Russia in the Age of Peter the Great [Hardcover]

Dr. Lindsey Hughes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 1998

Peter the Great, often known as the Tsar Reformer, initiated a programme of modernization and Westernization that affected the lives of all his subjects. He founded a new capital, St Petersburg, which became a symbol of cultural change, and a navy, which signalled Russia's emergence as a maritime power. He also reinforced the old institutions of serfdom and autocracy. This book - a history of Peter and the Russia he goverend - examines the impact of a man was both acclaimed as the architect of the New Russia and condemned as a crude despot who sacrificed cherished traditions for the sake of international success. Drawing on previously unavailable sources, Lindsey Hughes provides an account of one of the most significant periods in Russian history. She proceeds thematically, discussing Russia's foreign policy, the army and navy, economy, governing institutions, society, arts, education and religion. She explores the experience of women, and investigates the life of the court (including Peter's "All-Drunken Assembly"), feasts, entertainments and popular culture. Although not a biography, Peter is a presence throughout the book, a six-foot seven-inch giant who enjoyed the company of dwarfs and ordinary people, adopted disguises and pseudonyms, married a peasant, and had a passion for cultural reform. Hughes recounts the events that shaped Peter's youth, provides character sketch, and explores his complex family relations (including the tragic conflict with his eldest son Alexis, whom he condemned to death). Her account closes with a reconsideration of the Petrine legacy from Peter's time to our own, as his name and image became harnessed to sell beer and cigarettes and the erection of his statue provokes renewed controversy.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Like the luckless hero of Pushkin's "The Bronze Horseman," driven mad by St. Petersburg floods, all of Russia is in some sense pursued by the ghost of Peter the Great. Literally larger than life at six foot seven inches, the country's alternately revered and reviled monarch was a man of intense contradictions: famous for introducing Western modes of speech, custom, and thought, he also strengthened the dubious Russian traditions of autocracy and serfdom. Present-day Russians are similarly divided over the Petrine legacy. Admirers point to his striking imperial achievements as well as his success in promoting learning, science, and clerical and legal reform. Critics see in his harsh totalitarian rule the antecedent for despots like Stalin. Either way, it's clear that he was the single person most responsible for dragging Russia from the Middle Ages into the Enlightenment. In Lindsey Hughes's massive, meticulously detailed history, Russia in the Age of Peter the Great, the tsar is depicted warts and all. It's a balanced view, presented in lucid, jargon-free prose and supported by impeccable research. Hughes delves into not only the familiar territory of Peter's military and naval innovations, but also previously underexplored topics such as the changing role of women under his rule. Most intriguingly, she cites the tsar's fondness for masks, role-playing, and disguise. The chapters detailing the peculiarities of Peter's psychology make for perhaps the most absorbing reading in a book full of insights and surprises. Sufficiently rigorous for scholars yet eminently accessible to the general reader, Russia in the Age of Peter the Great is an invaluable addition to the literature surrounding this complicated and fascinating man. --Mary Park

From Publishers Weekly

All of the important topics about the single individual who did more to affect the course of imperial Russian history than any other are covered here in remarkable detail: Peter the Great's establishment of Russia as a military power with his victory in the Great Northern War; his creation of the Table of Ranks, the basis of Russia's famous bureaucracy; his Westernization campaign. Hughes, a professor of Russian history at the University of London, leaves no stone unturned as she describes how Peter attempted to "modernize" Russia. But while she notes in her introduction that she had access to previously unopened Russian archives, it's unclear what the details Hughes has gleaned from these archives have added to our overall knowledge about Peter. For the general reader, the best parts of the book come buried in the last section, where Hughes departs from her emphasis on the Petrine age and focuses on the more personal aspects of this 6' 7" man. Peter's fascinating private life?most of his 14 children died at a very young age, and he most likely helped his heir die by ordering his torture?shows that political scandal and intrigue is nothing new. Scholars and students of Russian history will welcome this encyclopedic work; those looking for a popular introduction would be better off trying Robert Massie's Peter the Great.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 656 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1St Edition edition (September 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300075391
• ISBN-13: 978-0300075397
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #745,003 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellently organized and researched tome!, August 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Russia in the Age of Peter the Great (Hardcover)

This book covers almost every angle of a very dynamic and consequential period in the history of Russia. Its organization allows the reader to move easily through the book and examine those parts which are of interest. I read the book from cover to cover and was never once displeased with the well-researched facts and attention to detail. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Russia's history.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent, entertaining, refreshingly revisionist, September 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Russia in the Age of Peter the Great (Hardcover)

This book overshadows almost everything ever written about Peter the Great and his era. It is deeply researched, incisively argued, stylishly presented, and a marvelous read. Hughes organizes a huge amount of material logically and clearly; her prose exudes spirit and style. She revises much received wisdom. She treats many neglected topics with great insight and good sense. She makes many fascinating comparisons and constantly keeps in mind the contemporary context that Peter lived in. She has a wonderful eye for memorable quotations and shows great wit in her wide-ranging presentation. Her book makes many others look silly and shallow and stodgy. Her book achieves a wonderful balance between scholarly discoveries and revisions and popular topics with wide appeal to any literate person. A sterling achievement in all respects.

5.0 out of 5 stars A balanced assessment!, November 17, 2011

By 

Dag Stomberg - See all my reviews

This review is from: Russia in the Age of Peter the Great (Hardcover)

Russian diplomacy is thought to have originated with Peter the Great. Because of his rule
Russia was not isolated from the rest of Europe.

Dr. Hughes' excellent scholarship produces one of the best books ever written about the
subject era. This account of Peter's reign brings to the reader most of what is essential
and should be considered as really the epitaph!

Dag Stomberg