Customer Reviews

Catherine the Great

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4 star:		(5)
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2 star:		(1)
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This was a very enjoyable book. A little long on the many, and I mean many, romantic flings that Catherine had and a little short on the foreign policy issues facing Russia and this time. As a result, the book sometimes teeters on becoming a romance novel or soap opera. However, it is especially strong in covering Catherine's early years, her relationship with Elizabeth and her ascension to power. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in Czarist Russia, dynamic characters such as Catherine, or just good historical novels. Strung together well, holds your attention, and wonderfully written. Good research with an abundance of original letters to draw upon and discuss in context.

Catherine as described by Henri Troyat is a total complexity of virtues. Born into a noble family with little chance of rule she pounces at the opportunity to marry into the Romanov family. Described as more of a marriage of convenience than one of any true affection Catherine marries Peter III but before long had him murdered and took the role of Czarina for herself. While this murder in many ways defined the rule of Catherine it was on her part a calculated effort for the growth of the monarchy and strengthening of the Russian Empire. She further looks over her son Paul as a worthy heir to the throne and only after much reluctance does she allow that him to take rule upon her death. She does much to also ensure that her grandson Alexander is raised properly to take rule of the country and acts more like a mother to him than his actual birth mother. Besides this she is also an ardent follower of the enlightenment (before the French revolution) and imbues a sense of liberalism in her grandsonas she considers the thoughts of the philosophes in her decisions. Troyat also brings up the issue of her many lovers including the upstart Plato Zubov. These lovers did cause a great deal of controversy during her rule but by no means were they and all consuming passion of Catherine's as many believe.

This biography is very well written and serves as a great account of a Ruler who is widely known but very misunderstood. The works upholds the belief that Catherine was an able and strong ruler who did more to build the power of the Romanov dynasty in the 19th century. It is clear that the author did ample research and while he is not totally revisionist he is very apologetic of Catherine as he paints a balanced but overall favorable picture of the Empress. This is a very fine work and is definitely worth reading. After this you may wish to read his follow up "Alexander of Russia"

Prior to reading this book, the only information that I had on Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, was that she was an 18th century Czarina of some repute and that she was essentially a nymphomaniac. While the author disputes my clinical characterization of Catherine's sexual prowess, he certainly does take great pains to point out her long list of conquests, right up until her death at a then advanced age.

This book is very informative and quite enlightening as it relates to the political and social mores of Eastern European and Asian aristocracy during the period of Catherine's reign. The tangled webs of shifting alliances during the roughly 50 years covered by the book are many times fascinating and at times hung by the thread of whether a 16 year old heir to a throne was enchanted at first site by a 13 year old princess. Entire nations hung in the balance.

Especially interesting was the author's repeated juxtaposition between Catherine's espoused liberal "enlightened monarch" ideals and her actual rule over, and disposal of millions of enslaved serfs. Her fascination and financial support of many liberal French and Swiss political reformers and philosophers and then her horror when such philosophies actual came to fruition in the French Revolution.

Ultimately, Catherine was a woman of her times and indisputably proved to be a most able successor to the earlier Peter the Great inasmuch as she made Russia a major player on the European stage and greatly expanded the territory under her control. The personalities involved make for a highly entertaining read.

I've seen some of the comments labeling the prose as dry or tedious and tend to disagree. Certainly, writing style of non-fiction historical biographies differs from that seen in fictionalized accounts. In addition, this is a translation which perhaps hinders certain elements of style that others might prefer. All in all, I was not dissatified with the writing or the content. I recommend this book to any seeking an understanding of Russian or Eastern European history and/or culture during the mid to late 18th century.

This is a skillfully written story of a great Russian Czarina. This biography reads like a novel and keeps the reader's attention to the very end. This is one of the few historic books on Russia written by a non-Russian author that paints an honest and accurate picture of the Russian life and politics of that period. I recommend this book to everyone interested in history, intrigue and romance.

Troyat needs no bolstering from me: his credentials as a well-known documenter of Russian monarchic history are legion. I relished every page of Troyat's documentaries on Ivan IV, Pjotr I, and Aleksandr I (ranking in strict chronologic order). However, his bio of Yekaterina II--while unquestionably meticulously researched--is dry. For one thing, it is quite overlong, which one must question right out of the starting gate insofar as Henri Troyat's book on Pjotr I--also a fabulous monarch of critical importance to the emergence of the empire, arguably even more so than Yekaterina II--was brief and swift. (Indeed, every paragraph of the Peter biography literally burst with fascinating facts and characterizations.) Troyat goes on and on and on about every minor detail to the point where the essential message is basically lost amid the sheer volume: a crystalline example of forest-amid-trees overpowering. As a basis for research, for high school papers, etc., "Catherine the Great" is to be most highly commended. However, as an armchair read for the history devote [only one 'e': I can't render accent aigu through this medium, and devotee is the feminine form--Ed.], it plays marked second fiddle to Henri's Ivan, Peter, and Alex.

I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that this biography, unlike others I've read, was a page turner as well as an eye-opener. In fact,it was one of the best books I have ever read. Informative to the hilt, it takes the reader through the life of Catherine II from her birth to her death, with excerps from her Memoires and correspondences over the years. It read like some romance novels I've experienced, full of Court intrigue and brimming with affairs. Catherine the Great was truly deserving of her title. I would highly recommend this book to everybody. Even if you don't like biography, I guarantee you won't realize you're reading one.

Catherine thhe Great, the little teenage Princess who came from germanic heritage, developed into a scheming, pitiless, yet loving ruler. The author takes us through her development with wonderful descriptions of those times. One can compare her reign in Russia with the development of the American Revolution and be astonished at the paths of the two nations. It is well worth reading and helps us understand the Russia of that time and of later times.

Catherine the Great was a wonderful read. It masterfully followed the intrigues of court life and all its complexities. One learned a great deal of information regarding Catherine, some through personal letters of her own. Troyat did a remarkable job with this biography. Anyone interested in Russian history, or even someone merely interested in a twisting tale such as one you might find in a work of fiction--Catherine is definitely a go!

The portrait painted in this biography is one of a complex, but calculating lady, who had her sights set on acquiring power at an early age. The focus is on her life at court and her accomplishements in building natiional treasures. It is somewhat sparse on the details of her military actions but does a nice job of providing a sense of the period-especially with regards to France and Voltaire. Her many favorite men are also detailed.

It is a good biorgraphy, but not a page-turner.

I finished this thick book in four working days. This story of one of the most efficient Autocrat of All Russias is extremely compelling.

I'll leave aside all moral judgement but, there is no question that Catherine the Great had tremendous ambition and the means for it. This biography of hers helps readers understand an important chunk of Russian history at a crucial time of wars and revolutions.

Troyat's writing is crystal clear in style. Having read it in French, if it is translated as well as it should be, it will be excellent in English as well. I recommend all his books. A good follow-up, if you don't mind the 1200 pages or so: "War and Peace" by Tolstoy for the context during the napoleonic war.