In this unprecedented biography of the Soviet tyrant and of the men and women who sustained him in power for nearly 30 years, Montofiore offers a seamless meshing of new and exhaustive research, brilliant synthesis, and narrative lan. 24 pages of photos. 2 maps.

In this unprecedented biography of the Soviet tyrant and of the men and women who sustained him in power for nearly 30 years, Montofiore offers a seamless meshing of new and exhaustive research, brilliant synthesis, and narrative lan. 24 pages of photos. 2 maps.

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, family life and murderous cruelty of this secret world. Written with bracing narrative verve, this 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.