“[A] tale of power, perseverance and passion . . . a great story in the hands of a master storyteller.”—The Wall Street Journal The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and The Romanovs returns with another masterpiece of narrative biography, the extraordinary story of an obscure German princess who became one of the most remarkable, powerful, and … of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history. Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into empress of Russia by sheer determination. For thirty-four years, the government, foreign policy, cultural development, and welfare of the Russian people were in her hands. She dealt with domestic rebellion, foreign wars, and the tidal wave of political change and violence churned up by the French Revolution. Catherine’s family, friends, ministers, generals, lovers, and enemies—all are here, vividly brought to life. History offers few stories richer than that of Catherine the Great. In this book, an eternally fascinating woman is returned to life.
“[A] compelling portrait not just of a Russian titan, but also of a flesh-and-blood woman.”—Newsweek
“An absorbing, satisfying biography.”—Los Angeles Times
“Juicy and suspenseful.”—The New York Times Book Review
“A great life, indeed, and irresistibly told.”—Salon
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The New York Times • The Washington Post • USA Today • The Boston Globe • San Francisco Chronicle • Chicago Tribune • Newsweek/The Daily Beast • Salon • Vogue • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • The Providence Journal • Washington Examiner • South Florida Sun-Sentinel • BookPage • Bookreporter • Publishers Weekly
BONUS: This edition contains a Catherine the Great reader’s guide.
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I love history and this book really filled in the gaps of my knowledge of the 18th C. As Winston Churchill said: “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” An amazing portrait of the most powerful and successful monarch of her time (art collector, statesman, humanist, mother, lover, the list goes on and on)and …
This was a long book. The many names could be confusing, but I think it was worth the effort and time.
Well researched. The insight into each character made history entertaining.
I basically love history and think I know quite a bit, but this book brought a lot of pieces together to make the story more complete.
Well told readable history of Catherine the great’s rise to empress.
Some of the story is told from her diary so it’s personal.
This is a long story, but I learned so much about this amazing woman. Although fiction, mostly based on historical fact. Catherine became one of the most powerful women in history, but she truly comes alive as a real woman struggling with problems many women have, even today.
It was a good book but too detailed and over done for my taste. Found it so slow that it was hard to finish.
Catherine that Great, about whom so little is known as common knowledge (except a disgusting rumor regarding a horse), should be a monarch studied by everyone in history class. Her ideals versus her practicality and vision make her a leader the world doesn’t see enough of. Massie does an exceptional job writing in an engaging, entertaining, and …
Great book!! What happened back then in politics is the same happening today.
I thoroughly enjoyed Robert K. Massie’s meticulously researched and engagingly written portrait of Russia’s last female ruler.
Catherine, Massie informs his readers, entered the world as a minor German princess by the name of Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg (but not too minor: two of her first cousins did become kings of …
I learned so much reading this book. There were a few dry spells, but those were inconsequential as I was really attached to learning more about who Catherine the Great was.
Catherine and her era live with us today. Her battles and their resolutions explain so much of the last two centuries, for good or ill, that this important biography should be studied by current leaders here, in Europe, and in west Asia. She was an interesting and influential woman at the head of a world power in her time.
Just a short note: I found this book quite well written with a lot of history along with trying to present the humanity behind the legend. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Russian history.
The book is quite long but I learned a lot about Russian history and the countries around the area that I did not know before .
To scholarly