Based on ten years' astonishing new research, here is the thrilling story of how a charismatic, dangerous boy became a student priest, romantic poet, gangster mastermind, prolific lover, murderous revolutionary, and the merciless politician who shaped the Soviet Empire in his own brutal image: How Stalin became Stalin. The Washington Post - Ronald Grigor Suny Montefiore enfolds even what is familiar about Stalin in a vivid narrative rich with new details and sensational revelations.