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Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman

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Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman Cover

ISBN13: 9780345408778
ISBN10: 0345408772
Condition: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

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 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.

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

Review:

"[A] tale of power, perseverance and passion...a great story in the hands of a master storyteller." The Wall Street Journal

Review:

"[A] compelling portrait not just of a Russian titan, but also of a flesh-and-blood woman." Newsweek

Review:

"An absorbing, satisfying biography." Los Angeles Times

Review:

"Juicy and suspenseful." The New York Times Book Review

Review:

"A great life, indeed, and irresistibly told." Salon

Review:

"Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman has it all: jealous mothers, indulgent eccentrics, greedy social climbers, intrigue, infidelity, murder, political coups, sex, war and passion." Bookreporter

Review:

"Exhaustively researched and dramatically narrated." The Boston Globe

Review:

"[Robert K. Massie] brings great authority to this sweeping account of Catherine and her times...a compelling read." The Washington Post

Review:

"Meticulously, dramatically rendered." O: The Oprah Magazine

Review:

"Reads like an epic Russian novel." San Antonio Express-News

Review:

"Will transport history lovers." People

Review:

"Massie makes Catherine's story dramatic and immediate." The Kansas City Star

Review:

"Graceful and engrossing." Minneapolis Star Tribune

Review:

"A biography as captivating as its subject." MacLean's
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About the Author

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.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 3 comments:
Diana9009, April 13, 2013 (view all comments by Diana9009)
This one was clearly a win for me as a biography of Catherine the Great. Massie's writing is clear, brisk and kept the story moving throughout. What I really enjoyed was how he took the time and trouble to show how Catherine carried forward the reforms begun by Peter the Great, and was a monarch who overcame a great deal of adversity to overcome the obstacles of not being Russian, being a woman, and a usurper to boot -- most biographies focus on her time before becoming empress and/or her lovers -- while Massie does look closely at several of them, he also wisely discards the more wild rumours and looks at what Catherine actually did. While I did receive an ARC of this, I still intend to buy a copy of the finished edition. This one gets five stars from me, and a hearty recommendation for anyone interested in Tsarist history.
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Kelly Joyce, January 1, 2013 (view all comments by Kelly Joyce)
Robert K. Massie has once again written a brilliant and very "readable" biography of a member of Russia's former royalty. As with NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRA and PETER THE GREAT he shows Catherine as a human, not just a historical figure. I found this book to be more enjoyable than a novel and gained a great deal of insight into one of History's most amazing women.
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Bethany Dotson, October 22, 2012 (view all comments by Bethany Dotson)
I turned the last page, put the book down, and wondered how I'd gone my whole life without knowing the story of this incredibly woman. Massie brings Catherine to life as a woman even more than a political figure; her hope for bringing republicanism into Russia, her disillusionment, her romances, her relationships. I felt, by the end, as if I really knew Catherine. The last hundred pages or so dragged a bit for me, but overall, 5 stars for a fantastic topic and a fantastic story. I mean, it's not every woman that can, despite being in the public eye basically ever day, hide an entire pregnancy and successful delivery of a child.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780345408778
Author:
Massie, Robert K.
Publisher:
Random House Trade
Subject:
Royalty
Subject:
Biography-Royalty
Copyright:
2012
Edition Description:
Trade paper
Publication Date:
20120931
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Language:
English
Illustrations:
COLOR PHOTO INSERT; 4 MAPS
Pages:
672
Dimensions:
9.1 x 6.1 x 1.4 in 1.5375 lb
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Related Subjects


Biography » General
Biography » Royalty
Biography » Women
Featured Titles » Bestsellers
Featured Titles » Biography
Featured Titles » General
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History and Social Science » Russia » General Russian History
History and Social Science » Russia » Romanovs
History and Social Science » World History » 1650 to Present
History and Social Science » World History » Russia

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$13.95 In Stock
Product details 672 pages Random House Trade Paperbacks - English 9780345408778 Reviews:
"Review" by , "[A] tale of power, perseverance and passion...a great story in the hands of a master storyteller."
"Review" by , "[A] compelling portrait not just of a Russian titan, but also of a flesh-and-blood woman."
"Review" by , "An absorbing, satisfying biography."
"Review" by , "Juicy and suspenseful."
"Review" by , "A great life, indeed, and irresistibly told."
"Review" by , "Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman has it all: jealous mothers, indulgent eccentrics, greedy social climbers, intrigue, infidelity, murder, political coups, sex, war and passion."
"Review" by , "Exhaustively researched and dramatically narrated."
"Review" by , "[Robert K. Massie] brings great authority to this sweeping account of Catherine and her times...a compelling read."
"Review" by , "Meticulously, dramatically rendered."
"Review" by , "Reads like an epic Russian novel."
"Review" by , "Will transport history lovers."
"Review" by , "Massie makes Catherine's story dramatic and immediate."
"Review" by , "Graceful and engrossing."
"Review" by , "A biography as captivating as its subject."
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