The Journeys of Socrates

The international bestselling author is bck with a page-turning tale of the origins of the peaceful warrior

In the heart of nineteenth century Tsarist Russia an orphaned boy born of both Jewish and Cossack blood desperately seeks to find a place in a dangerous world. Sergei Ivanov’s (Socrates’) journey from a military academy to America is a spellbinding and tragic odyssey of courage and love. This riveting novel reveals how a boy became a man, how a man became a warrior, and how a warrior discovered peace. From his birth, this boy—Sergei Ivanov—is destined to become the peaceful warrior and sage who changed the life of Dan Millman and millions of readers worldwide.

In nineteenth-century Tsarist Russia an orphaned child born of Jewish and Cossack blood grows up in a land of wealthy aristocrats, struggling peasants, and growing discontent. Sent to an elite military academy at the tender age of four, Sergei Ivanov (Socrates) comes of age training to protect a way of life he doesn't understand. When a sudden death forces Sergei to flee, he escapes into the wilderness.

With nothing to cling to but a memory of his grandfather and the promise of a gift buried near St. Petersburg, Sergei journeys across a harsh land to seek his place in the world. The adventure that unfolds is not about the revolutions of history, but about the revolution in one man's heart. A stirring story of tragedy and triumph emerges as Sergei encounters mentors and masters who reveal secrets about the arts of war and, ultimately, the path to peace. From the heights of love to the depths of despair, from the threat of a mortal enemy to the search for a child he has never met, Sergei Ivanov's odyssey unlocks hidden wisdom at the heart of life. He could never have imagined that from the moment of his birth he was destined to become the peaceful warrior who would change the lives of millions worldwide.

“Millman’s 1980 novel, Way of the Peaceful Warrior , first introduced the character of Socrates, the all-night gas station attendant who first sets the author on his journey toward self-enlightenment. In this third series installment (after Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior ), readers learn about the elusive philosopher’s upbringing in tsarist Russia. Born Sergei Ivanov, Socrates goes from being an orphan to struggling as a cadet at the military academy, from knowing nothing of his past to meeting his grandfather, learning that he is part Jewish and part Cossack, suffering a devastating loss, and fleeing the academy on a quest. Fans of the other books will be pleased with this prequel to the word-of-mouth best seller they have come to know and love. Satisfying both in its execution and in its attempt to add another piece to the puzzle, Millman’s latest is recommended for popular and New Age fiction collections.” - Library Journal

“Fans will be pleased. Satisfying both in its execution and in its attempt to add another piece to the puzzle.” - Library Journal

“Millman’s autobiographical Way of the Peaceful Warrior (1980) and 94-year-old gas-pump-jockey Socrates, the young Millman’s guru in it, are fixtures in the canon of New Age self-actualization literature, thanks to 2.5 million copies sold. This prequel provides an adventurous backstory for Socrates. It begins in czarist Russia with orphaned Sergei fleeing the Nevskiy military academy. He survives in the mountainous wilderness by fashioning a lean-to against the face of a cave near a waterfall on a stream that hosts salmon, trout, and a beaver dam, and by hunting and drying food for the winter. By his second year as a mountain man (1890), he has turned 18 and become part of the wild, high country. A close call with a hungry bear in 1891 drives him to St. Petersburg, where he hopes to verify his grandfather’s promise of buried treasure and use it to escape to America. Millman’s smoothly written text recounts a spiritual journey while it tells a creditable survival-adventure-coming-of-age story. Way-farers will want to join the journey.” - Booklist

“Way-farers will want to join the journey.” - Booklist

“Millman’s fluid storytelling makes this an easy read.” - Publishers Weekly