书目

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

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.

丛书

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