false 5956964 1 <p> In 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. </p> <p> 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. </p> <p> 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. <i>The King of Vodka</i> is much more than a biography of an extraordinary man. It is a work of narrative history on an epic scale. </p> 6129669 1 5 2009 The King of Vodka: The Story of Pyotr Smirnov and the Upheaval of an Empire total:13|5:1|4:4|3:7|2:1|1:0| 13 44 54 8 3 0 false true Fri Jun 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 05 17:32:11 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 12 16:00:12 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Tue Jul 14 13:10:31 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 01 12:10:58 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 14 13:10:31 -0700 2009
The premise of the book centers on the life of Smirnov and explores in the details his successful building of an empire. Smirnov in many ways reminds me of a typical follower o...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jun 23 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 12 03:56:55 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 23 11:33:39 -0700 2009
Ms. Himelstein embellished a lot of Smirnov's life. 3 or 4 of the first chapters were devoted to "...more...]]> 0 0 false false Sun Oct 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 07 19:42:55 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 25 13:08:19 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jul 09 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 19:05:30 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 19:07:58 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Oct 11 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 07 21:26:57 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 14 12:23:53 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Jul 12 06:03:33 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 12 06:04:15 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Sep 06 22:27:23 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 06 22:35:11 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Nov 06 08:30:47 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 06 08:30:47 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sat Oct 24 15:06:48 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 24 15:06:48 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Oct 16 09:47:06 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 16 09:47:51 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Wed Oct 07 09:00:22 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 07 09:00:22 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Fri Sep 25 14:46:33 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 25 14:46:33 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Sep 13 09:18:08 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 13 09:18:08 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Sep 09 11:36:28 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 09 11:36:28 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sat Sep 05 17:48:45 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 05 17:48:45 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Sep 04 14:05:36 -0700 2009 Mon Nov 09 11:04:22 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Sep 01 16:38:28 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 01 16:38:28 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Aug 27 08:01:19 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 27 08:01:19 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Jul 27 07:11:29 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 27 07:11:29 -0700 2009