He plotted, schemed, and took part in bank robberies, extortions, arson, piracy, and murder, hiding behind what was called political gangs. Not a Mafia boss like Bernardo Provenzano, but it was Joseph Stalin, known as Soso in his youth; a period shrouded in mystery for a long time. In his youth, Stalin was a gang member, poet, cleric in training, and a lover whose affairs led to many abandoned children. This time prepared him for triumph, tragedies, and the harshness of absolute power. He wasn't just a gang leader but a political organizer and executor skilled in breaching Tsarist security forces. He influenced Lenin and didn’t shy away from opposing the 'old man.' Stalin’s success was attributed to a unique blend of theological education and street violence, turning him into a thinker and killer simultaneously.

Intimate tales about Stalin, the cobbler's son in 1878, ideal lecturer in 1898, thief in 1907, forgotten Siberian hunter in 1914, zealous Marxist killer in the 1930s, and conqueror of Berlin in 1945. 'Young Stalin' is the result of ten years of research across 23 cities and nine countries, unraveling Stalin's obscure youth, including his handwritten diaries and the KGB investigation of the thirteen-year-old girl he impregnated. It also recounts what the relative of his first wife revealed about his marital life, and his emotional reaction at his wife's early death and funeral.
Publishing house: مطبوعات للتوزيع والنشر
Number of Pages: 616
Year of publication: 2008