Episode · Honestly with Bari Weiss · 2025-02-04
Books mentioned on Simon Sebag Montefiore: History Is Not Over
Did you know that Joseph Stalin could sing with perfect pitch? Or that he was so scared of his wife that he would hide from her in the bathroom?
Bari Weiss recommended Jerusalem by Simon Sebag Montefiore, and discussed Stalin by Simon Sebag-Montefiore, The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore, Catherine the Great & Potemkin by Simon Sebag Montefiore, and The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Stalin
Stalin by Simon Sebag-Montefiore is a sweeping biographical history detailing the life, regime, and inner circle of the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.
Discussed“His many books, like Stalin, The Court of the Red Tsar, The Romanovs, and Catherine the Great, to name a few, are essential to understanding power, politics, revolution, dictatorships,”
Where to get it
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The Romanovs
The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore is an expansive historical work chronicling the three-century reign of Russia's most famous imperial dynasty, detailing the political intrigue, power struggles, and human drama that defined their rule.
Discussed“The Romanovs, and Catherine the Great, to name a few, are essential to understanding power, politics, revolution, dictatorships, and above all, human nature.”
Where to get it
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Catherine the Great & Potemkin
Catherine the Great & Potemkin by Simon Sebag Montefiore explores the turbulent political landscape of eighteenth-century Russia and the remarkable partnership between Empress Catherine the Great and her influential statesman Grigory Potemkin.
Discussed“The Romanovs, and Catherine the Great, to name a few, are essential to understanding power, politics, revolution, dictatorships, and above all, human nature.”
Where to get it
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Jerusalem
Jerusalem by Simon Sebag Montefiore is an expansive and richly detailed biography of a singular city sacred to multiple faiths and marked by millennia of history.
Recommended“But Jerusalem is a biography of a city.”
Where to get it
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The Message
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a book of essays reflecting on politics, storytelling, and the author's travels, including controversial commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Discussed“it's captured in a more erudite way in Ta-Nehisi Coates' recent book The Message and it's something that people young people are being educated to in our most elite schools”
Where to get it
