内容简介
InthissweepinghistoryofvodkascionPyotrSmirnovandhisfamily,distinguishedjournalistLindaHimelsteinplumbsagreatriddleofRussianhistorythroughthestoryofahumbleserfwhorosetocreateoneofthemostcelebratedbusinessempirestheworldhaseverknown.Atthecenterofthisvividnarrative,PyotrSmirnovcomestolifeasaheroofwonderfulcomplexity--amanofintenseambitionanduncannybusinesssense,apatriarchofafamilythatwouldhelpdefineRussiansocietyandsufferfromtheRevolution'saftermath,andaloyalisttoanationthatwouldonedayhonorhimasatreasureofthestate.Borninasmallvillagein1831,Smirnovreliedonvodka--acommoditythatinmanywaysdefinesRussia--toturnalifeofscarcityandanonymityintooneofimmensewealthandinternationalrecognition.Startingfromthebackroomsandsidestreetsof19thcenturyMoscow,Smirnovexploitedagoldenageofemancipationandbrilliantgrassrootsmarketingstrategiestopopularizehisproductsandensconcehisbrandwithinthethirstsandimaginationsofdrinkersaroundtheworld.HisvodkawouldbegulpedinthetavernsofRussiaandEurope,praisedwithaccoladesatWorldFairs,andbecomeastapleonthetablesofTsars.Hisimprobableascent--setagainstasobrietycrusadesupportedbyChekhovandTolstoy,mountingpoliticaluprisingsandlaborstrikes,theeventualmonopolizationofthevodkatradebythestate--wouldcrumbleamidstthechaosoftheBolshevikrevolution.Onlyasetofbizarrecoincidences--includinganincredibleprisonescapebyoneofSmirnov'ssonsin1919--wouldpreventSmirnov'slegacyfromfadingintooblivion.Setagainstabackdropofpoliticalandideologicalcurrentsthatwoulddeterminethecourseofglobalhistory--fromthefalloftheTsarstotheriseofCommunism,fromvodka'spopularizationbynoneotherthanJamesBondtoSmirnoff'semergenceasamulti-billiondollarbrand--Smirnov'sstoryoftriumphandtragedyisacaptivatinghistoricaltouchstone."TheKingofVodka"ismuchmorethanabiographyofanextraordinaryman.Itisaworkofnarrativehistoryonanepicscale.
作者简介
LindaHimelsteinbeganhercareerintheWashingtonbureauofTheWallStreetJournalbeforeworkingatTheSanFranciscoRecorderandLegalTimes.In1993shejoinedBusinessWeekaslegalaffairseditor,writingaboutawidearrayoftopics,includingthetobaccoindustryandWallStreet.OneofhercoverstorieshelpedBusinessWeekwintheNationalMagazineAward.Later,asthemagazine'sSiliconValleybureauchief,shewroteabouttheinfanciesofeBay,Yahoo!,andothercompanies.SheliveswithherfamilyinNorthernCalifornia.