A decade before the Russian Revolution, young Joseph "Koba" Stalin arrives in London for the 5th Congress of the Russian Communist Party. Not yet a major figure, Koba quickly forges alliances with the likes of Lenin, Trotsky, Rosa Luxemburg, and a vivacious Finnish activist named Elli Vuokko. As the Congress progresses, Koba takes daring risks, but soon this young idealist begins to learn how to manipulate others—beginning his path toward becoming a dictator.

"With a spare, sardonic style, May probes Stalin's childhood trauma, sense of charisma, and brutally violent side, humanizing him without sentimentalizing him…. This is superb."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)