Winner of the British Book Awards History Book of the Year Longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize This thrilling biography of Stalin & his entourage during the terrifying decades of his supreme power transforms our understanding of Stalin as Soviet dictator Marxist leader & Russian tsar Based on groundbreaking research Simon Sebag Montefiore reveals in captivating detail the fear & betrayal privilege & debauchery family life & 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 & crimes were the product of his fanatical Marxism & his gifted but flawed character this is an intimate portrait of a man as complicated & human as he was brutal & chilling