"Christopher Read examines Stalin's contribution to and impact on Russian and world events in the first half of the twentieth century. The biography brings together the avalanche of sources and scholarship which followed the collapse of the system Stalin constructed, including the often neglected writings and speeches of Stalin himself. In addition to a detailed narrative and analysis of Stalin's rule, chapters also cover his early years and humble beginnings in a small town at a remote outpost of the Russian Empire, his role in the revolution, his relationships with Lenin, Trotsky and others in the 1920s, and his rise to become one of the most powerful figures in human history. The book closes with an account of Stalin's afterlife and legacy, both in the immediate aftermath of his death and in the decades since"--Provided by publisher.

From Djugashvili to Stalin -- The grey blur : Stalin in revolution and civil war -- Filling Lenin's shoes -- Storming fortresses -- Nine circles of hell -- Stalin, the Soviet Union and the world in the 1930s -- The tenth circle of hell : invasion, occupation, victory : war without limits -- World stage, final act -- Stalin's afterlife : an inconclusive conclusion.