Stalin Reviews

‘An extraordinary book... For anyone fascinated by the nature of evil, and by the effects of absolute power on human relationships, this book will provide new insights on every page.’

1. Anne Applebaum, Evening Standard

Written by the best-selling and prize-winning historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar is a thrilling, intimate portrait of a dictator who ‘believed the solution to every human problem was death’, and the henchmen who presided over an era of mass murder in his name. Drawing on ground-breaking original research, Sebag Montefiore lays out in terrifying detail the intrigue, debauchery, paranoia and treachery inside the cloistered world of the Soviet Union’s ruling circle. With its fresh perspective on the way Stalin and his associates exercised power, both within and outside the Kremlin, this has become the definitive biography. The selection of photography is unique to this handsome two-volume Folio edition, portraying the figures within Stalin’s court and the enormity of war and oppression in the territories he ruled. It includes pictures from the David King Archive, one of the world’s leading collections of Soviet photography – some published for the first time. At a time when statues are once again being raised to Stalin in Russia, The Court of the Red Tsar is a chilling and timely read.