Sell Us the Rope cover art

Sell Us the Rope

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Sell Us the Rope

By: Stephen May
Narrated by: Saul Reichlin
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About this listen

Revolutionary, poet, lover. Robber, murderer, spy. May 1907 and a young Stalin is in London for a conference of Russian communists. With Lenin, Trotsky, and Rosa Luxemburg among others he battles to keep the party radical, while dodging the attentions of the Czar's secret police. He also finds himself drawn to a fiery Finnish activist, Elli Vuokko, beginning a relationship that is as dangerous as it is complicated.

Electrically-imagined, immersive and compulsively readable, Sell Us the Rope hums with the visceral energy of revolutionary fervour - Liz Jensen

Original, adept and confident... What can I say, except that I wish I had written it myself - Hilary Mantel

A fascinating and immersive imagining of real events that both challenges and illuminates history. - Benjamin Myers

Boldly conceived, precisely imagined, beautifully written. - Michael Stewart

Stephen May's writing is convincing and engaging in this brilliant tale of revolutionary shenanigans in London. - Suzanne Joinson

©2022 Stephen May (P)2022 W F Howes Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Political Russia Stalin Espionage

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Critic reviews

"Original, adept and confident.... What can I say, except that I wish I had written it myself." (Hilary Mantel)

"A fascinating and immersive imagining of real events that both challenges and illuminates history." (Benjamin Myers)

"Electrically imagined, immersive and thoroughly enjoyable, Sell Us the Rope hums with the visceral energy of revolutionary fervour." (Liz Jensen)
All stars
Most relevant
Atmospheric depiction of London’s east end at the beginning of the 20th century, a really fresh and immersive historical novel. Innovative narrative mixing fact and fiction, fast-paced with a cast of compelling characters. Often very funny with tragic moments too. Excellent narration brought the text to life.

My best read so far this year

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I wanted to love it but am a bit mystified by the glowing reviews. Fourteen chapters in, and still nothing has happened other than long descriptions of grubby London, poor lodgings, and not a single character one can like or identify with. Sadly, very dull indeed.

Four hours in. Nothing has happened yet.

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A very enjoyable romp through turn of the century London with turn of the century Revolutionaries.

When did we stop dreaming those twentieth century dreams of a different world? Perhaps when some of the characters here started killing a bunch of folk. But hey, the masses could at least look up at the stars, rather than at a computer screen into a false world of lies and filth

Bloody good stuff

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