The Orientalist: Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life

Reiss (The Black Count) has an undeniable talent for writing engrossing biographies that capture a time and place as much as they do a person. Here he paints a fascinating picture of the elusive author Lev Nussimbaum, a Russian Jew born in Baku (now the capital of Azerbaijan), who reinvented himself as a Muslim prince and became a best-selling author and famed Orientalist under the pseudonyms Kurban Said and Essad Bey. On a whirlwind journey from Azerbaijan to New York and Germany, Reiss uncovers the real Nussimbaum, providing an evocative sense of the political climate in Europe and Asia in the early 20th century and some understanding of how political and cultural identities can clash. Narrator Paul Michael's deep baritone and clear reading give the book a documentary-like feel and an academic tone that significantly slows the pace (which is problematic for a nearly 16-hour read). While Michael narrates the majority of the book, the author narrates the foreword, and his passion for the subject is undeniable and contagious. It is truly a shame that the entire book was not narrated by Reiss.