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The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel: Romanovs, Revolutionaries, and the Forgotten Titan Who Fueled the World
From the author of the New York Times bestselling The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel comes the enthralling hidden history of one of the world’s most successful business titans, a rival to the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds, whose legacy was erased in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2026
About the author
Douglas Brunt
6 books258 followersDouglas Brunt is an American novelist, historian, podcast host for SiriusXM, and entrepreneur. He was the CEO of Authentium, Inc., an Internet security company, which he sold in 2011.
Brunt is The New York Times bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction. His narrative history titles include THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL and THE LOST EMPIRE OF EMANUEL NOBEL.
More information at www.douglasbrunt.com
Brunt is The New York Times bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction. His narrative history titles include THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL and THE LOST EMPIRE OF EMANUEL NOBEL.
More information at www.douglasbrunt.com
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I do love those characters from history who disappear into major world events only to be resurrected by an author who stumbles on their story. A new name got added to this list in Emanuel Nobel. Douglas Brunt brings Nobel back to life in his excellent The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel. Also, no, he's not THAT Nobel. That was his uncle. However, Emanuel might be the reason we remember him for the awards in his name rather than the whole "Merchant of Death" stuff.
Brunt's previous book The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel was another book which illuminated an overlooked life. This new work shows Brunt is not going through a sophomore slump. The men are very different in some important ways, but Nobel proves to be a much easier man to both understand and like, in my opinion. Nobel was the nephew of Alfred Nobel, but Brunt shows how it might be more accurate to call the entire Nobel clan "The Family of Death." Various weapons, oil, and other destructive materials were their creations of choice. I don't mean to make them sound like sociopaths, but we do need to be able to call a spade a spade.
Brunt is at his best when taking both complicated science and world events and distilling them to what the reader needs to know to understand the stakes. Brunt is what I call a gateway author. I can hand his books to people who think they hate history, and they might get hooked. Brunt moves this story along without losing the essentials of the people, places, and events. More importantly, he somehow makes the Russian Civil War understandable. I've read much longer books which couldn't accomplish that feat because it is so complex. There is also a sense in Brunt's writing that he is having so much fun putting this narrative together. It is infectious and makes for a fun read even when the topic is not. This is definitely one you should pick up regardless of your interest (or disinterest) in history.
(This book was provided as a review copy by NetGalley and Atria Books.)
Brunt's previous book The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel was another book which illuminated an overlooked life. This new work shows Brunt is not going through a sophomore slump. The men are very different in some important ways, but Nobel proves to be a much easier man to both understand and like, in my opinion. Nobel was the nephew of Alfred Nobel, but Brunt shows how it might be more accurate to call the entire Nobel clan "The Family of Death." Various weapons, oil, and other destructive materials were their creations of choice. I don't mean to make them sound like sociopaths, but we do need to be able to call a spade a spade.
Brunt is at his best when taking both complicated science and world events and distilling them to what the reader needs to know to understand the stakes. Brunt is what I call a gateway author. I can hand his books to people who think they hate history, and they might get hooked. Brunt moves this story along without losing the essentials of the people, places, and events. More importantly, he somehow makes the Russian Civil War understandable. I've read much longer books which couldn't accomplish that feat because it is so complex. There is also a sense in Brunt's writing that he is having so much fun putting this narrative together. It is infectious and makes for a fun read even when the topic is not. This is definitely one you should pick up regardless of your interest (or disinterest) in history.
(This book was provided as a review copy by NetGalley and Atria Books.)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As a history nerd, the period around the last tsar, Nicholas II, always attracts me, so I was delighted to have gained access to this ARC (thank you NetGalley and Atria Books). This proved to be an engaging, well written history of a little period and man in Russian history.
Emanuel Nobel (1859-1932), nephew of Alfred Nobel, took over the oil wells found by his Uncle Robert (sent by Emanuel’s father, Ludvig, to southern Russia) and invested in by his father. In Baku and Azerbaijan, these wells were more productive than Rockefeller’s in Pennsylvania. At one time, Emanuel was the richest man in Russia sans Nicholas). As the Russian Revolution came and the Soviets took over, diminutive but vile and evil, Joseph Stalin took an interest in these fields and created havoc among the workers. Novel knew this boded ill for him and others but like many thought the Bolshevik government would collapse. However, he was able to sell his interest and escape to Sweden - where his family was originally from - a very rich man.
Emanuel is portrayed as a decent and honest man in a very corrupt industry as well as a considerate employer in times when employees were not treated well.
The book covers over a hundred years of history - much of it turbulent and fascinating: old empires were dying, modern rulers and capitalist were rising. This book has it all: splendid person of history in a time of incredible change that has probably been forgotten. It’s always good to have history books like this to remain us of our past.
Emanuel Nobel (1859-1932), nephew of Alfred Nobel, took over the oil wells found by his Uncle Robert (sent by Emanuel’s father, Ludvig, to southern Russia) and invested in by his father. In Baku and Azerbaijan, these wells were more productive than Rockefeller’s in Pennsylvania. At one time, Emanuel was the richest man in Russia sans Nicholas). As the Russian Revolution came and the Soviets took over, diminutive but vile and evil, Joseph Stalin took an interest in these fields and created havoc among the workers. Novel knew this boded ill for him and others but like many thought the Bolshevik government would collapse. However, he was able to sell his interest and escape to Sweden - where his family was originally from - a very rich man.
Emanuel is portrayed as a decent and honest man in a very corrupt industry as well as a considerate employer in times when employees were not treated well.
The book covers over a hundred years of history - much of it turbulent and fascinating: old empires were dying, modern rulers and capitalist were rising. This book has it all: splendid person of history in a time of incredible change that has probably been forgotten. It’s always good to have history books like this to remain us of our past.
Review of advance copy
Thank you to Libro.fm for this Librarian ALC!
I'm still newer with audiobooks but I really enjoyed learning such a niche topic! I was certainly more interested in the oil aspect of Nobel's life but learned a lot about Russian politics, Nobel as a peace prize of itself, and I think the amount of information from this book is organized really well to the point it's not overwhelming. Despite me being new to audiobooks, I retained a lot of really cool talking points and fun facts that I've been able to share with my family (granted my dad is a Russian studies major so he knew a bit too); but I think if anyone is particularly interested in Russian politics and the Nobel family, this is a fantastic book.
This book does not linger too much on the interest of the Romanovs; there are sure to be countless of books divulging in that sector, and I found that to honestly be the least of anything groundbreaking or new-- but ultimately the relationship of Nobel to the royal family while also maintaining good working ethics with his employees was an interesting key factor into his success and escape from the Bolsheviks.
I'm still newer with audiobooks but I really enjoyed learning such a niche topic! I was certainly more interested in the oil aspect of Nobel's life but learned a lot about Russian politics, Nobel as a peace prize of itself, and I think the amount of information from this book is organized really well to the point it's not overwhelming. Despite me being new to audiobooks, I retained a lot of really cool talking points and fun facts that I've been able to share with my family (granted my dad is a Russian studies major so he knew a bit too); but I think if anyone is particularly interested in Russian politics and the Nobel family, this is a fantastic book.
This book does not linger too much on the interest of the Romanovs; there are sure to be countless of books divulging in that sector, and I found that to honestly be the least of anything groundbreaking or new-- but ultimately the relationship of Nobel to the royal family while also maintaining good working ethics with his employees was an interesting key factor into his success and escape from the Bolsheviks.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I feel as though I have learned a lot about the Nobel family. I love reading history books, and I'm fascinated by Russian history. Yet despite all I've read about the topic this book pleasantly surprised me with new insights of that era. Before I read this book I knew very little about the Nobel family, other than Alfred Nobel and his connection to the Nobel Prize; now I've learned so much about how Emanuel Nobel and business intertwined with politics, other oil competitors, the rise of socialism, and Stalin. I loved the story telling and pacing of the book. To me, there was no part that was uninteresting. The people were described wonderfully and were easy to keep up with. I definitely recommend this book to someone who loves history - Emanuel Nobel is definitely someone worth reading about.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Received an advanced copy through NetGalley.
A great book that combines a great story with world history. I enjoyed the profile of the Nobel family (which I admit I knew little about) but how it intersected with one of the consequential historical times of the early 20th century (the Russian Revolution). The intersection of Nobel and Stalin was a great sub-plot in this book.
In the early chapters I had some difficulty following the names and relationships but the author does a great job tying things together.
The lasting point for me on this story is that Stalin was anti-Russian in his upbringing only to turn and be the heavy handed dictator through the Soviet Union. Just shows you how much we as humans crave power.
A great book that combines a great story with world history. I enjoyed the profile of the Nobel family (which I admit I knew little about) but how it intersected with one of the consequential historical times of the early 20th century (the Russian Revolution). The intersection of Nobel and Stalin was a great sub-plot in this book.
In the early chapters I had some difficulty following the names and relationships but the author does a great job tying things together.
The lasting point for me on this story is that Stalin was anti-Russian in his upbringing only to turn and be the heavy handed dictator through the Soviet Union. Just shows you how much we as humans crave power.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! While it was not a "light easy breezy" read it was chock full of amazing history and details. It was put together very well and easy to follow despite the amount of information Brunt was giving to us. I loved moving through the centuries and the development of the Nobel family, and really how their impact shaped the world we live in today! This is my first time reading work by D. Brunt but I would not hesitate to read more. I have already recommended this book to my son (when published) who's a complete history buff too! If you love history, drama, suspense... this book is for you!
May 22, 2026
I had a mixed reaction to Douglas Brunt’s Rudolf Diesel biography, but it was very readable and he had picked an interesting subject. His latest, about Emmanuel Nobel (nephew to Alfred Nobel, of the prizes), is a much improved effort. Once again, Brunt has chosen a fascinating, and as he persuasively argues, under known historical figure. The fascinating story of the Nobel family carries this book--Emmanuel Nobel’s petroleum empire was built from nothing, and at his zenith of power, he was mentioned alongside Standard Oil. But when the Russian Revolution came, he lost it all, and now it’s been largely forgotten by history.
Brunt’s writing is serviceable. It doesn’t get in the way, but it won’t stir your soul. If you’re not already sold on biographies of business tycoons, this book won’t make you a convert. But if you are interested, you will be entertained.
I received an advance copy in exchange for this honest review.
Brunt’s writing is serviceable. It doesn’t get in the way, but it won’t stir your soul. If you’re not already sold on biographies of business tycoons, this book won’t make you a convert. But if you are interested, you will be entertained.
I received an advance copy in exchange for this honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is a fascinating history of the Nobel family with plenty about the Romanovs, Lenin, Stalin and Rasputin. An excellent snap shot of such a pivotal part in world history written in an engaging and accessible way. Sadly this is the first taste for me of this author and some day I hope to read the Mysterious case of Rudolf Diesel. I would definitely recommend this especially for anyone interested in the Romanovs or the Russian Revolution. Look for this one upon its 5/19/26 release.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The best thing a narrative non fiction book can do is make me want to do a deeper dive into the subject and Douglas Brunt does that masterfully with The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel.
The fact that this man and his empire is not more well known is crazy.
He was essentially the Rockefeller of Eastern Europe and his contribution has been erased by the former Soviets until now.
I was fascinated to learn all the major contributions Nobel made to the industry and how the Russian Civil War and WWI took his company from him.
I highly recommend checking out this excellent book.
The best thing a narrative non fiction book can do is make me want to do a deeper dive into the subject and Douglas Brunt does that masterfully with The Lost Empire of Emanuel Nobel.
The fact that this man and his empire is not more well known is crazy.
He was essentially the Rockefeller of Eastern Europe and his contribution has been erased by the former Soviets until now.
I was fascinated to learn all the major contributions Nobel made to the industry and how the Russian Civil War and WWI took his company from him.
I highly recommend checking out this excellent book.
May 21, 2026
History lovers, this one is absolutely worth picking up. It's packed with fascinating historical detail, but never once feels dry or textbook-like. The story unfolds with the momentum of fiction, full of larger-than-life figures, political tension, ambition, power struggles, and so much drama that I kept forgetting I was reading nonfiction. It's immersive, compelling, and one of those books where you keep saying "how did I never know this before?" Loved it!!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Incredibly interesting book. If you like history this would be a great story to check out.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews