In the mid-19th century as revolution swept across Europe, a group of Russian intellectuals, journalists, critics, philosophers, poets and their friends tried to topple the tsar for the cause of freedom. Tom Stoppard's epic follows these men and women over thirty years, as their intertwined lives, passions and dreams drive them in pursuit of perfection.
The second part of Stoppard's trilogy, Shipwreck, centers on the visionary Russian leader Alexander Herzen and his fellow revolutionaries who find inspiration as well as frustration in exile in Paris and London. As the revolution of 1848 unfolds outside Herzen's door and the tides of political and social upheaval swell, Herzen's circle, and his family, are profoundly affected.