Harbin: A Cross-Cultural Biography

"The book is a masterful analysis of the consequences that traumatic shifts in power relations could have for the life of individuals."

N. Pianciola, Nazarbayev University, Slavonic and East European Review

"This is a fascinating and well-researched exploration of the Russian [and] Chinese cultural encounter in Harbin, based on the extensive use of sources in both Russian and Chinese."

Austin Jersild, Old Dominion University, H-Soz-Kult

"The unique strength of Mark Gamsa’s contribution to the study of Harbin and Russian‐Chinese relations is the ease with which he moves from the Russian to the Chinese cultural and political scenes. He is able to not only reconstruct in painstaking detail the life of Roger Budberg but also provide a broad sweep of the history of Manchuria in one of the most turbulent eras of modern history. Engaging with archival materials from at least six countries and in at least four languages, the research in this book is superb and of the highest possible quality."

Sergey Glebov, Associate Professor of History, Smith College and Amherst College

"We have in Mark Gamsa a capable historian who is also something of a poet. It is clear from the high quality of scholarship that he has immersed himself in the history and historiography of Harbin for some time. This book is a refreshing and creative approach to history as a humanity."

James Carter, Professor of History, Saint Joseph’s University