Author Biography
Rodric Braithwaite is a former diplomat and writer who has spent much of his career dealing with Russia, which he visits regularly. He served as British ambassador in Moscow during the fall of the Soviet Union, and he has also been chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee. Braithwaite is the author of a number of books on Russia, including Across the Moscow River, Russia in Europe, and Engaging Russia: A Report to the Trilateral Commission. Simon Vance, a former BBC Radio presenter and newsreader, is a full-time actor who has appeared on both stage and television. He has recorded over four hundred audiobooks and has earned over twenty Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine, including one for his narration of Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini. A twelve-time Audie finalist, Simon has won Audie Awards for The King's Speech by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Market Forces by Richard K. Morgan, and The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. Winner of the 2008 Booklist Voice of Choice Award, Simon has also been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009.