The Black Russian Paperback – Illustrated, April 8, 2014

Vladimir Alexandrov's book engrossed me from start to finish. He makes this rare story exciting (and moving) not only because it naturally is, but because of his prose style: its absolute clarity, gripping economy, relentless forward drive, and mastery of suspense. The book's evocations of Moscow both before and after the Revolution, and of Constantinople (as it then was) come across exceptionally vividly for a reader like myself who's never set foot in either. Yet Alexandrov is just as "there" in recovering the sounds and smells of the Mississippi Delta. Particular gems: the very surprising fact of Russia's economic boom in the wake of the devastating 1904-05 war with Japan; the Russian capture of 100,000 prisoners (an almost unimaginable number) in Galicia in WWI; the dubbing of Lenin as "willful and unscrupulous"; the dry observation that "never did any city in Russia have so many women of blue and even royal blood in Constantinople in the early 1920s"; the revelation that Kemal Ataturk, the "founder" of modern Turkey, was not only a secularist (which we knew) but also "reputedly a tiddler" (bad news for his emerging Turkish theocracy, though good for the entertainment business); the note that all Pullman porters were called "George" generically; and the overt racism of American consular and State Department officials in the 1920s, before more enlightened minds took over. This mix of history and biography, uniquely well informed and compelling, deserves (at the least) a major theatrical production. (Murray Biggs, Yale University)

Mr. Alexandrov's meticulous research has pieced together the main chapters of the life of an incredible individual. I pre-ordered this book months before it finally came out and looked forward to reading it for a long time. It is a fascinating story and one that the author tell well. At times I felt like Mr. Alexandrov used too much filler material on the culture and history of Russia and Turkey, but I understand that the main character left no diaries and few written traces to present a more detailed biography. Nonetheless, it was a book that I look forward to reading each evening, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend it without reservation.

The Black Russian is a fabulous read and would fascinate anybody interested in cultural history. Through the amazing life and exploits of Frederick Thomas we get a sense of the nightlife during the last years of Czarist Russian (it must have been a wild place) and then the post WWI period in Constantinople. As a resident of Istanbul with a deep love for the city's history and culture, I found the Black Russian really gives one a feel for what the city was like as over 130,000 White Russians, fleeing the Bolshevik Revolution, converged on this town. Albeit for a short time only (most were gone by 1930), the city was transformed almost overnight. They opened restaurants, cafes, brothels, casinos and nightclubs and brought a new and very different flair to the town (which was under Allied occupation from the end of the war until 1923). Perhaps the most famous club of all was Fredrick Thomas' Maxim's. Through the eyes of this son of American slaves, we get a feel for the chaos and excitement, the confusion and the experimentation that marked the city of Constantinople in those post war years. Maxim's, after a period of neglect following Thomas' bankruptcy and death, was reborn after the second world war as a night club where many great Turkish stars, from Zeki Muran to Bulent Aksoy debuted.Although only the last part of the book takes place in Constantinople, it was for me the most memorable. However, all of Thomas' life was fascinating. This was a man who had initiative and guts- a real cat. He almost always ultimately landed on his feet.

An amazing life story of an amazing individual. I'm so happy I discovered and read 'The Black Russian'. This book makes me wonder if there maybe a 'Frederick Thomas' somewhere in my family tree, being an African American from the south with slave ancestors. This book seems to be very well researched and well written, I can't think of hardly any flaws. I just wished that the author's subject story didn't require so much speculation. enjoyable read, kudos to the author for finding this subject and having the interest, skill and ability to bring forth Frederick Thomas's story to public attention.

Truth is sometimes more amazing than fiction and to make history come alive in such a compelling narrative as Vladimir Alexandrov accomplished in The Black Russian makes wonderful reading. The life of Frederick Bruce Thomas is meticulously researched and beautifully told. Through intelligence, charm, hard work and a bit of guile Thomas accomplished an emigre's dream--something a black man in his time could never accomplish on his native soil. He ventured in the opposite direction of most nineteenth century immigrants, east across the Atlantic to the "old world" to eventually settle in Moscow, and achieved financial success, community acceptance, (near adulation), and the full use of his talents, before loosing it all in the tragic and violent political upheavals of Twentieth Century Europe. Not only does Alexandrov deftly develop character and create graphically detailed descriptions of place and action, he gives the reader enough historical backdrop to appreciate the full dimension of Thomas' ultimate tragedy.

The amazing true story of a child of freed slaves who left the country of his birth where he was still viewed as a second class citizen, who ended up in Imperial Russia and became a man of great wealth. I first heard about this book on CSPAN, and purchased it few days later. Prof.Alexandrov does a good job of panting a vivid picture of the man and times with a great easy reading flow.If you are in to history or just want a good book to read then this is it.