Vodka Politics
Alcohol, Autocracy, and the Secret History of the Russian State
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Narrated by:
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Noah Michael Levine
About this listen
Russia is famous for its vodka, and its culture of extreme intoxication. But just as vodka is central to the lives of many Russians, it is also central to understanding Russian history and politics.
In Vodka Politics, Mark Lawrence Schrad argues that debilitating societal alcoholism is not hard-wired into Russians' genetic code, but rather their autocratic political system, which has long wielded vodka as a tool of statecraft. Through a series of historical investigations stretching from Ivan the Terrible through Vladimir Putin, Vodka Politics presents the secret history of the Russian state itself - a history that is drenched in liquor. Scrutinizing (rather than dismissing) the role of alcohol in Russian politics yields a more nuanced understanding of Russian history itself: from palace intrigues under the tsars to the drunken antics of Soviet and post-Soviet leadership, vodka is there in abundance.
Beyond vivid anecdotes, Schrad scours original documents and archival evidence to answer provocative historical questions. How have Russia's rulers used alcohol to solidify their autocratic rule? What role did alcohol play in tsarist coups? Was Nicholas II's ill-fated prohibition a catalyst for the Bolshevik Revolution? Could the Soviet Union have become a world power without liquor? How did vodka politics contribute to the collapse of both communism and public health in the 1990s? How can the Kremlin overcome vodka's hurdles to produce greater social well-being, prosperity, and democracy into the future?
Viewing Russian history through the bottom of the vodka bottle helps us to understand why the "liquor question" remains important to Russian high politics even today - almost a century after the issue had been put to bed in most every other modern state. Indeed, recognizing and confronting vodka's devastating political legacies may be the greatest political challenge for this generation of Russia's leadership, as well as the next.
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- Germany’s Hyperinflation and the Destruction of the Middle Class
- By: Frederick Taylor
- Narrated by: Mark Ashby
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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A hundred years ago, many theorists believed - just as they did at the beginning of our 21st century - that the world had reached a state of economic perfection, a never-before-seen human interdependence that would lead to universal growth and prosperity. Then, as now, the German mark was one of the most trusted currencies in the world. Yet the early years of the Weimar Republic in Germany witnessed the most calamitous meltdown of a developed economy in modern times.
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Highly recommended story of German hyperinflation
- By Lance on 09-21-15
By: Frederick Taylor
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The Third Reich in History and Memory
- By: Richard J. Evans
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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In the 70 years since the demise of the Third Reich, there has been a significant transformation in the ways in which the modern world understands Nazism. In this brilliant and eye-opening collection, Richard J. Evans offers a critical commentary on that transformation, exploring how major changes in perspective have informed research and writing on the Third Reich in recent years. Drawing on his most notable writings, Evans reveals the shifting perspectives on Nazism's rise to political power, its economic intricacies, and its subterranean extension into postwar Germany.
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each book is better than the first. your writing is genius
- By Anonymous User on 05-10-24
By: Richard J. Evans
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The Story of Russia
- By: Orlando Figes
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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The Story of Russia is about how the Russians defined themselves―and repeatedly reinvented such definitions along the way. Moving from Russia’s agrarian beginnings in the first millennium to subsequent periods of monarchy, totalitarianism, and perestroika, all the way up to Vladimir Putin and his use of myths of Russian history to bolster his regime, celebrated historian Orlando Figes examines the ideas that have guided the country’s actions.
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Almost perfect…
- By Samantha Dispenzieri on 02-21-23
By: Orlando Figes
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Russia in Revolution
- An Empire in Crisis, 1890 to 1928
- By: S. A. Smith
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The Russian Revolution of 1917 transformed the face of the Russian empire, politically, economically, socially, and culturally and also profoundly affected the course of world history for the rest of the 20th century. Historian S. A. Smith presents a panoramic account of the history of the Russian empire, from the last years of the 19th century, through the First World War and the revolutions of 1917 and the establishment of the Bolshevik regime, to the end of the 1920s.
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Excellent centenary look at the complete revolutio
- By Privet on 09-13-18
By: S. A. Smith
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Armageddon Averted
- The Soviet Collapse, 1970-2000
- By: Stephen Kotkin
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Combining historical and geopolitical analysis with an absorbing narrative, Kotkin draws upon extensive research, including memoirs by dozens of insiders and senior figures, to illuminate the factors that led to the demise of Communism and the USSR. The new edition puts the collapse in the context of the global economic and political changes from the 1970s to the present day. Kotkin creates a compelling profile of post-Soviet Russia.
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insightful
- By Anonymous User on 01-28-20
By: Stephen Kotkin
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Last Call
- The Rise and Fall of Prohibition
- By: Daniel Okrent
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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A brilliant, authoritative, and fascinating history of America’s most puzzling era, the years 1920 to 1933, when the U.S. Constitution was amended to restrict one of America’s favorite pastimes: drinking alcoholic beverages. Okrent reveals how Prohibition marked a confluence of diverse forces, including the growing political power of the women’s suffrage movement and the fear of small-town, native-stock Protestants that they were losing control of their country to the immigrants of the large cities.
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Very Thorough Historical Review
- By Pierre on 11-12-12
By: Daniel Okrent
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Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945
- By: Tony Judt
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 43 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Almost a decade in the making, this much-anticipated grand history of postwar Europe from one of the world’s most esteemed historians and intellectuals is a singular achievement. Postwar is the first modern history that covers all of Europe, both east and west, drawing on research in six languages to sweep readers through 34 nations and 60 years of political and cultural change—all in one integrated, enthralling narrative.
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Great book, but not terrific listening
- By History on 10-18-11
By: Tony Judt
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Blood and Iron
- The Rise and Fall of the German Empire; 1871-1918
- By: Katja Hoyer
- Narrated by: Natasha Soudek
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Before 1871, Germany was not yet a nation but simply an idea. Its founder, Otto von Bismarck, had a formidable task at hand. How would he bring 39 individual states under the yoke of a single Kaiser? How would he convince proud Prussians, Bavarians, and Rhinelanders to become Germans? Once united, could the young European nation wield enough power to rival the empires of Britain and France - all without destroying itself in the process?
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Misleading title/subtitle
- By Ethan Brown on 12-15-21
By: Katja Hoyer
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Grand Pursuit
- The Story of Economic Genius
- By: Sylvia Nasar
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd, Anne Twomey
- Length: 20 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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In a sweeping narrative, the author of the mega-bestseller A Beautiful Mind takes us on a journey through modern history with the men and women who changed the lives of every single person on the planet. It’s the epic story of the making of modern economics, and of how it rescued mankind from squalor and deprivation by placing its material fate in its own hands rather than in Fate. Nasar’s account begins with Charles Dickens and Henry Mayhew observing and publishing the condition of the poor majority in mid nineteenth-century London, the richest and most glittering place in the world.
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A Beautiful Grand Pursuit
- By Joshua Kim on 05-06-12
By: Sylvia Nasar
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The Death of Democracy
- Hitler's Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic
- By: Benjamin Carter Hett
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Why did democracy fall apart so quickly and completely in Germany in the 1930s? How did a democratic government allow Adolf Hitler to seize power? In this dramatic audiobook, Benjamin Carter Hett answers these questions, and the story he tells has disturbing resonances for our own time. Benjamin Carter Hett is one of America’s leading scholars of 20th-century Germany and a gifted storyteller whose portraits of the feckless politicians of the Weimar Republic show how fragile democracy can be when those in power do not respect it.
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I can't trust the author's account of these events
- By Example: Mark Twain on 11-10-19
What listeners say about Vodka Politics
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jack
- 12-27-22
Compelling Thesis, Obnoxious Narrator
The book and the thesis are very compelling. The use of vodka as a tool in Russian statecraft is very interesting and eye opening. Vodka Politics takes the listener through 600 or so years of Russian history through the lenses of vodka goggles. It explains how vodka was originally a way for peasants to store grain easily and cheaply. The Tsars, and later the Soviets, monopolised the production and sale to harvest revenue from the 1400's-1900's and to the present day. It's full of data and anecdotes from Russian history to show how vodka played a role in Russia's stagnation, corruption, and backwardness. It's a sobering, depressing, and compelling listen. The only problem I have is with the narrator. Anytime there is a quote from a Russian, he puts on an awful Russian accent. When quoting Ronald Reagan, it's even worse. It's like a highschool sophomore improv troop. If you can get past that, I strongly recommend this book. I'll finish with my favorite Soviet joke. Some context, in the 80's the stores were only allowed to sell vodka to parties of 3 people. This lead to men hanging around stores waiting for a "third man" so they could go in and buy alcohol.
Konstantin Cernenko has died and has just arrived in Hell. At the gates of Hell, he sees the two other former Soviet Premiers, Leonid Brezhnev and Yuri Andropov. Cernenko cries out "Comrades! How wonderful of you to come and greet me!" Brezhnev replies "Greet you? We're merely waiting for a third man!"
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- Lego Mom
- 06-20-15
Overall not bad
Decent read. The medical statistics are staggering for sure. It will be interesting to see how Russia does economically in the next 10 years.
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- Dewey
- 06-29-22
A fascinating book
The book was full of good information and the author made a lot of good arguments. It was interesting to see Russian history from a different perspective. The narrator’s use of accents made the reading seem campy at times. One other issue with the narration is that “Tartar” (an Asian nomadic people) is pronounced “tar-tar,” not “tader,” as in a shortened way of saying “potato.”
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- Jayne
- 03-29-16
Insightful!
No other book about Russia has been so bold in it's forthright opinions of Russian History and political events. Very Interesting! Highly recommended!
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- Chris Hall
- 09-12-23
Interesting but Repetitive
Overall a compelling sub-history, though the emphasis on the book’s thesis in every line tends to become repetitive and predictable. The narration is well done generally, but I do not see the need to attempt to approximate the accents of different speakers.
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- Lena Surzhko
- 04-27-16
An interesting thesis
This book presents a fascinating thesis about relationship between vodka and power politics. At times the evidence to support the thesis is s bit thin while conclusions are a bit grand. The conclusions could be strengthened by more comparative evidence from other countries and cultures. Yet, this is a worthy and admirable undertaking that looks passed stereotypes and examines Russian authoritarian history through a very different lens. The historical anecdotes alone make this book remarkable.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Sylla
- 02-21-15
A repetitive mediocrity
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Another narrator without a fake Russian accent that makes it at time impossible to hear as he mumbles
What could Mark Lawrence Schrad have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Stop repeating the same anecdotes again and again
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Noah Michael Levine?
Anyone
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
A promising topic a thoroughly tedious and amateurish execution.
Any additional comments?
I really want y money back!
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2 people found this helpful
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- The Crunge
- 09-07-16
Look Natasha! Moose and Squirrel are drunk!
What did you love best about Vodka Politics?
Mark Schrad's book tells the story of Russia's crippling dependency on vodka and the cynical manipulation of that dependency by Russia's leaders: imperial, soviet and modern. It is truly heartbreaking to hear Schrad's description of vodka's role in Russia's disintegrating social fabric. It is a thoughtful and serious work which is marred by the reader Noah Levine's performance.
Although nominally a good narrator Mr Levine completely compromises the integrity of this work by reading every Russian quote in an inane Boris Badonov accent. I presume this was done to give a more `authentic' feel to the narration but it just sounds ridiculous. Levine even gifts this accent to well known Slavs like Katherine the Great (Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg) and Peter III (Karl von Holstein-Gottorp). Levine doesn't stop there; French, German, Swedish and English accents are included as well as cringe worthy recreations of Churchill, Nixon and Clinton.
In defense of Mr. Levine he may have been submitting to the audio book producer's insistence. Sadly this is an actual Audible production!
What was one of the most memorable moments of Vodka Politics?
The declining (current) Russian health statistics, due in part to vodka consumption, are startling.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Noah Michael Levine?
Just about anybody (including Mr. Levine himself) as long as they had the nerve to say "No. I won't read parts in accents because it's stupid."
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It certainly made me cry (with frustration) at many points.
Any additional comments?
Multiple voices in audio books is certainly valid. They can really enhance a production in the right place. But this was not the right place. The producers owe Mr. Schrad (and me) an apology.
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2 people found this helpful