&quot;Michael Strogoff&quot; (AKA &quot;<i>Courier of the Czar</i>&quot;), written in 1876, is the 14th novel in Jules Verne&rsquo;s <b><i>Extraordinary Voyages</i></b> cycle, his largest and most influential body of published work. It was written specially for Czar Alexander II of Russia&rsquo;s visit to Paris in 1876, and tells the story of a young courier&rsquo;s perilous journey across Russia to Eastern Siberia in order to warn the Czar&rsquo;s brother of an impending Tartar invasion. Like all of Verne&rsquo;s work, this captivating adventure novel was meticulously researched, as is evident in the close attention to detail in the descriptions of Russian and Siberian geography.<br /><br />In this tale of intrigue set in Russia, a traitor has inspired the fierce Feofar Khan to invade Siberia and foment a rebellion. A sinister plot to assassinate the Czar&#39;s brother, the Grand Duke, is discovered but all telegraph lines have been cut. Only one of the Czar&#39;s courier&#39;s is qualified to handle the dangerous and arduous mission to warn the Siberian Governor General of the impending invasion, Michael Strogoff.