Orlando Figes is a renowned British historian who specializes in Russian history. The eminent British historian is the son of feminist female writer Eva Figes. Orlando Figes was born in the year 1959 and attended William Ellis elementary school in the 1970′s; he is an alumni of Cambridge University having done his undergraduate degree at Gonville and Caius college and his PHD at Trinity College of the same University. From the year 1987 – 1999, Orlando Figes was a lecturer at the same University (Cambridge) before resigning to take up the Chair of History at BirkBeck College, University of London. The author is still in this current position. Orlando Figes’ claim to fame chiefly lies in the fact that he has authored a number of fundamental books on Russian history, books that have promoted public discourse and even been adapted in screenplay. The books that the author lays claim too are mentioned in the paragraph below:
Peasant Russia (which was chiefly about the Russian civil war) and which was written in the year 1989, this book was followed by A peoples tragedy (this book essentially offers a panoramic view from the time the Russian revolution ended until the reign of Communist leader Vladmir Lenin came to a halt -1891-1924). This book was authored in the year 1996 and is considered to be his best piece of work to date; the book has been translated to over 20 languages and boasts of four literary awards to its name – the Wolfston History Prize and the WH Smith Literary award among others. Other books that the author has his name emboldened on are Natasha’s dance that was published in the year 2002 and the Whispers that was published in the year 2007. Figes’ writing essentially meshes historical facts against the backdrop of the narrative and this mixed grill essentially makes his books an easy read on topics that would otherwise be academic.
Orlando Figes as an individual seems to have an abiding passion for matters writing and history related. In addition to the above accolades the author can also boast of being a reviewer of books on the New York Review of Books; he writes for International Press broadcasts on both television and radio; and lastly, he sits on the editorial board of the Russian journal Russian History. The author is married to a human rights lawyer and together they have two daughters.