Catherine the Great was the German born wife of Peter III. Peter was (the Ruler of Russia) The former ruler Empress Elizabeth’s handpicked successor. When Russia Nobles found Peter unacceptable they kidnapped and most likely assassinated him. He may have been killed in a struggle but in either event he was killed. The Nobles afterward quickly put Catherine in power she being the next in line of succession. What they found in Catherine was somewhat of a surprise. She was swept up in the Enlightenment and was very ambitious. She wrote and had a lifelong correspondence with the French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire.As Empress, she attempted to systemize and unify Russia’s laws which were an inconsistent at the time and had an odd combination of past laws. She also attempted to unify a country that had enormous diversity. She traveled to all parts of Russia to learn about these varying cultures. She also built schools and instructed at what should be taught. She tried to write a book on Etymology which is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time. She even wrote to George Washington for help with English words.She built and stocked the Hermitage Museum with world class art from artists Raphael, Giorgione, Titian, Veronese, Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck et al. She turned St. Petersburg into one of the most beautiful cities in the world paying for and building magnificent buildings and architecture.She also expanded the Russia Empire by waging war against the Ottoman Turks. Russia had engulfed the Crimea, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Courland. She extended the Russian border to the Black Sea.She had a son, with Peter III, named Paul of whom she basically ignored. However, when Paul had children she became a doting grandmother. She bragged to everyone how smart her two grandsons were. Her love life is well documented in this book. She had numerous affairs.When she was younger someone told her she was cute. She remarked that that was the only time in her life that someone said that to her. I just found that touching.I am betting there is a better book about her. The author tended to overload the reader with the cost of building and the cost of the various Balls which were customary of the times. The battles are not well discussed or her reasons for her disliking of the Turks so much. I think her story could be much more interesting. This book just left me somewhat underwhelmed.
A book for those who like courtly glitter, pagentry, discription of royal balls, flamboyant expositions of life in medieval courts and of course easy reading. It wasn't my cup of tea and I struggled to get to the data I needed to find but I have given it 3 stars for achieving what it set out to do. Its reasonably well researched too. If you are not trying to contextualize Catherine within the larger Russian or European political environment, and you do like entertaining historical reads, this is it.
Do You like book Catherine The Great (2009)?
While Peter the Great is a household name even outside Russia, Catherine the Great, despite her identical moniker, has not met with the same level of fame. But Simon Dixon’s biography of the Russian empress does not seek to demonstrate the impact of her nearly 35-year reign (1762-1796) on Russia and its posterity. It is truly a biography of Catherine herself and helps the reader identify with the sovereign and the way she experienced life on a daily basis. Dixon walks us through Catherine’s life from her point of view, giving us background on other important individuals and events as they enter her frame of reference. With this approach, he shows us the greatness of the person and not merely her deeds.
—Dan
