The Russian Job

The Forgotten Story of How America Saved the Soviet Union from Ruin

By: Douglas Smith

Narrated by: Natasha Soudek

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

An award-winning historian reveals the harrowing, little-known story of an American effort to save the newly formed Soviet Union from disaster.

After decades of the Cold War and renewed tensions, in the wake of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, cooperation between the United States and Russia seems impossible to imagine - and yet, as Douglas Smith reveals, it has a forgotten but astonishing historical precedent.

In 1921, facing one of the worst famines in history, the new Soviet government under Vladimir Lenin invited the American Relief Administration, Herbert Hoover’s brainchild, to save communist Russia from ruin. For two years, a small, daring band of Americans fed more than 10 million men, women, and children across a million square miles of territory. It was the largest humanitarian operation in history - preventing the loss of countless lives, social unrest on a massive scale, and, quite possibly, the collapse of the communist state.

Now, almost a hundred years later, few in either America or Russia have heard of the ARA. The Soviet government quickly began to erase the memory of American charity. In America, fanatical anti-communism would eclipse this historic cooperation with the Soviet Union. Smith resurrects the American relief mission from obscurity, taking the listener on an unforgettable journey from the heights of human altruism to the depths of human depravity.

The story of the ARA is filled with political intrigue, espionage, the clash of ideologies, violence, adventure, and romance, and features some of the great historical figures of the 20th century. In a time of cynicism and despair about the world’s ability to confront international crises, The Russian Job is a riveting account of a cooperative effort unmatched before or since.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Douglas Smith (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

BRILLIANT AND EYE-OPENING. THRILLER!

One of the most thrilling, interesting, and revelatory history books I’ve ever read (or “heard!”) The narrator also did an extraordinary job, bringing that special life and soul into it as only an audiobook can when the narrator is sublime. She managed to make cold hard facts feel like an intimate conversation with a friend (a much more fun and exciting way to learn!) I also appreciated that they got a bilingual native Russian speaker/actor to narrate this, and she nailed it. The accents were also perfect, and positively delightful, making the characters spring to life. I expect this audiobook will soon be a bestseller, especially given its relevant timing in world politics today. I highly recommend this audiobook. Thanks Audible!

FASCINATING! Beautifully narrated

Really fascinating book. Beautifully narrated. The narrator’s voice pulled me right into this riveting, true story.

Did you have to do a terrible Russian accent?

I liked the book and the contents, but the ridiculous (and inaccurate, if I may) accent used for Lenin, Trotsky, etc voices is really distracting and makes my skin crawl. How did it get past review? How could multiple people think this was okay? Like is it meant to be funny or something? Imagine it was a Chinese accent they were faking - would that be okay? Of course not. So never do that again. And, better yet, re-record this book.

Totally Misleading Title

This is NOT a history of the topic as listed in the title. It is a narrative of Americans who went to Russia to assist with famine relief - not an analysis of how America participated in ending the famine or in how the famine happened. Also, when the book quoted anyone from the Soviet Union, the narrator would handle this by transitioning to what was supposed to be her perception of a accent that someone who was Russian would have if they spoke English (she sounded like Natasha from 'Rocky and Bullwinkle'). The book was a giant disappointment and I could only suffer through portions of it before giving up.