Bad Books by Terrible People
Books by dictators in my collection that I consulted for The Infernal Library, plus some interesting studies. See The Infernal Library under Books.
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- Mein Kampf by Adolph Hitler. Purchased at the estate sale of an artist in Georgetown, Texas. My assumption is that her father brought it back from the ruins of Nazi Germany as a souvenir.
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- Mein Rant by R.F. Patterson and W. Heath Robinson. Replica of parody of Hitler’s notorious screed. Patterson also wrote a history of English Literature.
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- My Autobiography by Benito Mussolini. Produced as a work of PR for foreign audiences, this edition includes bonus material added shortly before he doomed himself by entering the war on Hitler’s side.
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- Mussolini’s war diaries. One of the most readable dictator texts, this grotesquely ugly edition is a print-on-demand copy that I read in Bob’s Catfish n’ More in Georgetown, Texas.
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- Napoleon: The Hundred Days by Mussolini and Forzano. Adapted by the now-forgotten English writer John Drinkwater, this play is hard to find; I managed to track down a copy from a bookseller in Ireland.
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- The Cardinal’s Mistress — an anticlerical bodice ripper that Mussolini knocked out for cash in his journalist days, later published in the US by Albert and Charles Boni.
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- Raza by “Jaime de Andrade” aka the Spanish dictator General Franco. It was later adapted into a film that Franco enjoyed watching.
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- Problems of Leninism by Joseph Stalin. I found this in the basement of a second hand bookstore in Saint Andrews, Scotland that specialized in golf books.
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- Foundations of Leninism — Stalin’s “communist catechism”, a primer on the thought of the Father of the Revolution.
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- History of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (Short Course) — Stalin’s official version of history, which could never be questioned.
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- A contemporary scholarly edition of Stalin’s Short Course, exploring how it was created and the extent of Stalin’s editorial involvement.
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- A later edition of the History of the Communist Party that I found lying next to a dumpster outside the metro tunnel engineering institute in Moscow.
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- Two speeches by Joseph Stalin including his classic address to a conference of combine harvester operators. Also found in the basement of the golf bookshop in Saint Andrews.
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- Speeches by Stalin and friends delivered after Hitler’s invasion of the USSR.
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- Marxism and Linguistics by Joseph Stalin — not for nothing was he known as “The Coryphaeus of Science”.
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- The Proletarian Revolution and the Renegade Kautsky — a tirade against a rival Marxist theorist by the tireless factionalist Vladimir Lenin.
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- Lenin on Britain — Lenin lived in London for twelve months between 1902 and 1903, where he was a regular visitor to the British Museum’s reading room.
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- Brezhnev did not write the trilogy of memoirs that bear his name, though it is just possible he might have read them.
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- Words of a Changing World by Vladimir Putin — a collection of 12 years of speeches and interviews from before the invasion of Ukraine.
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- Quotations from Chairman Mao, original red vinyl edition, purchased from an estate sale in Georgetown, Texas. I believe it belonged to a CIA agent.
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- Mao Tsetung Poems first edition published in 1976, the same year the dictator died.
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- The Poems of Mao Zedong, edition published by an American academic press.
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- The Miracles of Chairman Mao — astonishing collection of newspaper reports attributing numerous miracles to Mao’s sacred word.
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- The Governance of China by Xi Jinping — Xi continues the ancient Chinese tradition of emperor-authors.
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- The Prison Diary of Ho Chi Minh — a surprisingly readable book published for the American mass market during the Vietnam war.
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- Pol Pot’s Little Red Book — a compilation of sayings and slogans from Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime.
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- Zabiba and the King — Saddam Hussein’s notorious historical romance novel which brightened up my Christmas one year.
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- The Ruhnama by Saparmurat Niyazov — purchased in a state bookstore in Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan.
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- On the Art of the Cinema by Kim Jong Il — a collection of the North Korean dictator’s musings from when he was running the propaganda for his father.
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- With Stalin by Enver Hoxha — breathless hero worship from the ruthless dictator of Albania.
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- Conversations with Stalin by Milan Djilas — the opposite of hero worship from a disillusioned Yugoslav communist.
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- Escape to Hell and Other Stories by Muammar Gadaffi — strangely compelling short fiction and feuilletons from the Libyan dictator.
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- Along the Road of Rebirth by the Turkmen dictator Saparmurat Niyazov, before he dyed his hair.
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- The Collected Bulletins of Idi Amin by Alan Coren — a work of parody, but Amin did publish a collection of his telegrams.
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- On the German Problem by Wladyslaw Gomulka, who managed to lead Poland not once but twice, between 1947 and 1948 and then again between 1956 and 1970.
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- Klement Gottwald by Klement Gottwald — a collection of texts by the alcoholic dictator of Czechoslovakia.
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- Talk of the Devil — Italian journalist Riccardo Orizio found some ex-dictators in the phone book, rang them up, and went for a visit.
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- Dictator Style by Peter York — a glimpse into the lifestyles of the rich and murderous.
Glimpses Through a Strange Telescope
Mysterious visions of alternate worlds captured during my travels for Strange Telescopes. See Strange Telescopes under Books.
Memoir Found in a Sewer
Going Underground with the Lord of the Diggers
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- Vadim Mikhailov, Digger and Lord of the Underground emerges from his filthy kingdom.
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- Abandoned libation to the tramp-god, Moscow.
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- Vadim Mikhailov’s Diggermobile. Going nowhere, slowly.
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- Digger HQ, by Belorusskaya Train Station, Moscow. It smells.
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- Entrance to the underground kingdom, Tsvetnoi Bulvar, Moscow.
View an excellent site dedicated to the Moscow metro (in Russian, but click on the links to see images).
My Satanic Education
Around Ukraine in Pursuit of Demons
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- Happy robot Dimetrodon, Kiev, Ukraine.
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- Giant proletarians celebrate under a stainless steel rainbow next to a funfair, Kiev.
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- Naked boy dummy at entrance to Vidubitsky Monastery in Kiev warns strangers to flee before it’s too late.
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- Last view before leaping.
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- Ukrainian exorcist tour itinerary.
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- ‘Zhivchik’- fizzy Ukrainian apple drink with remarkable restorative powers. Next to a bin in Kiev.
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- Celebrating giant proletarians – back view.
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- … and for that one brief moment, the pain in her right leg stopped and she felt just like a young girl again.
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- Rest weary traveller: you’re home now.
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- I will heal your pain.
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- Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.
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- I’m sorry, but the Matrix is just crap- no matter what the Son of God says.
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- I didn’t tilt the camera – the world slid.
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- It’s never to early to start writing history- orange revolution graffiti preserved forever on Independence Square, Kiev.
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- Avant-garde street sculpture, Kiev, Ukraine.
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- Lamp-post icon laments death of liberty, Kiev, Ukraine.
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- Man, freshly purged of demons, emerges from consecrated house round the corner from TGI Friday’s. Kiev, Ukraine.
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- Pro-Russian protestors lay their human rights to rest, Kiev, Ukraine.
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- Post-Orange Revolution Kiev cunningly disguises itself as Moscow.
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- In the future no-one will remember this was ever here.
The Strange Dream of Sergei Torop
Visiting the Son of God in Siberia
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- Oo-err, Missus! The Son of God gets a little careless with the symbolism in this fine, fine painting.
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- At home with Vadim Redkin, retired rock star, writer of Vissarion’s gospel and all round good guy.
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- Vissarion’s revised cross.
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- Vissarion in a reflective mood as dusk descends on the doomed planet outside his window.
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- Sergei, Vissarionite priest and former Red Army Officer who used to sit in the middle of nowhere with his finger on The Button, waiting for the signal to initiate the apocalypse.. Painting: Vissarion Christ
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- Bad sculpture, Abode of Dawn, Siberia.
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- Vissarionite cathedral, Petropavlovka: built by city slickers with no experience of construction.
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- The Abode of Dawn, Siberia. Heaven on earth hacked out of the taiga. This is where you’d better be when the End comes.
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- Lyuba, Vissarion’s first wife. She knew him when he was a mere traffic cop.
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- Groovy. Painting by Vissarion Christ.
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- It’s not all hard work: what the Saviour of Mankind sees when he wakes up in the morning.
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- ‘Melody of Sunset’, by V. Christ. If you look closely you can see his pubes. Now that’s photorealism.
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- The resolutely unappealing Leonid Kuchma, former president of Ukraine, who definitely had nothing to do with the beheading of critical journalist Georgy Gongadze, as portrayed by Vissarion Christ for reasons beyond mortal ken. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgiy_Gongadze
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- Inside the Vissarionite temple, decorated by the ladies of the community.
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- Sasha, sculptor of the wax Rasputin murder tableau in the Yusupov Palace in St Petersburg, now historian of the Abode of Dawn.
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- Tatiana’s House: ‘documentary film’ produced by the Vissarionite media centre, Petropavlovka. You too will believe after a viewing.
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- The temple on top of the mountain. In the future they’ll build a better one, made of granite.
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- Petropavlovka, viewed from the outhouse at 6am.
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- Approaching the temple.
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- God-intoxicated 1000 metres above sea level.
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- Downtown Petropavlovka, ‘capital city’ of the Vissarionites. The joint is jumpin’.
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- Vissarionites at prayer on top of the Holy Mountain shortly before their weekly meeting with the Saviour himself.
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- Love hurts: Vissarion dishes it out to his closest followers.
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- On the path to enlightenment.
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- The All Seeing I: Vissarion in the Temple. All are welcome to worship here, according to the rite of their choosing.
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- Chillin’ with the Jesus. L-R: Daniel Kalder, Vissarion Christ, Semyon Stankevich.
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- The most obscene monument in the world, Abakan, Khakassia. Photo: Jeffrey Pretes
The Tower at the Top of the World
The Rise and Fall of Nikolai Sutyagin
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- Tedious complementary in-flight style magazine dedicated to Arkhangelsk.
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- Wooden windmills, standing like the watchtowers of some forgotten civilisation, Arkhangelsk.
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- Kolya Sutyagin’s Tower at the Top of the World. His neighbours dream of burning it to the ground.
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- Nostalgia for the Wooden City
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- Window of dead house, Arkhangelsk.
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- Ancient Russian wooden cathedral, Arkhangelsk. Damaged during a storm that left Sutyagin’s tower unscathed.
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- Pre-Revolutionary Arkhangelsk, the world’s largest wooden metropolis. Image c/o Professor Yuri Barashkov.
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- Regardless of the beard, who this man was is no longer a matter of any importance to anyone.
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- Vladimir Tatlin’s Monument to the 3rd International. Not quite as good as Sutyagin’s Tower, and it never even got past the model stage.
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- The Palace of Soviets: another impossible Russian tower. In the end the foundation pit was turned into an open air swimming pool.
What the Anti-Tourist Saw
Images of desolation and delight from the four Russian republics described in Lost Cosmonaut. See Lost Cosmonaut under Books.
Tatarstan
Books by dictators in my collection that I consulted for The Infernal Library, plus some interesting studies. See The Infernal Library under Books.
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- Lenin gazes upon the State Opera and Ballet Theatre, Kazan, Tatarstan.
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- Half- built Kul Sherif Mosque, 2001. Ivan the Terrible destroyed the original. Now it’s back.
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- Baby elephant in the snow.
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- House number and globe in the Tatar Quarter
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- DA- orgiastic burst of Coca Cola.
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- Tatar language theatre, Kazan.
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- From ‘The Secret History of the World’- ‘A vast archive of lost moments and neglected epiphanies…’
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- Dead mutant babies provide entertainment in Kazan, Saint Petersburg and many other fine cities in Russia.
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- Latticework fence in Kazan’s Tatar quarter.
Kalmykia
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- Chess, compulsory in Kalmyk schools, unites the races. Chess City, Kalmykia.
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- Joe & Yoshi triumphant in front of the Palace of Chess, Kalmykia.
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- Sad Teletubbies, Elista, Kalmykia
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- How to make friends and influence people: Kirsan Ilumzhinov chills on a billboard with Patriarch Alexei II.
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- The Way to God.
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- You are now entering Elista. Or maybe leaving. Doesn’t make much difference, really.
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- In search of Chess City, by the state theatre.
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- Dzhangar Monument, Elista.
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- The State Museum of Kalmykia: it was closed.
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- War memorial and bottle of milk.
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- Dead fox behind the temple.
Mari El
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- High Priest Alexei IIzergovich Yakimov invokes the blessing of the earth goddess.
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- Historical inscription, Yoshkar Ola
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- Danger Zone
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- Windows of Yoshkar Ola’s prison
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- Mosaic, downtown Yoshkar Ola
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- Dead Ferris Wheel, Yoshkar Ola
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- Virginia newsletter, Hallowe’en edition
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- Towers of Yoshkar Ola
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- Window of collapsed house, Yoshkar Ola.
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- Evil Pinnochio, ‘Children’s World’ store, Yoshkar Ola
Udmurtia
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- Olga Gavrilova, star of the Udmurt state theatre
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- IZHMASH- the black blobs on the ice are men ice fishing.
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- MIG MAG- the burgers of my undoing.
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- Old communist Mikhail Kalashnikov encounters bishop at a religious ceremony to give thanks to God for 190 years of guns in Izhevsk.
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- The first generation of the Udmurt National Theatre 1934
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- The second generation of the Udmurt National Theatre, 1951. Vasili Perevoshikov (kneeling, front) was the first Udmurt to play Lenin.
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- Russian Udmurt friendship monument
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- Iron work hammer & sickle at the IZHMASH plant
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- Funky bus station mural, Izhevsk.
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- A little pagan idolatry never hurt anyone- the ashes of Andrei Deryabin, founder of Izhmash, on display in the IZHMASH museum.
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- All mice love cheese.
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- Anna Yakovlevna, literary director of the Udmurt state theatre
