River Of No Reprieve: Descending Siberia's Waterway of Exile, Death, and Destiny

In a custom-built boat, Jeffrey Tayler traveled some 2,400 miles down the Lena River, from near Lake Baikal to high above the Arctic Circle, re-creating a journey first made by Cossack forces more than three hundred years ago. He was searching for primeval beauty and a respite from the corruption, violence, and self-destructive urges that typify modern Russian culture.

His only companion on this hellish journey detests all humanity, including Tayler. Vadim, Tayler’s guide, is a burly Soviet ...