Catherine The Greatest

Author : Henri Troyat
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0452011205
Total Pages : 401 pages
Book Rating : 4.05/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Catherine the Great written by Henri Troyat and published by Penguin. This book was released on 1994-04-01 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By delving into the life of Catherine the Great, this acclaimed biographer reveals the rich tapestry of Russia’s past, giving insight into the paradoxical character of its people and their stunning evolution from feudalism to communism to their present-day struggle for a free-market democracy. This is history as it is rarely written today—elegant, witty, dramatic, and with an intimate knowledge of its characters. And what better subject for a biography than one of history's most powerful women, the German-born Russian empress whose adopted language and culture were French, and whose most loyal correspondents were Voltaire and Diderot? Troyat details the various lives of Catherine II: the ambitious child, the acquiescent yet firm grand duchess, the forceful politician and patron of the arts, the belligerent war maker, and the doting grandparent. “A remarkable woman . . . A riveting book.”—Mary Renault “Brilliantly captures one of the most colorful figures of all time.”—Doubleday Book Club News

Author : Carolly Erickson
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 9780312135034
Total Pages : 412 pages
Book Rating : 4.33/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Great Catherine written by Carolly Erickson and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 1995-08-15 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Princess Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst became Empress Catherine II of Russia, an indomitable, feisty ruler who was very complex and became an infamous historical figure.

Author : Catherine the Great
Publisher : Modern Library
ISBN 13 : 0307432432
Total Pages : 362 pages
Book Rating : 4.38/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Memoirs of Catherine the Great written by Catherine the Great and published by Modern Library. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Empress Catherine II brought Europe to Russia, and Russia to Europe, during her long and eventful reign (1762—96). She fostered the culture of the Enlightenment and greatly expanded the immense empire created by Czar Ivan the Terrible, shifting the balance of power in Europe eastward. Famous for her will to power and for her dozen lovers, Catherine was also a prolific and gifted writer. Fluent in French, Russian, and German, Catherine published political theory, journalism, comedies, operas, and history, while writing thousands of letters as she corresponded with Voltaire and other public figures. The Memoirs of Catherine the Great provides an unparalleled window into eighteenth-century Russia and the mind of an absolute ruler. With insight, humor, and candor, Catherine presents her eyewitness account of history, from her whirlwind entry into the Russian court in 1744 at age fourteen as the intended bride of Empress Elizabeth I’s nephew, the eccentric drunkard and future Peter III, to her unhappy marriage; from her two children, several miscarriages, and her and Peter’s numerous affairs to the political maneuvering that enabled Catherine to seize the throne from him in 1762. Catherine’s eye for telling details makes for compelling reading as she describes the dramatic fall and rise of her political fortunes. This definitive new translation from the French is scrupulously faithful to her words and is the first for which translators have consulted original manuscripts written in Catherine’s own hand. It is an indispensable work for anyone interested in Catherine the Great, Russian history, or the eighteenth century.

Author : Michael Streeter
Publisher : Haus Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9781905791064
Total Pages : 182 pages
Book Rating : 4.62/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Catherine the Great written by Michael Streeter and published by Haus Publishing. This book was released on 2007 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating life of a ruler who was deservedly styled 'the Great'

Author : Simon Sebag Montefiore
Publisher : Vintage
ISBN 13 : 0593467914
Total Pages : 689 pages
Book Rating : 4.16/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Catherine the Great & Potemkin written by Simon Sebag Montefiore and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2021-08-04 with total page 689 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of The Romanovs: a vivid account of history's most successful political partnership—as sensual and fiery as it was creative and visionary. Catherine the Great was a woman of notorious passion and imperial ambition. Prince Potemkin—wildly flamboyant and sublimely talented—was the love of her life and her co-ruler. Together they seized Ukraine and Crimea, territories that define the Russian sphere of influence to this day. Their affair was so tumultuous that they negotiated an arrangement to share power, leaving each of them free to take younger lovers. But these “twin souls” never stopped loving each other. Drawing on the pair’s intimate letters and on vast research, Simon Sebag Montefiore's widely acclaimed biography restores these imperial partners to their rightful place as titans of their age.

Author : Isabel de Madariaga
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 030017344X
Total Pages : 310 pages
Book Rating : 4.44/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Catherine the Great written by Isabel de Madariaga and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1991-01-01 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is no shortage of biographies of Catherine the Great, of varying quality and degrees of sensationalism. But there exists no brief account of her reign that incorporates the extensive research findings of the last twenty years and presents them accessibly, accurately, and concisely to the student and the general reader. Following her magisterial Russia in the Age of Catherine the Great, Isabel de Madariaga has written the most informative, balanced and up-to-date short study of this spectacular period in Russian history. De Madariaga establishes an authoritative account of the events of Catherine's life, disentangling the myth from the verifiable reality. But her principal aim is to provide an account of the achievements of the thirty-four-year reign. Well-read and intelligent, Catherine presided over a fundamental reorganization of central and local government, of financial administration, of law, and of literary and cultural life. De Madariaga tracks the changes and explains the reforms, placing them in the context of eighteenth-century Europe and the ideas of the Enlightenment and of the French Revolution. Chapters on the wars against the Turkish empire, the annexation of the Crimea in 1783, and the partition of Poland demonstrate Catherine's part in building Russia into a formidable European power. The text is distinguished throughout by the attention paid to historical controversies over the interpretation of Catherine's policies and to teh historiography on the period in general. Praised by French writers of her day and attacked by later historians for her neglect of the welfare of the serfs, Catherine's achievements are now measured against the difficulties she met. The book points to the problems Catherine faced, the human and material resources on which she could draw, and the intellectual climate in which she operated. De Madariaga considers past and present assessments of Catherine and consolidates balanced judgments, profound understanding, and exhaustive reserach into a highly assimilable form.

Author : Virginia Rounding
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 9780312378639
Total Pages : 612 pages
Book Rating : 4.37/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Catherine the Great written by Virginia Rounding and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2008-01-22 with total page 612 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: RA great thumping triumph of a bookS ("London Telegraph"), this is the first comprehensive modern biography of Catherine the Great to explore her both as a woman and empress.

Author : Robert K. Massie
Publisher : Random House
ISBN 13 : 158836044X
Total Pages : 673 pages
Book Rating : 4.41/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman written by Robert K. Massie and published by Random House. This book was released on 2011-11-08 with total page 673 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “[A] tale of power, perseverance and passion . . . a great story in the hands of a master storyteller.”—The Wall Street Journal 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. “[A] compelling portrait not just of a Russian titan, but also of a flesh-and-blood woman.”—Newsweek “An absorbing, satisfying biography.”—Los Angeles Times “Juicy and suspenseful.”—The New York Times Book Review “A great life, indeed, and irresistibly told.”—Salon 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 BONUS: This edition contains a Catherine the Great reader's guide.

Author : Eva Stachniak
Publisher : Bantam
ISBN 13 : 0553908057
Total Pages : 409 pages
Book Rating : 4.53/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Empress of the Night written by Eva Stachniak and published by Bantam. This book was released on 2014-03-25 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perfect for readers of Hilary Mantel, Alison Weir, and Philippa Gregory, Empress of the Night is Eva Stachniak’s engrossing new novel, told in the voice of Catherine the Great as the Romanov monarch reflects on her ascension to the throne, her rule over the world’s greatest power, and the sacrifices that made her the most feared and commanding woman of her time. A critically acclaimed historical drama and instant #1 international bestseller, The Winter Palace brilliantly reimagined the rise of Catherine the Great through the watchful eyes of her clever servant Varvara. Now, in Eva Stachniak’s enthralling new novel, Catherine takes center stage as she relives her astonishing ascension to the throne, her rule over an empire, and the sacrifices that made her the most feared and commanding woman of her time. As the book opens, the charismatic monarch is in her final hours. From the fevered depths of her mind, Catherine recalls the fateful trajectory of her turbulent life: her precarious apprenticeship as Russia’s Grand Duchess, the usurpers who seek to deprive her of a crown, the friends who beg more of her than she was willing to give, and her struggle to know whom to trust and whom to deceive to ensure her survival. “We quarrel about power, not about love,” Catherine would write to the great love of her life, Grigory Potemkin, but her days were balanced on the razor’s edge of choosing her head over her heart. Power, she learns, is about resolve, strategy, and direction; love must sometimes be secondary as she marshals all her strengths to steer her volatile country into a new century and beyond—to grow the Romanov empire, to amass a vast fortune, and to control a scheming court in order to become one of history’s greatest rulers. Gorgeously written with vivid detail and lyrical prose, Empress of the Night is an intensely intimate novel of a woman in charge of her fortunes, who must navigate the sorrows, triumphs, and hopes of both her soul and a nation. Praise for Empress of the Night “[Eva] Stachniak’s absorbing novel opens readers’ hearts to an extraordinary and misunderstood woman. . . . Wonderfully, lyrically written, Stachniak’s story vibrates with passion, drama and intrigue. This is a feast for fans.”—RT Book Reviews “Stachniak’s insight into the opulent lives of Russia’s rulers continues in this reflective second novel. . . . Historical fiction fans will appreciate this personal account of a formidable and, indeed, infamous ruler.”—Library Journal “The book takes on a dreamlike quality. . . . Ambitious . . . moving . . . structurally complex and psychologically intense . . . vivid descriptions.”—Quill & Quire “Stachniak brings to life one of the most fascinating—and controversial—female rulers of all time.”—DuJour “Empress of the Night casts light on Catherine’s life with unflinching honesty and intimacy. This fun novel of lovers, intrigue, and malicious and manipulative nobility keeps readers enthralled with every page.”—Virtuoso Life

Author : John T. Alexander
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0195061624
Total Pages : 457 pages
Book Rating : 4.28/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Catherine the Great written by John T. Alexander and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1989-11-09 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines all aspects of Catherine the Great's life and career, focusing on her role as mother, lover, and ruler during her reign as Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796.