Vladimir Volkoff's Biography

Vladimir Volkoff was born in Paris in 1932 of Russian emigre parents.

He studied at the Sorbonne and has a Ph.D from the University of Liege. Volkoff served as an officer in the French army during the Algerian War.

Vladimir Volkoff's first novel was published in 1962. Since which time he has written several novels including Metro pour L'enfer (Subway to Hell) which received the Jules Verne award in 1963, and the brilliant Le Retournement (The turn-around), which won the Prix Chateaubriand in 1979; as well as The Underdog Appeal.

For many years Volkoff was a lecturer, he was also a journalist and translated many works including The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens into French.

Volkoff also wrote original and interesting historical works on subjects he felt connected to. One of these was Vladimir, The Russian King; another even more personal subject was Tchaikovsky: A self-portrait. Volkoff's great-grandmother was Tchaikovsky's cousin.

Volkoff's hobbies included amateur theatricals, fencing and shooting.

Vladimir Volkoff died in September 2005 at his home in Perigord, France. His death was announced by his publisher Pierre-Guillaume de Roux.