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Stalin

By: Simon Sebag Montefiore
Narrated by: Jonathan Aris
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Summary

Winner of the British Book Awards History Book of the Year

Longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize

This thrilling 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 in captivating detail the fear and betrayal, privilege and debauchery, family life and murderous cruelty of this secret world. Written with extraordinary narrative verve, this magnificent feat of scholarly research has become a classic of modern history writing. Showing how Stalin's triumphs and crimes were the product of his fanatical Marxism and his gifted but flawed character, this is an intimate portrait of a man as complicated and human as he was brutal and chilling.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2003 Simon Sebag Montefiore (P)2019 Orion Publishing Group

Critic reviews

Horrific, revelatory and sobering ... triumph of research and should be required reading in Russia. Book of the Year (John Le Carre)
This grim masterpiece, shot through with lashes of black humour ... The personal details are riveting (Antonia Fraser)
Fascinating ... [Montefiore] concentrates, as any good historian should, on pushing forward the boundaries of our knowledge of the subject ... [He] provides rich detail of daily life and family relationships in a world of human values turned inside out ... scrupulously fair in the way he describes Stalin's qualities - including his ability to charm, his uncanny grasp of geopolitical issues, his brilliant handling of foreign statesmen and his genuine passion for literature (Antony Beevor)

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What listeners say about Stalin

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Great book

Long but worth every word . Light shines into a time some of us lived through and those that did not should read this book. Wonderfully written and immensely well researched.

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Brilliant

An absolutely chilling and aweinspiring book about Stalin and the people closest to him. One of the best books I've read. Fantastic work!

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  • Overall
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entertaining

Entertaining yet inaccurate on number of points. In some cases author did not crosscheck evidence. One example: conversation between Zhukov, Vasilevsky and Stalin about "some other" ways to solve Stalingrad "problem" never happened. It is pure fiction of Zhukov in his memoirs in an attempt to grab some fame from successful "Uran" operation while "Mars" under his command was drowned in blood. Proof: Records of Stalin's daily visitor's journal. Zhukov or Vasilevsky did not visit Stalin on the date, before or after it.

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Fascinating

Starts slowly, but builds a tremendously rich picture of life in Stalin's inner circle. Shocking, at times comical, and always interesting.

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Very interesting 🧐 and enlightening

A great book, very well written, brilliantly narrated and I would definitely recommend this 📚 book.

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A must listen

A brilliant, insightful and entertaining history of Stalin. This farcical and utterly terrifying era of revolutionary Russia serves as a warning to us all

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Fascinating history

excellent book very well related. fascinating if repellant characters . Interesting facts and historic facts

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Riveting

A new insight into one of the 20th century 's worst villains. Read how he built up and then destroyed a long list of comrades and family whilst running one of the world's largest empires.

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Detailed, well researched, fascinating

A long journey through the unbelievably cruel, but clever, life of Joseph Stalin. Long, but worth listening to.

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Story of murder and dictatorship

A well recounted and detailed history of a murderous regime that explains the paranoia that defines the Russian state. A shocking history that is woven into compulsive listening; how would the west ever consider an alliance with a regime that kills and tortures its own to such an extent? If you ever doubted Russophobia this will cure you!

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3 people found this helpful