Stalin

This biography traces the life of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet leader who ruled the Soviet Union with absolute authority for decades. It follows his rise from a provincial background through the revolutionary and party struggles that carried him to the top of the Communist state.

The author, H. Montgomery Hyde, a British writer known for his biographies, examines the political methods, personal ambitions and wide-reaching consequences of Stalin's rule. The book is written for readers interested in twentieth-century Russian history and the making of modern totalitarian power, and it includes a bibliography for further reading.