Quote

I grew up reading the classic novels of Cold War espionage, and I studied Russian history and Soviet foreign policy.

I read Russian literature a lot.

You read 'Stalingrad' by Antony Beevor because you're interested in the Second World War or Russia or whatever.

When I traveled as secretary of state, I was deluged with thick briefing books full of information about the politics, economy, and culture of each destination, so those took up most of my reading time.

One of the last courses I taught was on the Russian short story, which I love.

If Russians knew how to read, they would write me off.

What the war did was give me the opportunity of three years of continuous reading, and it was in the course of reading that I became convinced that I should become an economist.

I'm not terribly well read. My wife forces books into my hands and insists I read them, which I'm grateful to her for. She made me read 'War and Peace.' The whole thing. It was amazing, but I had to hide it. You can't walk round reading 'War and Peace' - it's like you're in a comedy sketch and you think you're smart.

I have another Russian idea, too, with a place and a period, so I guess I have enough to keep me busy for quite some time, especially considering that I'm such a slow writer.