How to Nurture a Monster

Young Stalin is really good. Simon Sebag Montefiore writes is such an eloquent way, one can read or listen to his pros for hours. I picked this up as a break from reading a much longer book and I am glad I did.

Young Stalin is the precursor to Court of the Red Tsar and follows the birth of the Georgian Iosef Djugashvili in 1878 and his growth into the Man of Steel: Stalin and his seizure of power in 1917. From questions over his paternity, an abusive father who died young, being flung into a monastery to train as a priest (which had the opposite effect and created the fanatic), womanising and abandoning children to becoming a terrorist and bank robber. Then finally massaging the ego of Vladimir Lenin and pulling power from the hands of Alexander Kerensky, this story is extremely action packed and exciting.

Essentially Stalin was not created, it was always there, a man with no real human connections, no sense of sentimentality or remorse. A lack of regard for human life, the revolution and Marxism was everything. It was nurtured in the strict Tibilsi Spiritual Seminary classes where he came into contact with other revolutionaries. Although the story is one of excitement, it was one of embarrassment, he missed fighting in the Great War due to his arm defect (the result of an accident with a carriage when he was child). He was a man who spent the war years in Siberia sitting around reading and dodging the draft before finally being rejected due to the disability anyway. For a man who saw himself as a soldier-politician this is only a minor detail, that he was not a solider? Nor was he an academic, but he was a ferocious reader and started with the revolutionary bible, What is to be Done? By Nioklay Chernyshevsky.

I really enjoyed this, it was unputdownable. It filled in gaps and rehashed forgotten memories I have of the story. It is something I will revisit again. The bank robbery in Tiflis is exciting and told like a thriller novel.

A note on this audible book: it is abridged and so I have read the full book as I feel this doesn’t do justice to the story.

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Good old Secret Police for keeping tabs !

Superb recent history of pre-revolution Stalin, from childhood up to October 1917. Based largely it seems on recently released archival material. Those Russkies kept records on everything and everyone. Stalin is revealed to be a far more interesting and human character from the cold fish terror of 'The Terror' and beyond. I had bought the second volume (The Court of the Red Tsar) first, thinking this is the Stalin I want to know about. Big Mistake which I realised about 10 minutes in. You need to know what comes before the 1930's purging Stalin, indeed what helps explain (as much as one can) the infectious paranoia of those times. The fascinating story of Stalin's early life may help.

The dialogue is fabulous, the narration is superb. Sean Barratt has one of the great documentary voices. Some knowledge of Russian history of this time might be useful, yet the brief sketches of Lenin , Trotsky and other major figures and events are probably enough. This is not a detailed history of Communism, more a tale of a model dictator and how he came to be. The scary thing is, at times you feel you could have liked him !

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5 people found this helpful

Really enjoyed this -

Perspective on a world personality and some of the history behind him. Loved this book and the examination of the person of koba and what his life trajectory and what some of his struggles were. For me a text that brought the person to life and felt very real and authentic and nuanced as a character and as a personality.

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Brilliant

Loved this book, really engaging insight into a brutal but fascinating character. I will be getting the Red Tsar by the same author to find out what happens next. It is well read by the narrator.

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Sturdy abridgement

Very clear and suitably sober narration. Effective abridgement. Enjoyed the story if not the man and his deeds.

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Only if you have nothing more to read

I normally enjoy his works as I've read many. However, this one didn't impress me at all. I like this kinda staff and would like to read more but not this book. It's very superficial and only may come as addition to his other work about Stalin.

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1 person found this helpful

THRILLING LIFE STORY

The author was overly keen in my opinion to keep pointing out that Stalin was a bad man... every time Stalins actions were admirable or lovable .

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Ace!

Very informative insight into the young life of Stalin. Keeps you hooked from start to finish!

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Enthralling, put everything on hold and enjoy.

A tremendous insight and profile of the giant of Marxism that will inform the reader of the events that led through a twisted journey of Stalin’s rise, in put down able, switchgrass off the phone and get carried away to the rise of the revolution.Sean Bennet presents the narrative superbly.

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Why the abridgement?

This is a good book revealing much about the young dictator's life and times. And it is well read. Barrett's voice is something of a growling drone. But not unpleasantly so. And his tone suits the serious, grim nature of the subject.

As for the abridgement. Surely anyone interested enough to choose this book is interested in studying the Russian revolution and Russia in the 20th century and so will want more information, not less. Why go to the trouble and expense of publishing an abridged version of the book? Its as if some bright spark thinks that the public are too stupid to read or listen to the whole work, so we are given a spoon fed version istead.

Having said that, the abridgement seems well done, except that the chapter starts and ends are meaningless. The book is just one long monologue.

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7 people found this helpful