Jules Verne 
Michael Strogoff — Courier To The Czar 

There were few countries which were so full of interest to the world as was Russia. In laying the scene of this story in this great empire, Jules Verne seems to have aimed to gratify his readers. A revolt in some of the remoter provinces makes it necessary for the Czar to communicate with his brother, the Grand Duke, at Irkutsk. Michael Strogoff, one of the corps of the couriers of the Czar, is selected for the dangerous service. His marvelous coolness, prudence, and courage are constantly and thoroughly tested in the course of his perilous journey, but atlast he falls into the hands of the insurgents. The story of his thrilling adventures is related with such vivid power as to make it seem like an actual narrative, while the descriptions of the country, of the people, and of their customs are evidently the result of actual study and close observation.