{"product_id":"moscow-nights-the-van-cliburn-story-how-one-man-and-his-piano-transformed-the-cold-war-9780062333179","title":"Moscow Nights: The Van Cliburn Story--How One Man and His Piano Transformed the Cold War","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGripping narrative nonfiction that tells the dramatic story of a remarkable young Texan pianist, Van Cliburn, who played his way through the wall of fear built by the Cold War, won the hearts of the American and Russian people, and eased tensions between two superpowers on the brink of nuclear war.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1958, an unheralded twenty-three-year-old piano prodigy from Texas named Van Cliburn traveled to Moscow to compete in the First International Tchaikovsky Competition. The Soviets had no intention of bestowing their coveted prize on an unknown American; a Russian pianist had already been chosen to win. Yet when the gangly Texan with the shy grin began to play, he instantly captivated an entire nation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Soviet people were charmed by Van Cliburn's extraordinary talent and fresh-faced innocence, but it was his palpable love for the music that earned their devotion; for many, he played more like a Russian than their own musicians. As enraptured crowds mobbed Cliburn's performances, pressure mounted to award him the competition prize. \"Is he the best?\" Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev demanded of the judges. \"In that case . . . give him the prize!\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdored by millions in the USSR, Cliburn returned to a thunderous hero's welcome in the USA and became, for a time, an ambassador of hope for two dangerously hostile superpowers. In this thrilling, impeccably researched account, Nigel Cliff recreates the drama and tension of the Cold War era, and brings into focus the gifted musician and deeply compelling figure whose music would temporarily bridge the divide between two dangerously hostile powers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Nigel Cliff\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Harper Perennial\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/19\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 480\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.70lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.90h x 5.30w x 1.10d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780062333179\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCliff, Nigel:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eNigel Cliff is a historian, biographer, and translator. His first book, \u003cem\u003eThe Shakespeare Riots\u003c\/em\u003e, was a finalist for the National Award for Arts Writing and was chosen as one of the \u003cem\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/em\u003e's best books of the year. His second book, \u003cem\u003eThe Last Crusade: The Epic Voyages of Vasco da Gama\u003c\/em\u003e, was a \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Notable Book. His most recent book is a translation and edition of \u003cem\u003eThe Travels by Marco Polo.\u003c\/em\u003e A former film and theater critic for the \u003cem\u003eLondon Times\u003c\/em\u003e and contributor to \u003cem\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/em\u003e, he writes for a range of publications, including the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Book Review. A Fellow of Harris Manchester College, Oxford, he lives in London.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Nigel Cliff \/ Paperback \/ English","offer_id":47733878194333,"sku":"9780062333179","price":34.71,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_cec0fc81-6bf9-46c3-b564-46a05c0c7e5e.jpg?v=1773737452","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/moscow-nights-the-van-cliburn-story-how-one-man-and-his-piano-transformed-the-cold-war-9780062333179","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}