Simon Sebag Montefiore

“El libro de Montefiore, lleno de episodios fascinantes, y en ocasiones horribles, es un sobrecogedor relato de guerras, traiciones, masacres, violaciones, fanatismo, torturas sádicas, pugnas, persec

Un Stalin menos enigmático, más íntimo, no menos brutal pero más humano.En cierto sentido, ésta es la primera biografía real de Stalin. Lo que se había publicado hasta ahora no dejaban de ser más que pasajes de su vida y su tiempo, complementados con la historia de la Union Sovietica para compensar la ausencia de informacion directa sobre uno de los dictadores mas famosos del mundo. Sin embargo, en este libro, Simon Sebag Montefiore, que ha tenido acceso a los archivos de Stalin y de sus colaboradores abiertos recientemente, nos descubre un Stalin inusual, sorprendente. Un Stalin menos enigmatico, mas intimo, no menos brutal pero mas humano.Y con el nos introduce a la apasionante historia de su corte imperial, a una epopeya de miedos y traiciones, a un mundo de privilegio y corrupcion, a una vida en la que se mezclaban el amor familiar y la brutalidad asesina. Stalin cultivaba el peligroso juego del poder con sus cortesanos durante las cenas y los bailes que tenian lugar en las impresionantes villas del Mar Negro y en los enormes apartamentos del Kremlin: un mundo secreto, pero extrañamente calido, poblado por asesinos, fanaticos, degenerados y aventureros. Desde el enano bisexual Yezhov hasta el depravado Beria, cada uno representaba un papel para Stalin: Molotov, el de necio, Ordzhonikidze el de exaltado, Kaganovich el de bruto, Voroshilov el del graciosillo estupido; Mikoyan el de listo; Zhdanov el de presuntuoso. Todos caminaban sobre el filo de la navaja, matando para sobrevivir, durmiendo con una pistola bajo la almohada; dejando morir a sus mujeres por capricho de Stalin o permitiendo que sus hijos vivieran segun un codigo de mentiras. Pero todos fueron fieles a la fe cuasirreligiosa del bolchevismo.

¿Puede una simple carta cambiar el curso de la historia?Escrito en la historia conmemora las mayores y más importantes cartas del panorama político, cultural, artístico, o de la vida privada de aquellos personajes celebres que influyeron en el devenir de nuestra historia. El aclamado historiador Simon Sebag Montefiore ha seleccionado mas de cien cartas que van desde la Antiguedad, como la que dirigio Marco Antonio a Octavio Augusto en el año 33 a. C.; hasta nuestro siglo, como la de Donald J. Trump a Kim Jong-Un en mayo de 2018. Sus autores varian desde Isabel I de Inglaterra, Ramses II, Frida Kahlo y Leonard Cohen, hasta Nelson Mandela, Stalin, Michelangelo o personajes anonimos que vivieron circunstancias extraordinarias. Cartas de amor, gritos a la libertad, declaraciones de guerra y reflexiones sobre la muerte que Montefiore, un maestro de contar historias, nos acerca, con su caracteristico estilo fresco y accesible. Porque estas cartas que ilustran nuestro pasado, enriquecen el modo en que vivimos hoy e iluminan nuestro futuro, son una lectura necesaria.

Simon Sebag Montefiore, uno de los más eminentes historiadores británicos, nos presenta las vidas de los gigantes que, para bien o para mal, han hecho nuestro mundo, en un reparto que va de conquistadores, poetas, reyes, emperatrices y prostitutas a psicopatas, compositores y exploradores; figuras como Tamerlan, el señor de la guerra mongol que, en el siglo XIV ordeno la construccion de una piramide de 70.000 craneos humanos, u Oskar Schindler, el hombre cuyo desinteresado heroismo salvo a mas de mil judios de la muerte a manos de la los nazis. Informativo, entretenido, estimulante y a veces escalofriante, esta es una historia del mundo que contiene las historias y los personajes que todos deberian conocer y que nadie debe olvidar.

La vida de Stalin antes de la Revolución fue siempre un enigma, que el mismo ocultaba con silencios y falsedades. Lo mismo podría decirse de los antecedentes de la propia Revolución, convertida en una leyenda epica tras el triunfo de los bolcheviques. Gracias a una impresionante aportacion de nuevos documentos, Simon Sebag Montefiore, el autor de aquella obra maestra que es “La corte del zar rojo”, nos descubre un joven Stalin hasta ahora desconocido, que cobra una sorprendente dimension humana en estas paginas, y nos da una vision por dentro de la forma en que se preparo y triunfo la Revolucion: “una prehistoria de la URSS”.

From the bestselling author of "Young Stalin" comes a sweeping novel of Russia in the early 20th century--a captivating tale of love, politics, family, and survival.

In "101 World Heroes", bestselling historian Simon Sebag Montefiore presents his personal selection of the 100 most heroic figures from the pages of world history. Emperors and queens, soldiers and statesmen, religious leaders and philosophers rub shoulders with composers and poets, scientists and explorers, artists and storytellers. En "101 World Heroes" el historiador autor de bestsellers Simon Sebag Montefiore nos presenta su selección personal de las cien figuras más heroicas de las páginas de la historia mundial. Emperadores y reinas, soldados y hombres de estado, líderes religiosos y filósofos se hallan aquí hombro con hombro con compositores y poetas, científicos y exploradores, artistas y narradores de historias.

There 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 oinly ministers such as Molotov or secret service chiefs such as Beria, but men and women whose loyalty he trusted only until the next purge. John Nettles was born in St Austell, Cornwall. He studied philosophy and history at Southampton University where he also acted in drama society productions. He was there spotted by an agent who arranged for him to work at the Royal Court theatre - though that did not stop him teaching in London for a while. Before 'Midsomer Murders' he was best known for his role as Sergeant Jim Bergerac, in the long-running television series Bergerac. Other TV appearances. ranging from comedy to serious drama, include A Family at War, Black Beauty, The Liver Birds, Dickens of London and The Merchant of Venice. But he has never forgotten his stage origins, where again his range is unusually wide: he has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company, yet plays pantomime most years. Orion Audio invited him to read Stalin because of his magnificent audiobook reading of George Orwell's 1984.

History's greatest love story, Catherine the Great and Potemkin is a sweeping epic of sex, love, power, conquest and extravagance on a magnificent Russian scale. Not only was only was their romance wildly passionate but they were also probably the most successful political partnership of all, outstripping Antony and Cleopatra or Napoleon and Josephine. Their secret letters, which discuss other lovers, sex, wars, politics, arts and health, are surely the most intimate and extraordinary ever written by an empress or politician. Both characters in this joint biography, based on new archives, are extraordinary: she a German princess married lovelessly at 14 to the Russian heir combined charm, passion and political genius. She ruthlessly seized power and ruled triumphantly for thirty years; he - a brilliant flamboyant politician, strategist and conqueror of wild eccentricity and debauchery. Outrageously sexual and political, he was the love of her life. They shocked Europe by taking younger lovers yet they secretly married and ruled together as best friends, and lifelong lovers.

Jerusalem is the universal city, the capital of two peoples, the shrine of three faiths; it is the prize of empires, the site of Judgement Day and the battlefield of today's clash of civilization

Una novela de amor y misterio en la Rusia de los Bolcheviques, una saga familiar que combina suspense, novel histórica y una gran historia de amor. Un gran retrato del siglo XX ruso, desde la exaltación revolucionaria hasta el horror del poder tiránico estalinista y el periodo contemporáneo post-soviético.

From the bestselling author of "Young Stalin" comes a sweeping novel of Russia in the early 20th century--a captivating tale of love, politics, family, and survival.

Shylo's adventures with his Royal Rabbit friends continue in this charming series from bestselling authors Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore and illustrator Kate Hindley, that proveseven the smallest rabbit can be the biggest hero.Life is an adventure. Anything in the world is possible - by will and by luck, with a moist carrot, a wet noise and a slice of mad courage!Little Shylo Tawny-Tail is proud to call himself one of the Royal Rabbits of London, a secret order who live under Buckingham Palace and fight evil across the world.But high up in one of London's famous skyscrapers, the horrible Ratzis are plotting to cause chaos during a visit from the President of the United States. And when the Grand Burrow is attacked and Shylo is kidnapped, it looks as though they might just manage it! Can Shylo escape in time to save the day?

The adventure beginsfor brave little Shylo, and his Royal Rabbit friends in this charming series from bestselling authors Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore and illustrator Kate Hindley, that proveseven the smallest rabbit can be the biggest hero.Life is an adventure. Anything in the world is possible - by will and by luck, with a moist carrot, a wet noise and a slice of mad courage!Shylo has always been the runt of the litter, the weakest and quietest of all of his family. Hissiblings spend their days making fun of him for not being like the rest of them. But when Shylo stumbles across a band of ratzis and overhears their evil plan to take a photo of the Queen in her nightie, it's up to this unlikely hero to travel to London and inform the Royal Rabbits of London about the diabolical plot!The Royal Rabbitshave a proud history of protecting the royal family and now the secret society need to leap into action to stop the ratzis...But can a rabbit as feeble and shy as Shylo convince them that Queen is in danger?

The adventure continues for Shylo and his Royal Rabbit friends in this charming series from bestselling authors Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore and illustrator Kate Hindley, which shows that even the smallest rabbit can be the biggest hero.Life is an adventure. Anything in the world is possible - by will and by luck, with a moist carrot, a wet noise and a slice of mad courage!Now that Shylo is a Royal Rabbit, his life is full of adventure and new friends, but he still misses his mother and family. So he jumps at the chance to visit his home warren!As soon as Shylo arrives he finds something strange and dark going on.Amysterious bunny called Harlequin is on the farm, attracting many followers with his crazy singing and loopy dancing. But Harlequinis also digging for the Golden Carrot, which, says an ancientlegend, will give him power overover all humans and animals.Harlequin believesit's buried somewhere onthe farm.Then asmorefollowersflock to the warren, Shylo wonders if the hunt for theGolden Carrot is a fungame or if Harlequin is plottingworld domination…And when thequest turns deadly,Shylo callsin the Royal Rabbits.Can they stop power-mad Harlequin? And who will find the Carrot first?

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