Known to most as a realm of exile and labor camps, Siberia is also one of the world's wealthiest resource bases. This harsh, vast land constitutes nearly three-quarters of Russia's territory, yet after four centuries of Slavic migration and procreation it is home to a mere 32 million people. In this comprehensive book, Victor Mote illuminates the dichotomy between Siberia's rich treasure house of resources and its peripheral relationship to the rest of the world.

In the early 80s Colin Thubron wrote a bestselling book about his travels around the Soviet Union in an old Morris Minor.