City of Thieves
Two young men in besieged Leningrad are given an absurd errand to save their lives: find a dozen eggs for a colonel's daughter's wedding cake.
The Verdict
A dark, propulsive picaresque through the starving city of Leningrad. David Benioff sends two young men — a shy teenager and a brash, irrepressible deserter — on an absurd quest across the besieged city and beyond its lines: find a dozen eggs for a colonel's daughter's wedding cake, or be shot. What follows is funny, harrowing, and unexpectedly moving, a coming-of-age road trip set against one of the war's great horrors. The most entertaining way into the siege, without ever cheapening it.
Who Should Read It
Read it if you want
- A gripping, darkly funny siege novel
- Story and momentum
- An accessible entry to the Leningrad siege
- A coming-of-age adventure with real stakes
Look elsewhere if you want
- A documentary history of the siege
- Unrelieved gravity
- Strategic or military detail
Why We Rated It 4.5
Historical Context
City of Thieves is set during the German siege of Leningrad and follows two young men sent on a near-impossible errand to find eggs amid mass starvation. Published in 2008, it is framed as a story the narrator's grandfather told him; Benioff later became a co-creator of the Game of Thrones television series.
Events Covered
Editions & Reading Notes
Read It Alongside
Collector's Corner
Where to Buy
ISBN: 978-0452295292
Other Books About the Same Events
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is City of Thieves a true story?
- It is a novel, framed as a family story; the siege of Leningrad it depicts is real, but the characters and quest are invented.
- Is it appropriate as a first book on the siege?
- As an engaging entry point, yes — but pair it with a history like The 900 Days for the full reality.