For those in the West fascinated by Russia, it can be difficult to get accurate information about what goes on in our neighbor to the East. Western correspondents can and do influence our knowledge of Russia, and Russia in turn develops their opinions of Western correspondents. In Assignment Moscow, James Rodgers takes a look at the revolutionary period to the First World War and on to discuss how news has been released from Russia through the eyes of Western writers, and how their writing was and is influenced by local events and local figures. 

For those fascinated by the concepts of reporting on Chernobyl, or the October Revolution, and the influence of media, this is a fascinating read..

For years it was not easy to get into Russia, the language and written script are not readily accessible to most Westerners and, even now, relatively few of us spend a significant time there, getting to know the people. Most in the West find it difficult to fathom out the Russian character, to understand what motivates them, and why strong leadership has appealed to them for so many centuries.  We have tended to rely on the facts that western journalists choose to give us, and their interpretations of those facts. "Assignment Moscow" considers the work of a selection of western journalists who covered Russia during the century from the 1917 revolutions to 2019. The author doesn't spare those journalists who fell for Soviet or Russian propaganda throughout this period and demonstrates that a tightrope has always had to be walked in order to avoid being declared or treated as "persona non grata" for criticism that the authorities perceive to be unfair.  All in all, this book gives a fascinating new take on the history of Russia over the past eventful century. With many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.

A history of the work of western correspondents and journalists in Russia from the Revolution to the Putin era. The highs and lows of reporting from a less than open society, the difficulties and the often very real dangers plus the ever-present problem of censorship. The author himself has been a foreign correspondent in Russia and knows of what he speaks. The book is clearly and accessibly written and offers an overview of Russian history since 1917 alongside chronicling the travails of the men and women tasked with explaining an often mysterious and secretive society to the outside world. An enjoyable, entertaining, informative and insightful read and a must for all Russophiles.