- Category: Books » Biography & Autobiography » Entertainment & Performing Arts - General
- Format: Hardcover Learn more about the Hardcover format using Tower WIKI.
- Publisher: HarperBusiness
- Number of Pages: 400
- ISBN: 0060855894
- WAPI (Tower ID): 112522213
- Release Date: May 1, 2009
- Average Customer Review: There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!
- Tower.com Sales Rank: #84705 in Books (See Top 100 Books Bestsellers)
- #2319 in Biography & Autobiography (See Top 100 Biography & Autobiography Bestsellers)
- #56 in Entertainment & Performing Arts - General (See Top 100 Entertainment & Performing Arts - General Bestsellers)
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Product DescriptionRun a Quick Search on "The Vodka King: The Life and Times of Pyotr Smirnov" by Linda Himelstein to Browse Related Products:Browse more products related to "The Vodka King: The Life and Times of Pyotr Smirnov"Browse more products related to "Linda Himelstein"Review"[T]he most fascinating, perplexing and dynamic character in this story is the Russia of the 19th and early 20th centuries, which Himelstein, a San Francisco writer, portrays with brio....[THE KING OF VODKA] is an impressive feat of research, told swiftly and enthusiastically, and brings depth and substance to a product that is otherwise bereft." "THE KING OF VODKA is partly a founder's biography and partly a colorful chronicle of the rise of a business. Ms. Himelstein... keeps her narrative moving neatly along, distilling complex matters of commerce into a clear and readable form. She uncovers striking facts....[and] her account of the business climate in late imperial Russia....[is p]articularly interesting..." Publisher's noteIn this sweeping history of vodka scion Pyotr Smirnov and his family, distinguished journalist Linda Himelstein plumbs a great riddle of Russian history through the story of a humble serf who rose to create one of the most celebrated business empires the world has ever known. At the center of this vivid narrative, Pyotr Smirnov comes to life as a hero of wonderful complexity--a man of intense ambition and uncanny business sense, a patriarch of a family that would help define Russian society and suffer from the Revolution's aftermath, and a loyalist to a nation that would one day honor him as a treasure of the state. Born in a small village in 1831, Smirnov relied on vodka--a commodity that in many ways defines Russia--to turn a life of scarcity and anonymity into one of immense wealth and international recognition. Starting from the backrooms and side streets of 19th century Moscow, Smirnov exploited a golden age of emancipation and brilliant grassroots marketing strategies to popularize his products and ensconce his brand within the thirsts and imaginations of drinkers around the world. His vodka would be gulped in the taverns of Russia and Europe, praised with accolades at World Fairs, and become a staple on the tables of Tsars. His improbable ascent--set against a sobriety crusade supported by Chekhov and Tolstoy, mounting political uprisings and labor strikes, the eventual monopolization of the vodka trade by the state--would crumble amidst the chaos of the Bolshevik revolution. Only a set of bizarre coincidences--including an incredible prison escape by one of Smirnov's sons in 1919--would prevent Smirnov's legacy from fading into oblivion. Set against a backdrop of political and ideological currents that would determine the course of global history--from the fall of the Tsars to the rise of Communism, from vodka's popularization by none other than James Bond to Smirnoff's emergence as a multi-billion dollar brand--Smirnov's story of triumph and tragedy is a captivating historical touchstone. "The King of Vodka" is much more than a biography of an extraordinary man. It is a work of narrative history on an epic scale. A profile of the vodka empire leader describes his early years as a serf in Tolstoy's Russia, the formation of the Smirnov company, and the tumultuous events that influenced the Smirnov family and helped to spark the revolution. AnnotationLinda Himelstein uses the life of vodka kingpin Pyotr Smirnov as a lens to view the tumult of Russian history in the late 19th and early 20th century and beyond. Smirnov rose from a peasant's life to become one of the wealthiest men in the world by employing a tactic then unheard of in Russia--marketing. Within his lifetime, his name became internationally known, and he was celebrated as a hero in his home country, despite the criticism of Leo Tolstoy, who blamed most of life's problems on alcoholism. But the Bolshevik Revolution nearly wiped Smirnov's name from our collective memory, and it was only a series of incredible coincidences, including his son's escape from prison, which kept his vodka empire intact. As Himelstein relates in this thrilling history, the events which resuscitated Smirnov's reputation, including an assist from James Bond, were perhaps more extraordinary than his original rise to prominence. If You Enjoy "The Vodka King: The Life and Times of Pyotr Smirnov (Hardcover)", May We Also Recommend:Customer Reviews for "The Vodka King: The Life and Times of Pyotr Smirnov (Hardcover)" by Linda Himelstein (Author)There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review! Entertainment & Performing Arts - General Bestsellers
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