Michael Strogoff: A novel written by Jules Verne in 1876

Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar (Jules Verne)Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar (French: Michel Strogoff) is a novel written by Jules Verne in 1876. Critics including Leonard S. Davidow consider it one of Vernes best books. Davidow wrote Jules Verne has written no better book than this in fact it is deservedly ranked as one of the most thrilling tales ever written. Unlike some of Vernes other novels it is not science fiction but a scientific phenomenon (Leidenfrost effect) is a plot device. The book was later adapted to a play by Verne himself and Adolphe dEnnery. Incidental music to the play was written by Alexandre Artus in 1880. The book has been adapted several times for films television and cartoon series.Michael Strogoff a 30-year-old native of Omsk is a courier for Tsar Alexander II of Russia. The Tartar Khan (prince) Feofar Khan incites a rebellion and separates the Russian Far East from the mainland severing telegraph lines. Rebels encircle Irkutsk where the local governor a brother of the Tsar is making a last stand. Strogoff is sent to Irkutsk to warn the governor about the traitor Ivan Ogareff a former colonel who was once demoted and exiled and now seeks revenge against the imperial family. He intends to gain the governors trust and then betray him to the Tartar hordes.On his way to Irkutsk Strogoff meets Nadia Fedor daughter of an exiled political prisoner Basil Fedor who has been granted permission to join her father at his exile in Irkutsk the English war correspondent Harry Blount of the Daily Telegraph and Alcide Jolivet a Frenchman reporting for his cousin Madeleine. Blount and Jolivet tend to follow the same route as Michael separating and meeting again all the way through Siberia. He is supposed to travel under a false identity posing as the pacific merchant Nicolas Korpanoff but he is discovered by the Tartars when he meets his mother in their home city of Omsk.Michael his mother and Nadia are eventually captured by the Tartar forces along with thousands of other Russians during the storming of a city in the Ob basin. The tartars do not know Strogoff by sight but Ogareff is aware of the couriers mission and when he is told that Strogoffs mother spotted her son in the crowd and called his name but received no reply he understands that Strogoff is among the captured and devises a scheme to force the mother to indicate him. Strogoff is indeed caught and handed over to the Tartars and Ogareff alleges that Michael is a spy hoping to have him put to death in some cruel way.