3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you love thrillers and history and business...you will love this, February 2, 2011
King of Vodka is quite extraordinary. I didn't know what to expect, but I was gripped from the start by this amazing story behind the making of the Smirnov Vodka brand. Every modern marketing pro should read this. I love history, thrillers and the stories of building great global brands. This remarkable tale gives you all three.
Sometimes it reads like a historical thriller and the depth and detail of research delivers a very rewarding tale of guts and smart. It all comes together to provide a window into Russia as dramatic change takes place across this vast country. It's not political per se, it's very personal and you feel you're right there with Smirnov as he makes his journey from serf to a corporate giant.
I can only wonder why it never became a movie.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Smirnov to Smirnoff, June 20, 2009
This review is from: The King of Vodka: The Story of Pyotr Smirnov and the Upheaval of an Empire (Hardcover)
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More and more good journalists are turning to authoring books as our news businesses convulse. They have a long tradition of writing a book, now and then. Nowadays, there is more than a tinge of survivalism in the air. I should say right right now that you need not care anything about vodka to enjoy this book. If you like history, this book is for you. If you are a student of Russian history, so much the better.
Recently, we had another spirit refugee, as it were, a book on one from the Cuban communist paradise, Bacardi. Instead of the Bacardi Bat we have the Smirinoff Eagle. Now, Ms. Himelstein catches a ride on the old Russian Eagle (nearly eaten by the Soviet Bear) that just barely flew the "coup" -- alright I will stop with the lousy puns already.
Ms. Himelstein is an able writer. One of the first things I noticed, which I rarely see in books from even the better journalists, are her superscripts indicating notes from sources she places at the end of the text. That is a good sign. It shows her care. Her story begins, as many do, with an ending. Here she gives us the funeral of the patriarch, or at least, the son of the founder, (but they in fact do it together) Pytor Smiranov. She gets to the spelling change much later, in case you are wondering.
Ms. Himelstein teases out much that is interesting along the way. This is not so much biography as history, though the author is neither by trade. I appreciate even the little things I learn, such as the word "vodka" derives from "voda", water. As with eau de vie, or aquavit, this clear spirit is named the water of life. Putrid water, cholera and such clarify the importance of this anti-bacterial agent.
Everybody associates vodka with Russia. The Soviets sought to replace Smirnov with "Stoly" some few decades ago. The Soviet Air Force was called, in inner circles, "The Flying Restaraunt " because they requisitioned pure alcohol as a deicing fluid. Yippee! Even British agent Bond used Smirnoff in twenty two films, not gin. But back to our book at hand.
The position of vodka in political economics of old Russia dwarfs that of say, rum in Cuba, or even wine in France. Such a position invites corruption on a Siberian scale. If you thought the British had it coming at the Boston Tea Party, imagine the riots fueled by a vodka revolt.
I learned that flavored vodka is not new. Smirnov had popular lines including ashberry, raspberry, and the more traditional anise. The old vodkas were not so potent as now. Alcoholism aside, it was not just the potency, but the impurities that killed. Substances such as analine and sulphuric acid were poison. Smirnov had these problems to be sure, but they were notable for relative purity, using charcoal filtration.
Ms. Himelstein traces the line of survivorship through the revolution, into the modern spelling of Smirnoff. She gives us good history of the social, religious, governmental sides of building a business. She brings alive a good narrative perspective hard to find in most history books.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great story if you have LOTS of patience, January 30, 2010
This review is from: The King of Vodka: The Story of Pyotr Smirnov and the Upheaval of an Empire (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I enjoyed most of this book and wasn't bothered by fictionalization of the sections. After all, at a certain point it's hard to separate truth from fiction in many historical accounts. We have data and the historian must interpret it.
What I liked about the book was the opportunity to see Russia in the Tsarist days, when culture and business flourished. The story of Pyotr's rise from serfdom to successful business owner was fascinating precisely because it took place in the Russian context. Pyotr had to gain access to the court. He used an ingenious tactic at once point, inviting needy men (we would call them homeless) to visit taverns and ask for Smirnov's vodka. He paid them for the drinks and their time. It was an early form of word of mouth marketing.
I also liked the story of Pyotr's family with his two wives. Apparently his second wife was just 16 - a full 27 years younger than he was!
The main problem for me was the mass of details that we receive about every point. I would rather have seen a stronger narrative flow.
The story of the Smirnov empire after the Revolution was very sad. We could see how the Revolution interrupted a trend that was already in place to liberalize the country while allowing a growing economy. The serfs had been freed. More freedoms were on the way.
Sadly, the Revolution brought new repression and created conditions of hardship that lasted a long time, some till today. I read this book right after reading Mountain of Crumbs, providing some sense of the changes in Russian life.
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