In the 1860s, a Russian-American Telegraph Company sent a survey team to explore a proposed route for an overland telegraph line that would connect the United States and Europe by way of Siberia and across the Bering Strait. Although the expedition failed, it marked one of the first explorations of the Siberian wilderness, and George Kennan's colorful portrayal of the land and its inhabitants constitutes one of the most entertaining travelogues of all time.
Kennan's engaging narrative sparks a wanderlust for a bygone era, covering thousands of miles into a seldom-visited territory populated by nomads. Its highlights include a chronicle of seven weeks aboard a Russian ship, an awkward but hilarious encounter at a Cossack wedding, and beautiful descriptions of the celestial wonders of the north.