Peter the great best biography book

Peter the Great: His Life and World
by Robert K. Massie
pages
Random House
Published:

&#;Peter the Great: His Life and World&#; is Robert Massie&#;s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Russia&#;s Peter I.  Massie was a journalist and historian who also wrote best-selling biographies of Nicholas and Alexandra Romanov and Catherine the Great. Massie died in at the age of ninety.

Peter the Great ( &#; ) is an irresistible and transformational figure in Russian history, responsible for modernizing his country&#;s culture and customs, launching a significant industrialization effort and significantly strengthening his country&#;s military posture. He had more than a dozen children by two wives (after he divorced his first wife he had her confined to a convent) and proves to be a biographer&#;s dream. He was inquisitive, mercurial, contemplative, demanding and surprisingly forward-thinking.

Massie illuminates every facet of Peter&#;s personality in this lengthy, frequently dense and impressively captivating biography. It is an epic, extraordinary and often brilliantly-hued adventure that sweeps the reader through Russia during the late 17th and early 18th century.  While no prior knowledge of Russia or the Romanov dynasty is required&#;it would prove beneficial.

Massie&#;s knowledge of Peter and his world is nothing short of encyclopedic and he deftly describes the major and minor events of his subject&#;s life in a way that resonates with readers of all levels of historical fluency. Massie spares little expense when describing the texture of Peter&#;s world &#; from the daily life of Russian peasants to the country&#;s physical contours and from the unique customs of Russian society to the intersection of its culture and religion.

Among the book&#;s best moments: Massie&#;s description of Peter&#;s step-sister and her efforts to rule Russia, his month journey (semi-incognito) through Europe to better understand its customs, culture and competitive strengths, and rich descriptions of late 17th-century Amsterdam and London. Also impressive &#; is Massie&#;s discussion of the tactics and protocol of warfare in Peter&#;s era and his exposition of the Ottoman Empire. But the highlight for me is probably the tragic tale of Peter&#;s relationship with his son Alexis &#; raised in the hope he would rule Russia one day &#; which ended with the torture and death of the young Tsarevich.

Readers lacking any familiarity with Russian or European history during Peter&#;s time will likely find this book to be both fascinating and frustrating.  A deep, considered appreciation for Peter&#;s military goals, his diplomatic endeavors and his modernization efforts can probably be obtained ex nihilo, but some pre-existing background will undoubtedly prove helpful.

Readers of all stripes, however, are likely to find this book an intimidating collection of unfamiliar but important names &#; of adversaries, advisers, mentors, proteges, family members and friends. They grow increasingly difficult to keep straight as Peter&#;s story fully unfolds. Finally, portions of the narrative dedicated to Russia&#;s multi-year war against Sweden quickly grow increasingly tedious rather than tantalizing. A few well-placed maps would have been helpful.

Overall, Robert Massie&#;s biography of Peter the Great is a literary and historical masterpiece. It is simultaneously sweeping, deep, colorful, insightful and thorough. Readers with an interest in early Russian history will find it enthralling; those with less background will nevertheless find that the greater-than-average investment is handsomely rewarded.

Overall rating: 4¼ stars