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The King of Vodka: The Story of Pyotr Smirnov and the Upheaval of an Empire (P.S.)
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About The King Of Vodka: The Story Of Pyotr Smirnov And
Product description Born in a Russian village in 1831, Pyotr Smirnov relied on vodka to turn a life of scarcity and anonymity into one of immense wealth and international recognition. Starting from the back rooms and side streets of nineteeth-century Moscow, Smirnov exploited brilliant grassroots marketing strategies to popularize his products and ensconce his brand in the thirsts and imaginations of drinkers around the world. His vodka would be gulped in the taverns of Russia and Europe, be praised with accolades at world fairs, and become a staple on the tables of tsars. But his improbable ascent would be halted by the chaos of the Bolshevik Revolution, and only a bizarre set of coincidences—including an incredible prison escape by one of Smirnov’s sons in 1919—would prevent Smirnov’s legacy from fading into obscurity. Set against a backdrop of political and ideological currents that would determine the course of global events, The King of Vodka is much more than a biography of a humble serf who rose to create one of the most celebrated business empires the world has ever known. It is a work of sweeping narrative history on an epic scale. Review One of “the year’s best books.” (BusinessWeek) “The book is an impressive feat of research, told swiftly and enthusiastically.” ( San Francisco Chronicle) “Himelstein brings thorough research and strong writing to bear on a fascinating subject.” (BusinessWeek) “Himelstein makes Russian history and even current politics come alive.” (USA Today) “Linda Himelstein has pulled off a remarkable storytelling feat.” (Julia Flynn Siler, author of The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty) “To follow the lives of members of the Smirnov family in this vivid account is to experience the flow of Russian history from the 1830s until the present. ” (Professor Patricia Herlihy, Professor Emeritus, History, Brown University and author of The Alcoholic Empire) “The story of the Smirnov family is an operatic tour-de-force, and Linda Himelstein tells it with grace and passion.” (Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of The Widow Clicquot) “An astonishing tale...” (Miami Herald) From the Back Cover Born in a Russian village in 1831, Pyotr Smirnov relied on vodka to turn a life of scarcity and anonymity into one of immense wealth and international recognition. Starting from the back rooms and side streets of nineteeth-century Moscow, Smirnov exploited brilliant grassroots marketing strategies to popularize his products and ensconce his brand in the thirsts and imaginations of drinkers around the world. His vodka would be gulped in the taverns of Russia and Europe, be praised with accolades at world fairs, and become a staple on the tables of tsars. But his improbable ascent would be halted by the chaos of the Bolshevik Revolution, and only a bizarre set of coincidences—including an incredible prison escape by one of Smirnov’s sons in 1919—would prevent Smirnov’s legacy from fading into obscurity. Set against a backdrop of political and ideological currents that would determine the course of global events, The King of Vodka is much more than a biography of a humble serf who rose to create one of the most celebrated business empires the world has ever known. It is a work of sweeping narrative history on an epic scale. About the Author Linda Himelstein began her career in the Washington bureau of The Wall Street Journal before working at The San Francisco Recorder and Legal Times. In 1993 she joined BusinessWeek as legal affairs editor, writing about a wide array of topics, including the tobacco industry and Wall Street. One of her cover stories helped BusinessWeek win the National Magazine Award. Later, as the magazine's Silicon Valley bureau chief, she wrote about the infancies of eBay, Yahoo!, and other companies. She lives with her family in Northern California.
