able to write without them. The dark psychology of the Russian characters were spot on and added overall to the plot. Very ironic this was written before Chernobyl.
December 26, 2016
Hard to Read
Although I did not give this novel the time required for an in depth review, there was enough to allow a three star. Deep in the workings of the Soviet Union and their particular problems, I was not impressed with the explanations. As a novice in the manners of the Soviet political system I thought there was overkill in explanations. Also the same was observed in the running and problems of a nuclear facility. For one with a vested interest in these matters this would be a valued book, but for me it was a waste of effort.
Although I did not give this novel the time required for an in depth review, there was enough to allow a three star. Deep in the workings of the Soviet Union and their particular problems, I was not impressed with the explanations. As a novice in the manners of the Soviet political system I thought there was overkill in explanations. Also the same was observed in the running and problems of a nuclear facility. For one with a vested interest in these matters this would be a valued book, but for me it was a waste of effort.
February 2, 2015
Good Period Piece
Although this book is advertised as "A Pyotr Kirov Detective Novel," it actually has very little to do with the Soviet investigator, taking place during the twilight years of the Soviet Union yet nonetheless weaving an interesting story about energy and environmental politicking in Russia and the West, ultimately being a recommended read.
Although this book is advertised as "A Pyotr Kirov Detective Novel," it actually has very little to do with the Soviet investigator, taking place during the twilight years of the Soviet Union yet nonetheless weaving an interesting story about energy and environmental politicking in Russia and the West, ultimately being a recommended read.
April 17, 2015
Writing to die for. The main character is a KGB agent in the cold war period of Gorbachov's glasnost and perestroika. We are continually reminded that the KGB no longer uses the old, crude methods. The plot revolves around a serious nuclear accident in a frozen lake and the race to sort the problem before the spring thaw. Absolutely wonderful writing. 5 stars. Highly recommended.
August 11, 2016
A great read! Although it was a longish book (400+) it held my attention pretty much all the way.
I guess the final pages and epilogue drifted a bit, and the story suffered. But it was a 5star book most of the way, but ended at 4 1/2 star.
I guess the final pages and epilogue drifted a bit, and the story suffered. But it was a 5star book most of the way, but ended at 4 1/2 star.
January 15, 2016
Conflicting Interests
An interesting story written from the perspective of a Russian agent/detective. I definitely liked the questions raised about who are the good guys vs who are the bad guys. Despite some of the crude details, i felt compelled to root for the Russians!
An interesting story written from the perspective of a Russian agent/detective. I definitely liked the questions raised about who are the good guys vs who are the bad guys. Despite some of the crude details, i felt compelled to root for the Russians!
October 4, 2015
I don't think it's worth even talking about. I know that something almost happened in the book, but that's all I remember.
September 22, 2015
Fine books, both of his Russia books are. Kept looking for the third one he kept talking about but never wrote apparently; very clever mister :).
April 10, 2015
Good read
Somewhat confusing, but still good and interesting. Make you wonder how factual and believable. Lots of exotic background fills lots of story but acceptable.
Somewhat confusing, but still good and interesting. Make you wonder how factual and believable. Lots of exotic background fills lots of story but acceptable.
April 23, 2015
My first Russian spy novel... interesting!!!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews