Only new thinking can prevent a Third World War
... Now I believe we are striding, misstep by misstep, towards a conflagration in Europe. I say striding, not sleepwalking, because everyone on both sides is fully awake, fully aware of what they are doing – yet blind to what the other side’s fears or motives might be, and stubbornly avoiding every possible chance for de-escalation ... What Reagan and Gorbachev did – looking at things through the eyes of their enemies – is precisely what no leader today is doing. Each side wilfully misinterprets the other side’s intentions. Escalation is met with escalation. And so we edge closer to catastrophe.
Lily of Tissardmine
Midnight on the Window
Manhattan Rose
Moscow Calling
A Personal Portrait of Russia
from Communism to Putinism
NEW UPDATED EDITION, APRIL 2025
"An absolutely magnificent book ... I haven't read any book that so perfectly captures the atmosphere of life in the Soviet Union/Russia" Michael Binyon, former Times Diplomatic Correspondent
Shortlisted for Saltire Society Non-Fiction Book of the Year, 2018
God Ran Out of Ideas
In a career spanning forty years, Angus Roxburgh lived and worked in Russia as a literary translator, as Moscow correspondent of the Sunday Times and the BBC, and as an outside media consultant to the Kremlin. He witnessed Russian history unfolding at first hand – from the darkest days of communism and the Cold War, through the exhilaration of Gorbachev’s perestroika reforms and the chaos of Yeltsin’s rebuilding of capitalism, to the authoritarian Russia of Putin.
Moscow Calling is his story of those momentous years. Part history, part travelogue, it takes the reader from the muddy suburbs of communist Moscow to the corridors of Putin’s Kremlin, from the Baltic to Siberia, from artists' studios to the war-zone of Chechnya. Written with passion and humour, and a deep knowledge of the experiences and concerns of ordinary Russians, it is the essential background for understanding Russia today.
The Strongman
Vladimir Putin and the Struggle for Russia
NEW UPDATED THIRD EDITION PUBLISHED ON 7 OCTOBER 2021
Shortlisted for International Affairs Book of the Year, Political Book Awards 2012
“The considerable value of this book lies in [Roxburgh's] painstaking and empathetic effort to understand how Mr Putin came to power, why many Russians still support him today, and how the West's approach to Russia has helped to shape his rule.” The Wall Street Journal
“... admirable even-handedness and insight.” The Independent
“Best Russia book I've read in ages.” Shaun Walker, The Guardian
Harmonies For One
Music CD and download
“A collection of heartfelt, self-penned songs ... an emotive mix that touches on themes of love, heartache and social commentary” The Sunday Herald