In a custom-built boat, Jeffrey Tayler traveled some 2,400 miles down the Lena River from near Lake Baikal to high above the Arctic Circle, recreating a journey first made by Cossack forces more than three hundred years ago. He was searching for primeval beauty and a respite from the corruption, violence, and self-destructive urges that typify modern Russian culture. His only companion on this hellish journey detests all humanity, including Tayler. Vadim, Tayler’s guide, is a burly Soviet army veteran whose superb skills Tayler needs to survive. As the two navigate roiling whitewater in howling storms, they eschew lifejackets because the frigid water would kill them before they could swim to shore. Though he has trekked by camel through the Sahara and canoed down the Congo during the revolt against Mobutu, Tayler has never felt as threatened as he does on this trip. In River of No Reprieve, adventure lovers and armchair travelers will encounter a captivating journey into an expanse of Russia that will not be forgotten.