Simon Sebag-Montefiore

This widely acclaimed biography of Stalin and his entourage during the terrifying decades of his supreme power transforms our understanding of Stalin as Soviet dictator, Marxist leader, and Russian tsar.Based on groundbreaking research, Simon Sebag Montefiore reveals the fear and betrayal, privilege and debauchery, …

"Epic history on the grandest scale. . . . Game of Thrones seems like the proverbial vicar's tea party in comparison."—Financial TimesThe Romanovs were the most successful dynasty of modern times, ruling a sixth of the world’s surface for three centuries. How did one family turn a war-ruined principality into the …

Based on ten years' astonishing new research, here is the thrilling story of how a charismatic, dangerous boy became a student priest, romantic poet, gangster mastermind, prolific lover, murderous revolutionary, and the merciless politician who shaped the Soviet Empire in his own brutal image: How Stalin became Stalin.