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Square Peg: My Story and What It Means for Raising Innovators, Visionaries, and Out-of-the-Box Thinkers
by Todd RoseIn the seventh grade, Todd Rose was suspended-not for the first time-for throwing six stink bombs at the blackboard, where his art teacher stood with his back to the class. At eighteen, he was a high school dropout, stocking shelves at a department store for $4.25 an hour. Today, Rose is a faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.Square Peg illuminates the struggles of millions of bright young children -- and their frustrated parents and teachers--who are stuck in a one-size-fits-all school system that fails to approach the student as an individual. Rose shares his own incredible journey from troubled childhood to Harvard, seamlessly integrating cutting-edge research in neuroscience and psychology along with advances in the field of education, to ultimately provide a roadmap for parents and teachers of kids who are the casualties of America's antiquated school system. With a distinguished blend of humor, humility, and practical advice for nurturing children who are a poor fit in conventional schools, Square Peg is a game-changing manifesto that provides groundbreaking insight into how we can get the most out of all the students in our classrooms, and why today's dropouts could be tomorrow's innovators.
Square Peg, Round Ball: Football, TV and Me
by Ned Boulting'What Ned hasn't seen on a sports TV channel isn't worth knowing about.'Gabby Logan'From falling out with Mourinho to flying with Gerrard, this is a wonderful journey through football.'Henry Winter'A great read by one of sport's good guys.'Jonathan Liew'A beautiful love letter to a love no longer felt.'Adrian ChilesSquare Peg, Round Ball is a candid, insightful reminiscence on a life in football.From time to time, as I lurched from training ground to player's tunnel, I'd be glared at by Alex Ferguson, clapped on the back by Arsène Wenger, taken out the back by Alan Pardew or banned by José Mourinho. In the time it took for the Golden Generation to come of age, dominate, disappoint and retire, I fell in – and ultimately out – of love with the game, as I was granted a uniquely privileged insight into the backstage comings and goings of the professional football circus.Although best known as ITV's commentator on the Tour de France, Ned Boulting has spent most of his professional life covering football.Follow Ned's journey from football supporter to reporter – from criss-crossing the country in a banger of a car hoping for a word or two from the latest big signing, to the glamour of the Champions League. Ned really has been there, done that, and got the Sky Sports jacket to prove it.Witnessing the shenanigans, the machinations and the idiocy of football at close quarters Ned shares his best stories with affection. Whether it's treading mud into Steven Gerrard's pristine white carpets, or nearly being pushed into oncoming traffic by a menacing Vinnie Jones, or being chased away from Roman Abramovich's house by some scary looking men on quadbikes – Ned has made a fool of himself to bring us the best tales from his experiences in 90s and 2000s football.
Square Peg, Round Ball: Football, TV and Me
by Ned Boulting'What Ned hasn't seen on a sports TV channel isn't worth knowing about.'Gabby Logan'From falling out with Mourinho to flying with Gerrard, this is a wonderful journey through football.'Henry Winter'A great read by one of sport's good guys.'Jonathan Liew'A beautiful love letter to a love no longer felt.'Adrian ChilesSquare Peg, Round Ball is a candid, insightful reminiscence on a life in football.From time to time, as I lurched from training ground to player's tunnel, I'd be glared at by Alex Ferguson, clapped on the back by Arsène Wenger, taken out the back by Alan Pardew or banned by José Mourinho. In the time it took for the Golden Generation to come of age, dominate, disappoint and retire, I fell in – and ultimately out – of love with the game, as I was granted a uniquely privileged insight into the backstage comings and goings of the professional football circus.Although best known as ITV's commentator on the Tour de France, Ned Boulting has spent most of his professional life covering football.Follow Ned's journey from football supporter to reporter – from criss-crossing the country in a banger of a car hoping for a word or two from the latest big signing, to the glamour of the Champions League. Ned really has been there, done that, and got the Sky Sports jacket to prove it.Witnessing the shenanigans, the machinations and the idiocy of football at close quarters Ned shares his best stories with affection. Whether it's treading mud into Steven Gerrard's pristine white carpets, or nearly being pushed into oncoming traffic by a menacing Vinnie Jones, or being chased away from Roman Abramovich's house by some scary looking men on quadbikes – Ned has made a fool of himself to bring us the best tales from his experiences in 90s and 2000s football.
Squirrel Pie (and other stories): Adventures in Food Across the Globe
by Ms Elisabeth Luard'Sacrilegious to say it but Elizabeth Luard even beats Elizabeth David. Exquisite writing and wonderful food, and funny too' Prue Leith'Elisabeth Luard proves that no matter where you are, there is food to be gathered, or hunted, or found. Squirrel Pie is a beautifully written tribute to food that has all but vanished from our everyday lives' Alice WatersElisabeth Luard, one of the food world's most entertaining and evocative writers, has travelled extensively throughout her life, meeting fascinating people, observing different cultures and uncovering extraordinary ingredients in unusual places. In this enchanting food memoir, she shares tales and dishes gathered from her global ramblings.With refreshing honesty and warmth, she recounts anecdotes of the many places she has visited: scouring for snails in Crete, sampling exotic spices in Ethiopia and tasting pampered oysters in Tasmania. She describes encounters with a cellarer-in-chief and a mushroom-king, and explains why stress is good news for fruit and vegetables, and how to spot a truffle lurking under an oak tree. Divided into four landscapes – rivers, islands, deserts and forests – Elisabeth's stories are coupled with more than fifty authentic recipes, each one a reflection of its unique place of origin, including Boston bean-pot, Hawaiian poke, Cretan bouboutie, mung-bean roti, roasted buttered coffee beans, Anzac biscuits and Sardinian lemon macaroons. Illustrated with Elisabeth's own sketches, Squirrel Pie will appeal to anyone with a taste for travel, and an affinity for that most universal of languages, food.
Sri Aurobindo: The Life and Teachings of a Revolutionary Philosopher
by Roshen DalalAn illuminating exploration of the life and philosophy of an uncommon visionary.Widely revered as a preeminent philosopher and spiritual leader, Sri Aurobindo’s teachings and legacy inspire millions across the globe. Yet, the true essence of his wisdom remains an enigma, intensified further by the mystique surrounding his life. In this comprehensive new biography, veteran historian Roshen Dalal sets out to demystify Aurobindo’s unique journey. From his early years and education in England to his consequential return to India during its embryonic freedom movement, his arrest in the infamous Alipore Bomb Case and subsequent spiritual awakening and ascetic life at his ashram in Pondicherry, she unravels the intricate events and relationships that shaped his thinking – particularly his collaborations with his spiritual partner, the Mother. Through meticulous analysis of his writings, she sheds light on Aurobindo’s radical path for the future – towards a harmonious world order and the awakening of a divine consciousness, culminating in the ultimate transformation of humanity. Drawing from over three decades of research, Dalal presents here the most accessible, lucid and insightful portrait of Sri Aurobindo to date. She underscores the pioneering ideas of a visionary thinker and the enduring power of his legacy.
Srinatha: The Poet who Made Gods and Kings
by Velcheru Narayana Rao David ShulmanDavid Shulman and Velcheru Narayana Rao offer a groundbreaking cultural biography of Srinatha, arguably the most creative figure in the thousand-year history of Telugu literature. Their study, which includes extensive translations of Srinatha's major works, shows the poet's place in a great classical tradition in a moment of profound cultural transformation.
The SS Officer's Armchair: In Search of a Hidden Life
by Daniel LeeIt began with an armchair. It began with the surprise discovery of a stash of personal documents covered in swastikas sewn into its cushion. The SS Officer’s Armchair is the story of what happened next, as Daniel Lee follows the trail of cold calls, documents, coincidences and family secrets, to uncover the life of one Dr Robert Griesinger from Stuttgart. Who was he? What had his life been – and how had it ended?Lee reveals the strange life of a man whose ambition propelled him to become part of the Nazi machinery of terror. He discovers his unexpected ancestral roots, untold stories of SS life and family fragmentation. As Lee delves deeper, Griesinger’s responsibility as an active participant in Nazi crimes becomes clearer. Dr Robert Griesinger’s name is not infamous. But to understand the inner workings of the Third Reich, we need to know not just its leaders, but the ordinary Nazis who made up its ranks. Revealing how Griesinger’s choices reverberate into present-day Germany, and among descendants of perpetrators, Lee raises potent questions about blame, manipulation and responsibility. A historical detective story and a gripping account of one historian’s hunt for answers, The SS Officer’s Armchair is at once a unique addition to our understanding of Nazi Germany and a chilling reminder of how such regimes are made not by monsters, but by ordinary people.
The SS Officer's Armchair: In Search of a Hidden Life
by Daniel LeeIt began with an armchair. It began with the surprise discovery of a stash of personal documents covered in swastikas sewn into its cushion. The SS Officer’s Armchair is the story of what happened next, as Daniel Lee follows the trail of cold calls, documents, coincidences and family secrets, to uncover the life of one Dr Robert Griesinger from Stuttgart. Who was he? What had his life been – and how had it ended?Lee reveals the strange life of a man whose ambition propelled him to become part of the Nazi machinery of terror. He discovers his unexpected ancestral roots, untold stories of SS life and family fragmentation. As Lee delves deeper, Griesinger’s responsibility as an active participant in Nazi crimes becomes clearer. Dr Robert Griesinger’s name is not infamous. But to understand the inner workings of the Third Reich, we need to know not just its leaders, but the ordinary Nazis who made up its ranks. Revealing how Griesinger’s choices reverberate into present-day Germany, and among descendants of perpetrators, Lee raises potent questions about blame, manipulation and responsibility. A historical detective story and a gripping account of one historian’s hunt for answers, The SS Officer’s Armchair is at once a unique addition to our understanding of Nazi Germany and a chilling reminder of how such regimes are made not by monsters, but by ordinary people.
St George: The patron saint of England (Pocket Essential Ser.)
by Giles MorganSt. George is a figure that bridges many worlds. At the heart of the myths and legends surrounding this English icon lies the story of an early Christian martyr persecuted by the Roman Empire around the third century AD. But England is only one country to have adopted this legendary soldier saint as their patron. Other countries including Germany, Armenia, Hungary, Portugal, Catalonia and Malta have all claimed him as their own. The cult of St. George is astonishingly widespread with churches being dedicated to him in Ethiopia, Egypt, Greece and France.His heroic struggle and victory against the dragon can be interpreted as representing the bravery of an individual Christian or as the eternal battle been good and evil. But closer examination of the cult of St. George yields unexpected results. There are clear parallels between his legendary battle and that of earlier pre-Christian heroes such as Perseus and Beowulf. St. George is also identified with the Islamic hero Al Khidr who is said to have discovered the fountain of youth. He has been associated with the coming of spring and has functioned as fertility symbol and been closely linked to the Green Man of Pre-Christian Myth. St. George has also acted as a symbol of chastity and served as a healing saint. His flag has been appropriated by the far right but in recent times come to identify a multi-cultural England.'fascinating...Well written and meandering delightfully, Morgan held my attention more than I had anticipated' - Bob Rickard, Fortean Times
St Patrick: The Life and World of Ireland's Saint
by J. B. BurySt Patrick is perhaps the most venerated saint of the modern age, whose feast day is marked each year by massive celebrations across the world, from Dublin to New York and Sydney to Rio de Janeiro. Yet, in spite of his popularity, very little is known of his life, which is clouded by myth and uncertainty. The facts that are known - that he was born in the late fourth century in Roman Britain, was captured by Irish raiders at the age of 16 and sold into slavery, escaped six years later to Britain where he became a priest and later a bishop before returning to Ireland to proselytise - give only a vague sense of the man behind the legends. J.B. Bury's classic biography, which remains the definitive work on the saint, dispels many of the myths and paints a vivid and exacting portrait of the world around St Patrick, revealing the influences and inspirations that transformed him from a minor fifth century missionary into the patron saint of Ireland and a source of living inspiration for countless people - the Irish above all - some 1,500 years after his death.
St Patrick: The Life and World of Ireland's Saint
by J. B. BurySt Patrick is perhaps the most venerated saint of the modern age, whose feast day is marked each year by massive celebrations across the world, from Dublin to New York and Sydney to Rio de Janeiro. Yet, in spite of his popularity, very little is known of his life, which is clouded by myth and uncertainty. The facts that are known - that he was born in the late fourth century in Roman Britain, was captured by Irish raiders at the age of 16 and sold into slavery, escaped six years later to Britain where he became a priest and later a bishop before returning to Ireland to proselytise - give only a vague sense of the man behind the legends. J.B. Bury's classic biography, which remains the definitive work on the saint, dispels many of the myths and paints a vivid and exacting portrait of the world around St Patrick, revealing the influences and inspirations that transformed him from a minor fifth century missionary into the patron saint of Ireland and a source of living inspiration for countless people - the Irish above all - some 1,500 years after his death.'J.B. Bury was a great historian and he remains as readable and provocative as ever.'- Robert Conquest
Stable Lass: Riding Out and Mucking In - Tales from a Yorkshire Racing Yard
by Gemma Hogg'Poignant and compelling, an equine Bridget Jones.' Racing PostBeing a stable lass is probably one of the hardest jobs in the country, and yet for Gemma Hogg it is the most rewarding. She works in the beautiful Yorkshire market town of Middleham and if her colleagues are occasionally challenging, then the horses are downright astonishing. Now, in Stable Lass, she takes us into the closed world of a top racing yard, from the elation of having several winners in one day to the almost indescribable grief of losing a horse. Like most stable lads and lasses, Gemma arrived in her yard as a teenager fresh out of racing college and had to cope with living away from home for the first time, as well as adapting to the brutal long hours, backbreaking work and often treacherous weather. She describes falling in love with Polo Venture, the first racehorse in her care, the pure exhilaration of riding him on Middleham Gallops for the first time and what happens when a horse takes against you, from the growling gelding Valiant Warrior to the potentially lethal Broadway Boy. She brings to life the characters around the yard, from straight-talking boss Micky Hammond to the jockeys starving themselves to make weight, the wealthy owners and the other stable lads and lasses who come from a range of different places and backgrounds. Stable Lass by Gemma Hogg is a unique look into the world of horse racing filled with heart-warming stories and amazing thoroughbreds – some loveable, some cantankerous, all impressive.
Stacey: My Story So Far
by Stacey SolomonStacey shares her bestselling story of her rise to the top in My Story So FarAs a kid, Stacey dreamed of becoming a star. But at 17, it looked like her dream was shattered when she got pregnant by mistake. Always the fighter, new single mum Stacey rallied, found a college with a crèche for her son Zachery and waitressed at night, determined that he should have the opportunities she didn't. And then the X Factor came along, where she stunned Britain with her astonishing voice. She has now gone from from hard-up single mum to X Factor favourite to Queen of the Jungle and much-loved TV presenter in just two years.Stacey Solomon's My Story So Far is a fantastic and inspirational read by a modern-day heroine who has remained true to her working class roots and who has always looked on the bright side of life.'Stacey has charmed that nation with her down-to-earth personality and irrepressible spirit. She has no idea how popular she is and that's why people love her' Sunday Mirror'Very honest and very open. Lots of young girls will read this and identify with it. Brilliant. I advise anyone to go and read it' Louise Redknapp, Something for the Weekend, BBC1 'If Stacey Solomon wasn't real, you'd want to make her up. She's hilariously dizzy yet whip-smart. She's a treat' Scotsman'She has a warm smile, an infectious laugh and a heart of gold' Love It'Dagenham Darling' Daily MirrorJust an ordinary girl from Dagenham, Essex but with an amazing talent, Stacey Solomon was catapulted to fame when she wowed Simon Cowell at the X Factor audition that changed her life forever. Her music career launched, Stacey has been a national treasure ever since, culminating in her victory on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here. She began her presenting career on ITV's Sing if You Can, and is the face of Iceland.
Stage Blood: Five tempestuous years in the early life of the National Theatre
by Michael BlakemoreIn 1971, Michael Blakemore joined the National Theatre as Associate Director under Laurence Olivier. The National, still based at the Old Vic, was at a moment of transition awaiting the move to its vast new home on the South Bank. Relying on generous subsidy, it would need an extensive network of supporters in high places. Olivier, a scrupulous and brilliant autocrat from a previous generation, was not the man to deal with these political ramifications. His tenure began to unravel and, behind his back, Peter Hall was appointed to replace him in 1973. As in other aspects of British life, the ethos of public service, which Olivier espoused, was in retreat. Having staged eight productions for the National, Blakemore found himself increasingly uncomfortable under Hall's regime. Stage Blood is the candid and at times painfully funny story of the events that led to his dramatic exit in 1976. He recalls the theatrical triumphs and flops, his volatile relationship with Olivier including directing him in Long Day's Journey into Night, the extravagant dinners in Hall's Barbican flat with Harold Pinter, Jonathan Miller and the other associates, the opening of the new building, and Blakemore's brave and misrepresented decision to speak out. He would not return to the National for fifteen years.
Stage Directions: Writing on Theatre 1970-2008
by Michael FraynStage Directions covers half a lifetime and the whole range of Frayn's theatrical writing, right up to a new piece about his latest play, Afterlife. It is also a reflection on his path into theatre: the 'doubtful beginnings' of his childhood, his subsequent scorn as a young man and, surprisingly late in life, his reluctant conversion. Whatever subjects he tackles, from the exploration of the atomic nucleus to the mechanics of farce, Michael Frayn is never less than fascinating, delightfully funny and charming. This book encapsulates a lifetime's work and is guaranteed to be a firm favourite with his legions of fans around the world.
Stage Mum
by Lisa GeeWhen Lisa Gee's six-year-old daughter, Dora, goes to an open audition for the West End production of The Sound of Music, it's just a fun way to occupy some time in the Easter holidays. But when Dora unexpectedly lands the role, Lisa soon learns that Dora's brush with fame has less to do with paparazzi and lucrative paydays and more to do with endless rehearsals and outsize egos.Part fairy tale, part cautionary tale, this is the hilarious, engaging account of one child's step into the limelight. From the initial try-out with over a thousand Von Trapp hopefuls to performing on the London stage with Connie Fisher and an encounter with Julie Andrews, mother and daughter navigate the minefield of rehearsals, auditions and fame. This is a heart-warming glimpse into the sometimes not-so-glamorous world of show business and the delicate balance between being proud and being pushy. Stage Mum is a story for every parent who dreams big and every child who dreams bigger.
Stage rights!: The Actresses’ Franchise League, activism and politics 1908–58 (G - Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects)
by Naomi PaxtonDrawing upon previously unseen archival material, this book brings to life the story of the Actresses' Franchise League from 1908-1958, building a picture of this diverse, exciting and innovative organisation that opens up and extends previous scholarship of the suffrage movement, and of political and feminist networks in twentieth century theatre.
Stage rights!: The Actresses’ Franchise League, activism and politics 1908–58 (Women, Theatre And Performance Ser.)
by Naomi PaxtonDrawing upon previously unseen archival material, this book brings to life the story of the Actresses' Franchise League from 1908-1958, building a picture of this diverse, exciting and innovative organisation that opens up and extends previous scholarship of the suffrage movement, and of political and feminist networks in twentieth century theatre.
A Stain in the Blood: The Remarkable Voyage of Sir Kenelm Digby
by Joe MoshenskaSHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY and THE ELIZABETH LONGFORD PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY'A thrilling account' The Times'As heroic as Digby himself, Moshenska has defied the tyranny of genre and made his own absorbing account' Observer'A master storyteller. Full of exquisite details, but with the grandest themes... this is a gripping adventure story' Zia Haider Rahman'A brilliant account of one of the seventeenth century's most dashing lives' Ruth Scurr'Gripping and extraordinary' Ann WroeOn the 16th of August 1628, five battle-scarred English ships sailed into the harbour of the Greek island of Milos. Dropping anchor, the 25-year-old captain banqueted with the local lord before sitting down to write an account of his journey – an account that would transform him entirely. Sir Kenelm Digby was one of the most remarkable Englishmen who ever lived: a trusted advisor to the King, but the sworn enemy of the all-powerful Duke of Buckingham; a pioneering philosopher and scientist, but committed to the occult arts of alchemy and astrology; a friend not only of Ben Jonson, Thomas Hobbes and van Dyck, but even Oliver Cromwell. He was also widely known as the ‘son of a traytor and husband of a whore’: a man who witnessed his father’s gruesome execution for high treason as a Gunpowder Plotter, and the lover of the most celebrated beauty of the age, Venetia Stanley. In an attempt to clear his name, and on a quest for personal glory, Digby assembled a fleet and set sail for the Mediterranean: a world of pirate cities and ancient ruins where people, ideas and exotic goods moved freely between languages and nations. His journey – encompassing fevers, mutiny, piracy, daring rescues and heroic sea battles – is a great and terribly overlooked adventure, and a prism through which to view England, and all of Europe, during one of the most pivotal periods in its history. A Stain in the Blood is the story of an extraordinary life, and of a journey that helped to shape a nation. It is a revelatory first work of non-fiction by one of the brightest young writers and thinkers of today.
The Staircase Girls: The secret lives, heartaches and joy of the Cambridge ‘bedders’
by Catherine SeymourJoyce leaned her black Triumph bicycle against a wall, and shivered in the foggy, early dawn light. Glancing up at the enormous wooden, carved gate, she hesitated. This was a secret world she was about to enter... For 16 year old Joyce, who lived in one of the poorest streets in Cambridge, the college building where she was about to enter represented privilege, wealth, a life she'd never live. As a bedder, Joyce would be working up and down one of the stone staircases, making the beds of the male students, sweeping floors, dusting desks. She never expected to also find herself mothering, chastising and sometimes even covering up for 'her boys'.The Staircase Girls takes us into the lives of Joyce and other bedders, like Nance, Maud, Rose and Audrey. They endured the Second World War and then had to contend with poverty, ill health and bereavement. They loved, lost and loved again. But their friendships gave them strength, and their work gave them happiness - and even a lasting connection with their charges, some of whom would go on to run the country. Revealing their untold stories for the first time, this is a vivid, poignant account of these remarkable women's lives.
Stakeknife: Britain's Secret Agents in Ireland (History Of Ireland And The Irish Diaspora Ser.)
by Greg Harkin Ian HurstBESTSELLER An explosive exposé of how British military intelligence really works, from the inside. The stories of two undercover agents -- Brian Nelson, who worked for the Force Research Unit (FRU), aiding loyalist terrorists and murderers in their bloody work; and the man known as Stakeknife, deputy head of the IRA's infamous ‘Nutting Squad', the internal security force which tortured and killed suspected informers.
Stalin: New Biography of a Dictator (The\yale-hoover Series On Authoritarian Regimes Ser.)
by Oleg V. KhlevniukJosef Stalin exercised supreme power in the Soviet Union from 1929 until his death in 1953. During that quarter-century, by Oleg Khlevniuk’s estimate, he caused the imprisonment and execution of no fewer than a million Soviet citizens per year. Millions more were victims of famine directly resulting from Stalin's policies. What drove him toward such ruthlessness? This essential biography, by the author most deeply familiar with the vast archives of the Soviet era, offers an unprecedented, fine-grained portrait of Stalin the man and dictator. Without mythologizing Stalin as either benevolent or an evil genius, Khlevniuk resolves numerous controversies about specific events in the dictator’s life while assembling many hundreds of previously unknown letters, memos, reports, and diaries into a comprehensive, compelling narrative of a life that altered the course of world history. In brief, revealing prologues to each chapter, Khlevniuk takes his reader into Stalin’s favorite dacha, where the innermost circle of Soviet leadership gathered as their vozhd lay dying. Chronological chapters then illuminate major themes: Stalin’s childhood, his involvement in the Revolution and the early Bolshevik government under Lenin, his assumption of undivided power and mandate for industrialization and collectivization, the Terror, World War II, and the postwar period. At the book’s conclusion, the author presents a cogent warning against nostalgia for the Stalinist era.
Stalin: The Court Of The Red Tsar
by Simon Sebag MontefioreThere have been many biographies of Stalin, but the court that surrounded him is untravelled ground. Simon Sebag Montefiore, acclaimed biographer of Catherine the Great’s lover, prime minister and general Potemkin, has unearthed the vast underpinning that sustained Stalin. Not only ministers such as Molotov or secret service chiefs such as Beria, but men and women whose loyalty he trusted only until the next purge.
Stalin: From the Caucasus to the Kremlin (Routledge Historical Biographies)
by Christopher ReadThis new biography of Stalin offers an accessible and up-to-date representation of one of the twentieth-century’s defining figures, as well as new insights, analysis and illumination to deepen our understanding of his actions, intentions and the nature of the power that he wielded. Christopher Read examines Stalin’s contribution to and impact on Russian and world events in the first half of the twentieth century. The biography brings together the avalanche of sources and scholarship which followed the collapse of the system Stalin constructed, including the often neglected writings and speeches of Stalin himself. In addition to a detailed narrative and analysis of Stalin’s rule, chapters also cover his early years and humble beginnings in a small town at a remote outpost of the Russian Empire, his role in the revolution, his relationships with Lenin, Trotsky and others in the 1920s, and his rise to become one of the most powerful figures in human history. The book closes with an account of Stalin’s afterlife and legacy, both in the immediate aftermath of his death and in the decades since. This concise account of Stalin’s life is the perfect introduction for students of modern Russian history.