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Young Stalin (Paperback)

by Simon Sebag Montefiore (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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Price For All Three: £20.22

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Product details

  • Paperback: 442 pages
  • Publisher: Phoenix; Reprinted Edition edition (1 May 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0753823799
  • ISBN-13: 978-1407221458
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13 x 3.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 3,140 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > History > Europe > Inter-war Period 1919-1938
    #1 in  Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Countries > Europe
    #1 in  Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Historical Figures > Joeseph Stalin

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Review

'this terrific and terrifying biography of the years to 1917.' THE INDEPENDENT 'It shares with its predecessor (STALIN THE COURT OF THE RED TSAR) the virtues of fine prose, empathy with a rich range of characters and narrative of great ability.' Ross Leckie, THE TIMES 'brilliantly readable history of Stalin...Sebag Montefiore's re-creation of the world in which his subject's picaresque career unfolded is wonderfully detailed and convincing, and the portrait he paints of an egotistical monster in the making is unforgettable.' Pick of the Week in THE SUNDAY TIMES 'this lively and accomplished account of Stalin's "gangsterish", pre-revolutionary youth, which draws on material from newly opened archives.' THE GUARDIAN 'bring[ing] to life the unnerving 'young man with the burning eyes" THE OBSERVER 'This colourful account...is a gripping read as well as faultlessly scholarly' THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'this zippy prequel' EVENING STANDARD 'gripping account... An excellent companion to Montefiore's previous bestseller' BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE 'a thrilling portrait of Lenin's chief gangster and successor.' DAILY EXPRESS --various

'this terrific and terrifying biography of the years to 1917.' (THE INDEPENDENT )<br /><br />'It shares with its predecessor (STALIN THE COURT OF THE RED TSAR) the virtues of fine prose, empathy with a rich range of characters and narrative of great ability.' (Ross Leckie, THE TIMES )<br /><br />'brilliantly readable history of Stalin.....Sebag Montefiore's re-creation of the world in which his subject's picaresque career unfolded is wonderfully detailed and convincing, and the portrait he paints of an egotistical monster in the making is unforgettable.' (Pick of the Week in THE SUNDAY TIMES )<br /><br />'this lively and accomplished account of Stalin's "gangsterish", pre-revolutionary youth, which draws on material from newly opened archives.' (THE GUARDIAN )<br /><br />'bring[ing] to life the unnerving 'young man with the burning eyes'' (THE OBSERVER )<br /><br />'This colourful account...is a gripping read as well as faultlessly scholarly' (THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )<br /><br />'this zippy prequel' (EVENING STANDARD )<br /><br />'gripping account....... An excellent companion to Montefiore's previous bestseller' (BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE )<br /><br />'a thrilling portrait of Lenin's chief gangster and successor.' (DAILY EXPRESS ) --various


Review

'this terrific and terrifying biography of the years to 1917.' (THE INDEPENDENT )

'It shares with its predecessor (STALIN THE COURT OF THE RED TSAR) the virtues of fine prose, empathy with a rich range of characters and narrative of great ability.' (Ross Leckie, THE TIMES )

'brilliantly readable history of Stalin.....Sebag Montefiore's re-creation of the world in which his subject's picaresque career unfolded is wonderfully detailed and convincing, and the portrait he paints of an egotistical monster in the making is unforgettable.' (Pick of the Week in THE SUNDAY TIMES )

'this lively and accomplished account of Stalin's "gangsterish", pre-revolutionary youth, which draws on material from newly opened archives.' (THE GUARDIAN )

'bring[ing] to life the unnerving 'young man with the burning eyes'' (THE OBSERVER )

'This colourful account...is a gripping read as well as faultlessly scholarly' (THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )

'this zippy prequel' (EVENING STANDARD )

'gripping account....... An excellent companion to Montefiore's previous bestseller' (BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE )

'a thrilling portrait of Lenin's chief gangster and successor.' (DAILY EXPRESS )
See all Product Description

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Young Stalin
86% buy the item featured on this page:
Young Stalin 4.2 out of 5 stars (16)
£5.90
Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar
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Sashenka
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Customer Reviews

16 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Biography of a Surprising Sympathetic Character..., 24 Sep 2008
By Mr. N. T. Baxter "Neil" (Cambridge, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
I was really surprised by my reaction to this book. Like pretty much any sane person I consider Stalin to be one of the great tyrants of history. A brutal murderer; paranoid, violent and cruel. However, reading the story of his early years I often found myself rooting for him in his struggles with the Tsarist police, brutal teachers and violent father.

He comes across, at least to start with, as a romantic character. He was an excellent writer and poet, and was loyal to his friends and his women. He saw injustice and fought against it with all his strength. But over time his brutal upbringing and his resulting lack of trust in others began to take over. In the end the sympathetic traits are consumed by paranoia and hatred, and this book is a wonderful description of how this transformation happened.

A really exciting story and a brilliant case study in the formative events of a unique criminal psychopathology.


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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, 25 Aug 2008
By R. A. Hooker "rah44uk" (London) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is a great biography. It's fast moving, full of action and Montefiore really brings the young Stalin to life as you flick from page to spell-binding page.

You find yourself at turns liking the passion and charisma of the protagonist, and then repelled by his nascent cruelty and emotional coldness.

This book really explodes the myth that Stalin was simply a "grey blur" before he began to seize power in the 1920's. He was a competent, intelligent and experienced revolutionary, who was important to Lenin and popular with the party grass roots. His drive and personal magnetism are awe-inspiring, and Sebag Montefiore's book is an exercise in demonstrating how true greatness is born.

I can't wait to read the author's book on Stalin's later life, "The Court of the Red Tsar".
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22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best biography for years, 7 May 2008
By Big Jim "Big Jim" (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
Having just finished Tim Jeal's excellent biography of Stanley I stated that that was the best biography I had read for years. I immediately started on this one and three days later am pleased to announce that THIS is the best biography I have read for years. I could resort to cliches (OK I will resort to cliches)this is a virtually unputdownable, page turner. A boys own adventure - well perhaps a bit brutal to be boys own, but in all seriousness, if someone came to a publisher with this as a work of fiction they'd be laughed out of court at the sheer improbability of it. But having said that, the rip-snorting action packed nature of this work allows the prose to flow in a fictional "style" as it were, making this a slightly better "read" than the same author's "The court of the Red Tsar" about Stalin's years in power

I'm not going to repeat a lot of facts and snippets from the book that have become apparent since the opening of the Russian archives, all I'm going to do is urge you to read this book. You will definitely not regret it.
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2.0 out of 5 stars young stalin-paperback

my copy had pages 59-106 missing and pages 107-154 in duplicate so i am not best pleased. my complaint in january did not reach you.
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