Today St. Petersburg's moniker is Venice of the North. Peter the Great brough Italian architects to design the city. Canals meander through the surprisingly un-Russian feeling city. If Moscow defines Russia, St. Petersburg is its counterpoint. St. Petersburg is a city worth saving for the sake of its beauty. Moscow is not.

I've never been in a war, but family members have. War is raw, vulgar, rough. It brings out the best and worst of humanity. Can one know the level of evil or sacrifice humans are able to achieve outside of the desperation of war?

David Benioff explores those limits in City of Thieves. The most core human needs and desires are spilled out in plain view. No flowery prose or delicate love story in these pages. Just as Russians tend to get down to business, David paints his picture of war in black and white. While unique metaphors provoke pause and consideration. A uniquely human view of Leningrad's attempted capture from someone on the inside.

A surprisingly redeeming read.