Issued by the US military..., July 8, 2004

This is the dictionary the US military issued to its Russian language-studying soldiers at DLI in Monterey. It has excellent coverage of most basic and general vocabularies, and goes into depth on many other subjects (including military jargon). It is far easier to use than the Oxford Dictionary, as it lists each verb (glogol) with the prefix and/or suffix as an individual entry. Words are extremely easy to find here--unlike in many dictionaries of this type. Of course, there are some very specific Russian-English dictionaries out there that specialize in specific categories of the language. (Such as dictionaries of slang, or of obscenities) If you're a a generalist OR specialist who doesn't have a copy of this book, it is recommended. My copy is dog-eared and I did have to tape the cover (the paperback), due to frequent use.
Many of my Russian friends have used it to find the "right" word in English, and it has proven to be an exceptional resource in both directions. A must have for any student of Russian.

A Russian-English Dictionary That Is Actually Definitive!, April 4, 2004

Other dictionaries have given me such a hard time in the past--There are so many small words (as, of, at, etc.) that play a very important role in communication, but do not translate directly from English to Russian. Also, sometimes you can't be sure if when you look up a word (especially a word with more than one meaning) whether the translation you find means what you want it to mean.

This Dictionary, because it is definitive, tells you each definition of the words you look up, not unlike your classic Webster's dictionary.

I would recommend this dictionary to anyone who is interested in understanding (and being understood in) Russian or English.

Solid Dictionary, March 12, 2002

I've read all the reviews here and I will aprroach mine by commenting on some of the negative remarks.
A few of the negatives were in regard to poor binding of the hardback edition. These are fair remarks, indeed my copy has worn very quickly as well. However, the softcover edition does not have this problem and it is also easier to transport around.
The other negatives seemed to be by advanced students of the Russian language. I would certainly expect a linguist to have some quibbles and also to have other books they would use and recommend (such as one reviewer's endorsement of the, indeed, outstanding Daum/Schenk Russian verb dictionary). But for most users this book will be outstanding. For American English speakers of Russian I would say it is a must.

This was my first dictionary, in 1987--and remains my favorite dictionary today. I have literally loved two copies of this dictionary to pieces. My current copy is the first dictionary I reach for if I need a quick translation. This was the dictionary that was always at my side when I worked as an interpreter in Moscow. Of course, it is not meant for every purpose, but I have seen nothing as good as this dictionary for its size. There is also a great quick-reference declension guide inside.

This is an excellent dictionary, but it has a very fragile binding that is not suitable for a tome like this. What was Wiley thinking about when the selected the materials for this volume? The binding of my copy split in half after less than two years of usage and pages started falling out before that time. For a product that costs this much, I expect somthing that can actually be used for a long time. I can't bring myself to purchase a replacement volume, but instead will purchase an Oxford hardback.

Excellent!!!, September 12, 2004

This is a very good product. Before ordering it I had several doubts - but they all vanished once I laid my hands on this must-have Russian Language resource.

The writing is clear, the translation is as specific as it gets. Irregular declensions and conjugations are given as well. What a product!

BTW - don't think that this is a pocket dictionary - it is rather large and would function better on the shelf.

I recommend this book without hesitation.