The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad
A True Story of Science and Sacrifice in a City under Siege
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Remove from Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad
Narrated by:
Elliot Fitzpatrick
Buy Now for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.
-
Narrated by:
-
Elliot Fitzpatrick
-
By:
-
Simon Parkin
About this listen
'An astonishing story brilliantly told . . . It is as moving as it is gripping to read'
Jonathan Dimbleby, author of Endgame: 1944
'A richly researched and meticulously observed account of a little-explored corner of 20th-century history'
Guardian
'A fantastically well-researched history of science and sacrifice saturated in drama'
i
In the summer of 1941, German troops surrounded the Russian city of Leningrad - now St Petersburg - and began the longest blockade in recorded history. By the most conservative estimates, the siege would claim the lives of three-quarters of a million people. Most died of starvation.
At the centre of the embattled city stood a converted palace that housed the greatest living plant library ever amassed - the world's first seed bank. After attempts to evacuate the collection failed, and as supplies dwindled, the scientists responsible faced a terrible decision: should they distribute the specimens to the starving population, or preserve them in the hope that they held the key to ending global famine?
Drawing on previously unseen sources, The Forbidden Garden tells the remarkable and moving story of the botanists who remained at the Plant Institute during the darkest days of the siege, risking their lives in the name of science.
'A compelling account . . . a remarkable work of literary exhumation. The first full account of the Plant Institute in any language, it's a fitting testimony to an extraordinary project and the bravery of the ordinary individuals who kept it going'
Telegraph
'A beautifully-written account of one of the most extraordinary and little-known episodes of the Second World War -- a scientific feat and act of collective self-sacrifice the consequences of which continue to be felt today'
Adam Higginbotham, author of Challenger
'A gripping, original and important story of courage and science in wartime'
Roland Philipps, author of A Spy Named Orphan©2024 Simon Parkin (P)2024 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
What listeners say about The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.