The King of Vodka

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.

Linda Himelstein is a journalist who has written about everything from state courts to Wall Street, for publications including the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek. She lives in northern California.