Young Stalin

Montefiore, Simon Sebag NEW title From the New York Times bestselling author of The Romanovs--and one of our pre-eminent historians--comes "a meticulously researched, authoritative biography" (The New York Times), the companion volume to the prize-winning Stalin, and essential reading for anyone interested in Russian history.This revelatory account unveils how Stalin became Stalin, examining his shadowy journey from obscurity to power--from master historian Simon Sebag Montefiore. Based on ten years of research, Young Stalin is a brilliant prehistory of the USSR, a chronicle of the Revolution, and an intimate biography. Montefiore tells the story of a charismatic, darkly turbulent boy born into poverty, scarred by his upbringing but possessed of unusual talents. Admired as a romantic poet and trained as a priest, he found his true mission as a murderous revolutionary. Here is the dramatic story of his friendships and hatreds, his many love affairs, his complicated relationship with the