Stalin: A Biography

The acclaimed biography of Joseph Stalin from Robert Service, world-leading expert in modern and Soviet era Russia.

'Outstanding . . . will be read for decades' – Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar

Spanning from childhood to death, Service chronicles every element of Stalin’s life: his formative interactions in Georgia, his youthful revolutionary activism, his relationship with Lenin, with his family, and with his party members. Seen through Stalin’s career, Service recounts some of the greatest events in modern history: the Russian Revolution, World War Two and the early years of the Cold War.

Thoroughly researched and balanced, this vivid biography moves beyond the often simplistic portrayals of Stalin as a dedicated bureaucrat or serial political killer, encompassing the multitude of political and personal factors that formed his character.

Drawing on a wealth of unexplored material from previously unopened archives, Stalin: A Biography is a masterful, authoritative portrait of the Soviet Union’s longest serving leader.

Discover more acclaimed biographies from Robert Service: Lenin and Trotsky.