Sophy Roberts

From the acclaimed author of The Lost Pianos of Siberia comes a new journey following four 19th century elephants marched from the East African coast towards Congo to tell a heartbreaking story of folly and colonial greed History and travelogue combine wonderfully in this tale of colonial plunder and hubris Sophy Roberts luminous new book is a journey through Africa from Zanzibar to Lake Tanganyika and back retracing the steps of a long forgotten expedition GUARDIAN This is a marvellous book an important footnote to history of Sophy Roberts intrepid travel with a real purpose shining a light on colonialism Belgian and British and their peculiar obsessions Paul Theroux author of The Great Railway Bazaar Masterfully weaving adventure intrigue and the darker truths of colonial ambition into a story as gripping as it is eye opening Levison Wood author of Walking the Nile Deeply researched Brings to life a bizarre and long forgotten story of Africa with empathy intriguing encounters and memorable characters not least the elephants themselves Luke Pepera author of Motherland A Journey through 500 000 Years of African Culture and Identity Sophy Roberts brings history to life tackling difficult sensitive subjects with careful exq

From the acclaimed author of The Lost Pianos of Siberia comes a new journey following four 19th century elephants marched from the East African coast towards Congo to tell a heartbreaking story of folly and colonial greed History and travelogue combine wonderfully in this tale of colonial plunder and hubris Sophy Roberts luminous new book is a journey through Africa from Zanzibar to Lake Tanganyika and back retracing the steps of a long forgotten expedition GUARDIAN This is a marvellous book an important footnote to history of Sophy Roberts intrepid travel with a real purpose shining a light on colonialism Belgian and British and their peculiar obsessions Paul Theroux author of The Great Railway Bazaar Masterfully weaving adventure intrigue and the darker truths of colonial ambition into a story as gripping as it is eye opening Levison Wood author of Walking the Nile Deeply researched Brings to life a bizarre and long forgotten story of Africa with empathy intriguing encounters and memorable characters not least the elephants themselves Luke Pepera author of Motherland A Journey through 500 000 Years of African Culture and Identity Sophy Roberts brings history to life tackling difficult sensitive subjects with careful exquisite

Siberias story is traditionally one of exiles, penal colonies and unmarked graves. Yet there is another tale to tell.Dotted throughout this remote land are pianosgrand instruments created during the boom years of the nineteenth century, as well as humble, Soviet-made uprights that found their way into equally modest homes. They tell the story of how, ever since entering Russian culture under the westernizing influence of Catherine the Great, piano music has run through the country like blood.How these pianos traveled into this snow-bound wilderness in the first place is testament to noble acts of fortitude by governors, adventurers and exiles. Siberian pianos have accomplished extraordinary feats, from the instrument that Maria Volkonsky, wife of an exiled Decembrist revolutionary, used to spread music east of the Urals, to those that brought reprieve to the Soviet Gulag. That these instruments might still exist in such a hostile landscape is remarkable. That they are still capable of making music in far-flung villages is nothing less than a miracle.The Lost Pianos of Siberia is largely a story of music in this fascinating place, fol-lowing Roberts on a three-year adventure as she tracks a number of different instruments to find one whose history is definitively Siberian. Her journey reveals a desolate land inhabited by wild tigers and deeply shaped by its dark history, yet one that is also profoundly beautifuland peppered with pianos.

Un inolvidable viaje por la historia y la música de Rusia en busca de sus últimos pianos.Esparcidos por esta tierra remota y hostil, del tamaño de un continente, numerosos pianos resisten el paso del tiempo, testigos de como durante los siglos XIX y XX la musica se convirtio en el centro de la vida publica y privada de los rusos.aA caballo entre la literatura de viajes, el ensayo narrativo y la historia de la musica,aLos ultimos pianos de Siberia siguealos pasos de muchos de estos pianos, asi como las historias personales de quienes hicieron posible la proeza de que estos pianos lograsen viajar miles de kilometros.a

Un inolvidable viaje por la historia y la música de Rusia en busca de sus últimos pianos.Esparcidos por esta tierra remota y hostil, del tamaño de un continente, numerosos pianos resisten el paso del tiempo, testigos de como durante los siglos XIX y XX la musica se convirtio en el centro de la vida publica y privada de los rusos. A caballo entre la literatura de viajes, el ensayo narrativo y la historia de la musica, Los ultimos pianos de Siberia sigue los pasos de muchos de estos pianos, asi como las historias personales de quienes hicieron posible la proeza de que estos pianos lograsen viajar miles de kilometros.