The Book of Vl. Novikov is a masterfully written, unvarnished story about the life and work of Vladimir Vysotsky, our contemporary, a man whose voice in the 70-80s sounded literally in every home. From this biography, the reader learns new details about the life of this hesitant soul, its ups and downs, passions and ailments. The author is not limited to the purely biographical framework of the narrative, thoughtfully analyzing the work of Vysotsky the poet and striving to determine his place in the cultural and historical context of the era. This edition is supplemented by a chapter on the posthumous fate of the poet, as well as a personal index.