Against the Grain - An Autobiography

First edition of the English translation by Michael Glenny, who first came to prominence with his translation of Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita in 1967. No deluxe paper copies issued.

Publisher’s binding in full black cloth, flat spine which shows some inherent creasing due to the laminated covering.

A handsome copy, with illustrations.

Very rare inscribed copy dated 27 April 1990 and signed by Boris Yeltsin.

From the library of Sam Yossman (Sam Jones) of the BBC Russian Service.

Yeltsin’s autobiography culminates with his election in 1989 to the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union, which helped cement his reputation as an anti-communist rebel, paving the way for his eventual role as the first president of post-Soviet Russia following the fall of the USSR in 1991.

A Jewish émigré journalist and writer, Yossman worked for 20 years at the BBC Russian Service under the name Sam Jones. He published his memoirs under the title Šaltojo karo samdinys (Mercenary of the Cold War), recounting a childhood marked by poverty and conflict in postwar Vilnius. He became known for introducing Western music and culture to Soviet listeners and notably welcomed Paul McCartney in January 1989 on his rock music program "Babushkin Sunduk" ("Grandmother’s Hope Chest"), "still remembered by millions in the former USSR" (Lithuanian Jewish Community). Yossman is also regarded as the father of the "Russian chanson," a popular genre developed by Soviet émigrés in the United States, which he promoted through his radio show.

Inscribed copies by Boris Yeltsin are exceptionally rare.