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The King of Vodka: The Story of Pyotr Smirnov and the Upheaval of an Empire

The King of Vodka: The Story of Pyotr Smirnov and the Upheaval of an Empire (P.S.) Soft cover - 2010

by Himelstein, Linda

  • Used
  • near fine
  • Paperback
  • first

From a distinguished journalist comes an epic biography of vodka pioneer Pyotr Smirnov, whose business empire still spans the globe today.

Description

U.S.A.: Harper Perennial, 2010. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Soft cover. Near Fine. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. 224 x 152 mm. Vodka pioneer Pyotr Smirnov is one the most fascinating salesmen and entrepeneurs the world has ever known, and his life as recreated by Linda Himelstein, set against the Russia of Tolstoy and tsars, is a stirring chronicle of ambition and innovation that has fascinating parallels to the post-communist Russia of today. Plumbing recently unearthed archives and mountains of primary sources, Himelstein has uncovered a rich historical record. In prose that s vivid and assured, she takes the reader beyond the formation of one of the oldest brands in business history and into the personal lives of the Smirnov family and the tumultuous events that lead to the Revolution. Authoritative, illuminating, and deeply engrossing, The King of Vodka is a monumental work of history.
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Details

  • Title The King of Vodka: The Story of Pyotr Smirnov and the Upheaval of an Empire (P.S.)
  • Author Himelstein, Linda
  • Binding Soft cover
  • Edition 1st Edition 1st Printing
  • Condition Used - Near Fine
  • Pages 399
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Harper Perennial, U.S.A.
  • Date 2010
  • Features Bibliography, Index, Table of Contents
  • Bookseller's Inventory # 001429
  • ISBN 9780060855918 / 0060855916
  • Weight 1.05 lbs (0.48 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.9 x 6 x 1.3 in (22.61 x 15.24 x 3.30 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 19th Century
    • Cultural Region: Russian
    • Sex & Gender: Feminine
  • Library of Congress subjects Smirnov, P. A, Smirnov (Firm)
  • Dewey Decimal Code B

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From the rear 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.

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