The Bloody White Baron

The Russian Nobleman Who Became the Last Khan of Mongolia

By: James Palmer

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

In the history of the modern world, there have been few characters more sadistic, sinister, and deeply demented as Baron Ungern-Sternberg. An anti-Semitic fanatic with a penchant for Eastern mysticism and a hatred of communists, Baron Ungern-Sternberg took over Mongolia in 1920 with a ragtag force of White Russians, Siberians, Japanese, and native Mongolians. While tormenting friend and foe alike, he dreamed of assembling a horse-borne army with which he would retake communist controlled Moscow.

In this epic saga, which ranges from Austria to the Mongolian Steppe, historian and travel writer James Palmer has brought to light the gripping life story of a madman whose actions foreshadowed the most grotesque excesses of the 20th century.

©2009 James Palmer (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[A] fascinating portrait of an appalling man - and of the zeitgeist that shaped him." (Publishers Weekly)

Absolutely amazing

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I especially liked how Palmer went into detail about the Buddhist religion and history surrounding Mongolia.

Good book, bad performance

Taken for what it is, pop history, it's surprisingly good. The performance on the other hand is just bad. Mispronouncing names (The way he says Lenin is particularly bad) and reading certain passages in a fake Russian accent.

Scratch History, watch it bleed weird

Where does The Bloody White Baron rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would say the top 75 percent. It's a book I recommend to others.

What other book might you compare The Bloody White Baron to and why?

I would compare it to - A Renegade History of the United States. They are both books that show you that history is not only not what you think it is but it's also weirder than fiction.

Have you listened to any of Stefan Rudnicki’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to his reading of - The Enemy at the Gate: Habsburgs, Ottomans and the Battle for Europe. They were both very good offerings.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I had some familiar with the subject matter so I was not in a rush to read it.

an epic tail of the most unusual massmurder of the last century where insanity is given due space to blossom.

an epic tail of the most unusual massmurder of the last century where insanity is given due space to blossom

Truth is stranger than fiction

This is a fascinating book about a character I had never heard of. The story itself is so odd the while reading this book I felt like I was actually reading some strange fantasy novel instead of history. What made me realize that it was history was the fact that there were only villans in this story, there are no heroes here.

For those of us in the west who are taught nothing about this part of the world and little at all about this period of history it is truly eye opening. Palmer lays out a great deal of information to bring the background of this story to life. His own knowledge of the area helps to illuminate many parts of the book. His wit is the typically dry British style. He paints a vivid picture of Tibetan/Mongolian buddhism. His portrait is honest, painfully so with those of us only familiar with the Hollywood version.

The stories of brutality by all sides in this story is enough to make one’s hair stand on end. With the fall and the discrediting of communism it is now possible to air the truth about what happened in much of the world that suffered under its tyranny. The epilogue of the book, which covers the period of Mongolia after the communist takeover, shows the extreme brutality and cultural rape that accompanied that system.

The book is well written and the topic is fascinating. As a historian I regret that there is not more source material on this subject. This is not the fault of the author, rather it is the simple absence of much reliable original material on this subject. The only warning that I will give is that many types of brutality were committed by all sides and you will here about it.

Stefan Rudnicki does an excellent job of narrating the book. It was a lot of fun to listen to.