Overview

This superbly told story brings to life one of the most remarkable rulers--and men--in all of history and conveys the drama of his life and world. The Russia of Peter's birth was very different from the Russia his energy, genius, and ruthlessness shaped. Crowned co-Tsar as a child of ten, after witnessing bloody uprisings in the streets of Moscow, he would grow up propelled by an unquenchable curiosity, everywhere looking, asking, tinkering, and learning, fired by Western ideas. We see Peter in his twenties traveling incognito with his ambassadors to the courts of Europe; as the victorious soldier proclaimed emperor; as the simple workman at his forge; and as the visionary statesman who single-handedly created a formidable world power. Impetuous and stubborn, bawdy and stern, relentless in his perseverance, he was capable of the greatest generosity and the greatest cruelty.

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9781441744494

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Written in a style that combines vigor, clarity, and sensitivity...should be the envy of historians and novelists alike. -- Chicago Sun-Times This award-winning biography remains a classic study of a quite remarkable character in Russian history...Peter the Great provides the biographer with very rich pickings. Where Massie's volume triumphed over other predecessors, however, was in its extreme breadth of vision...[It] has all the components of a gripping novel, and is a must for all history buffs and biography fans, as well as all those who appreciate the rich diversity of Russian culture. -- Kirkus Reviews Enthralling...As fascinating as any novel and more so than most! -- New York Times Book Review By taking an enormous canvas and filling every inch of it with action and description...[Massie] has shown...precisely why this 6' 7 epileptic was hailed as Petrus Magnus Imperator. -- Sunday Times (London)

By taking an enormous canvas and filling every inch of it with action and description...[Massie] has shown...precisely why this 6' 7 epileptic was hailed as Petrus Magnus Imperator. -- Sunday Times (London) Enthralling...As fascinating as any novel and more so than most! -- New York Times Book Review This award-winning biography remains a classic study of a quite remarkable character in Russian history...Peter the Great provides the biographer with very rich pickings. Where Massie's volume triumphed over other predecessors, however, was in its extreme breadth of vision...[It] has all the components of a gripping novel, and is a must for all history buffs and biography fans, as well as all those who appreciate the rich diversity of Russian culture. -- Kirkus Reviews Written in a style that combines vigor, clarity, and sensitivity...should be the envy of historians and novelists alike. -- Chicago Sun-Times

Author Information

Robert K. Massie was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and studied American history at Yale and European history at Oxford, which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar. He was president of the Authors Guild from 1987 to 1991. His previous books include Nicholas and Alexandra, Peter the Great: His Life and World (for which he won a Pulitzer Prize for biography), The Romanovs: The Final Chapter, Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War, and Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea. John E. Dowling is professor emeritus at Harvard University, and has done extensive research into the neurobiology of vision. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Frederick Davidson (1932-2005) was born in London and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He performed in BBC radio plays before coming to America in 1976. The narrator of more than eight hundred audiobooks, he garnered numerous Earphones Awards and a Grammy nomination for his readings. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine in 1997.

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