Peter the Great: His Life and World

by Robert K. Massie

Against the monumental canvas of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe and Russia, unfolds the magnificent story of Peter the Great, crowned at the age of 10. A barbarous, volatile feudal tsar with a taste for torture; a progressive and enlightened reformer of government and science; a statesman of vision and colossal significance: Peter the Great embodied the greatest strengths and weaknesses of Russia while being at the very forefront of her development.

Robert K. Massie delves deep into the life of this captivating historical figure, chronicling the pivotal events that shaped a boy into a legend - including his 'incognito' travels in Europe, his unquenchable curiosity about Western ways, his obsession with the sea and establishment of the stupendous Russian navy, his creation of an unbeatable army, and his relationships with those he loved most: Catherine, his loving mistress, wife, and successor; and Menshikov, the charming, unscrupulous prince who rose to power through Peter's friendship. Impetuous and stubborn, generous and cruel, a man of enormous energy and complexity, Peter the Great is brought fully to life.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Russia, Russian History, Biography Memoir, European History

909 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Robert Kinloch Massie was an American historian, writer, winner of a Pulitzer Prize, and a Rhodes Scholar.

Born in Versailles, Kentucky, Massie spent much of his youth there and in Nashville, Tennessee. He studied American history at Yale University and modern European history at Oxford University on his Rhodes Scholarship. Massie went to work as a journalist for Newsweek from 1959 to 1964 and then took a position at the Saturday Evening Post.

After he and his family left America for France, Massie wrote and published his breakthrough book, Nicholas and Alexandra, a biography of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, his wife, Alexandra of Hesse, and their family and cultural/political milieu. Massie's interest in the Tsar's family was triggered by the birth of his son, the Rev. Robert Kinloch Massie, who suffers from hemophilia, a hereditary disease that also afflicted the last Tsar's son, Alexei. In 1971, the book was the basis of an Academy Award–winning film of the same title. In 1995, in his book The Romanovs: The Final Chapter, Massie updated Nicholas and Alexandra with much newly discovered information.

In 1975, Robert Massie and his then-wife Suzanne chronicled their experiences as the parents of a hemophiliac child and the significant differences between the American and French healthcare systems in their jointly written book, Journey.

Massie won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Biography for Peter the Great: His Life and World. This book inspired a 1986 NBC mini-series that won three Emmy Awards, starring Maximilian Schell, Laurence Olivier and Vanessa Redgrave.

Reviews

[Dem · Rating 5 out of 5]

History is safe in the hands of Robert K. Massie as his meticulously researched biography Of Peter the Great, his life and world really is a breathtaking Journey back into the Russia of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century , warts and all. Peter The Great was one of the most transformational leaders in European history and while I was familiar with some aspects of his reign I now feel very informed and complete having read this wonderful book.

This is my third book by Robert K. Massie and a great deal of time and attention is needed to invest in one of his books as his attention to detail and research into events and characters is remarkable and this is the reason I took an unusual approach to reading this tomb of a book. I decided I would read this over a three month period as it is heavy going with all the Russian names, events, battles, dates and characters to keep track of but I just LOVED every moment spent in the company of this book. Having read quite a lot of Books on the rulers of Russia over the years, this is up there with my favourite Nicholas and Alexandra also by Mr Massie.
The reader gets a no holes barred view back into history as the author delves deep into the life of this intriguing historical figure and his many achievements in Russian history and also his relationships and the cruelty he inflicted. I thought the author portrayed his subject in a very balanced way.

While this is quite a lengthy read it is written in a flowing almost novel like style which is vivid and captures the reader’s attention from the very beginning. We also learn a great deal from the book about other European leaders such as Charles XII of Sweden which was interesting.
I loved the addition of the colour illustrations in the centre of the copy I purchased.

I am so delighted to have finally added this amazing paperback book to my Russian collection of books and I continue to be fascinated and intrigued by Russian history and look forward to making space on my Real Life Bookshelf for more great reads.

I recommend this book for history lovers who love their books full of facts and dates and who have an interest in European and Russian history.

[Jan-Maat]

This lengthy biography of Russian Tsar Peter the Great is thoroughly entertaining with all the strengths and weaknesses of a blockbuster. No prior knowledge of the period required.

Maybe because it is a biography it doesn't give much attention to the extent of the terror and suffering caused by the massive mobilisation and movements of population caused by his military and civil policies (Anisimov's book The Reforms of Peter the Great Progress Through Coercion in Russia is great on this even if the title does sum up the argument). Nor is there a rich study of his inner circle. The oddities of his reign don't get a full mention either - as for example visible in the collection in the Kunstkammer in St.Petersburg, (although the giant penis that Peter collected from one of his soldiers was removed, allegedly out of a concern for public morality, already in soviet timesthe jars of picked babies with deformities are still there though, along with the sheep with eight legs).

Massie's book takes, in contrast to the Anisimov, a deeply traditional view of Peter which was that he single-handedly pulled Russia out of barbaric backwardness rather like the story of the giant turnip except with far fewer people involved and steered it into the European mainstream. The problem is the easy and disturbing assumption that military power determines the place of a state in the world and that whatever measures are taken to achieve military success are acceptable, there's an implicit acceptance that military dominance is the be all and end all of being a country that one may not want to accept uncritically. Taking a longer view the role and in particular the glorification of the use of violence in bringing about sudden, and in many cases unsustainable change, was a precedent that was to have a lasting impact on Russian politics both in terms of internal policy and foreign policy, and one that the 'little man' of Pushkin's The Bronze Horseman and his really life equivalents would not appreciate, nor is there much appreciate of how Peter was not his own creator but following in well established footsteps - for example Klyuchevsky's golden oldie view that Peter never succeeded in anything apart from projects that his father Tsar Aleksei had also attempted.

Generally weak on context, poor on Peter's circle and on his impacts (or the lack thereof). But on the plus side it does mention how Peter and his wife, Catherine, had their hair shaved off and made into wigs while on campaign in Dagestan which they would take off during the day to keep cool and put on at night to stay warm, as well as the buckets of grain liquor doled out to invited revellers at the Summer Palace.

Best read and appreciated as entertainment rather than history. But as readable and a massive a narrative biography as one can more or less easily get in English.

[Brett C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second Robert K. Massie book after "Nicholas and Alexandra." I really like the way he writes his books as they read like a history textbook and a novel meshed together. Again the author covers a lot of material related to Peter the Great and gives relevant information without going off topic. I learned a great deal as Peter the Great's reign was anything but dull. His building of Russia and St. Petersburg and the founding of the Russian Navy are only brief examples of his life.

I enjoyed Part Three: The Great Northern War (pgs. 289-515). This was an on-going struggle with Charles XII and Sweden given in full details throughout the segment. Peter the Great employed scorched-earth warfare to decimate the invading Swedish army as they deceptively retreated into the Russian winter. The author palaces helpful maps to illustrate the Battles of Narva and the Battle of Poltava in the war with Sweden. I enjoyed this segment of the book.

Secondly, chapter 19 Fire and Knout (pgs. 244-261) covered the Streltsy Rebellion. In this interesting chapter Peter the Great swiftly crushed this military insurrection and severely punished the culprits. The four rebellious regiments who thought they could take over when Peter the Great was away were only met with torture, trial, and execution.

Not all the men of the four regiments were executed. Peter reduced the sentences to 500 soldiers under twenty years of age from death to branding on the right cheek and exile. Others had their noses or ears lopped off to mark them hideously as participants in treason. Throughout Peter's reign, noseless, earless, branded men, evidence of both the Tsar's wrath and his mercy, roamed the edges of his realm. pg. 258

Great book! I learned a great deal and I enjoyed the reading. Highly recommended for history buffs. Thanks!

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

“History may slow its pace, but it does not move backwards.” (4.5 stars)

Before picking up this book I knew nothing about Imperial Russia. After reading PETER THE GREAT: HIS LIFE & WORLD that is no longer the case. As the subtitle indicates this text really focuses on the world around Peter, and how it intersects with his rule over Russia. You will learn about an era, when you read this text, not just a man.

A small quibble, the book is organized more by topic than chronologically, and at times it slowed my pace of reading as to avoid confusion. I don’t think that organization aided the book.

Some thoughts that have stuck with me from the read-
Peter is the one responsible for a Russian Navy. He created it out of nothing. Fascinating to read about.
Unlike most Russians of the period, Peter was vastly interested in the wider world, and as a young man he undertook a “Great Embassy”. Traveling incognito (somewhat) through Europe was an amazingly astute thing for a young monarch to do. Peter’s travels to Western Europe were key to bringing Russia into the modern age. Compared to other nations in the late 1600s, Russia was positively medieval before Peter dragged it kicking and screaming into the modern era.
Often while reading this book I would find myself getting irritated at Peter’s barbarity, and he could be a tyrant. But then Massie would bring up some of Peter’s more enlightened attitudes. Peter was an autocrat, but he was also lenient about religious practices that did not follow his own, he banned the killing of children who were born deformed (a common practice in Russia at the time), he banned women being forced into compulsory marriage, he worked to bring the rights of Russian women up to the western standards of that age, and many others. Peter, like all of us, was a man of contradictions.

Quotes:
• “The most accurate image of Peter the Great is of a man who throughout his life was perpetually curious, perpetually restless, perpetually in movement.”
• “Peter viewed himself as personally responsible for the strengthening of the national economy, but at the same time he understood that private enterprise and initiative were the true sources of national wealth.”
Direct quotes of Peter’s:
• “We shall exercise no compulsion over the consciences of men, and shall gladly allow every Christian to care for his own salvation…”
• “Less servility, more zeal in service and more loyalty to me and to the state-this is the respect which should be paid to the tsar.”
• “When the light of learning is lacking, it is impossible that the church should be well run.”

This is a long book, and just when I was getting a little sick of Peter, Massie would frequently insert a chapter that focused on the larger historical framework, so that when he would later write something more specific to Peter/Russia the reader had a sense of the larger context of the action. It is effective, broadened the scope of this book, and made for a delightful reading experience.

Massie has a few other books about Russian monarchs/history. I will read them.

[Antonomasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with Jan-Maat's characterisation of this bumper biography in his review from 2011. (And as he studied Russian history around the same time I was doing courses on early modern Western Europe, I appreciate how he gives the academic context for this resolutely popular and traditional history book.)

As I may have posted somewhere before on GR, I have a game with old portraits of imagining the person with the clothes and haircut of another era, thinking about what type of person, what role they look like they would have especially in the present, or at some other time in the past. It is obviously a terrible cliché to talk about 'modernity' and PtG, but I have rarely encountered a written portrait of a historical person which made them seem so much like a modern type - where that modern-dress version seems almost as present in the painting as the much older one, as sometimes happens with pictures, bigwig merchants often being the most transposable IMO - without the author overtly making the comparison. Peter in his childhood and teenage years I would always think of as the geeky aspie/ADHD son of wealthy parents who were able to get him access to top-level experiences that fit his interests, and for whom it didn't matter if he took apart something expensive to see how it worked, because they could afford it. One of the most likeable things about him is that he never loses that curiosity - but of course the resoluteness of his obsessions, and his ability to drag other people into them by dint of being a monarch, made even this side of him intimidating simultaneously.
Hearing about the older Peter, it dawned on me that there's something very reminiscent of the modern tech mogul about him. If one of those had been able to run rampant with absolute power. PtG would love modern digital technology, wouldn't he? (I can't ever remember having such certainty about the likely opinions about the present of a person from 300 years ago.) This was all the more interesting because the biography was published in 1980, and from the sound of the acknowledgements, Massie worked on it all through the 70s, perhaps even earlier - so way before the early 21st century tech boom.
Back in the early 00s, I read a questionable business /self-help book based around examples from historical figures - one of whom was PtG; so there probably have been people trying to get ahead whilst trying to emulate a less bloodthirsty version of PtG.

(One point on which I diverge from J-M is that I felt that cruelty was frequently-enough talked about through the book that one cannot but be aware of its pervasiveness during the period, and as part of PtG's own character - but, other than one section about the torture and execution of those involved in a military revolt, it did not go into so much unrelenting detail as to make the entire narrative gruelling. Though there was admittedly concentration on those executed at the Tsar's own behest. The suffering of peasants under PtG's policies can readily be extrapolated from conditions described, if you have knowledge of roughly this era in other countries - but it is true it is not substantially discussed in detail in Massie's book.)

Massie has done nothing to dislodge the opinion I formed whilst listening to Simon Sebag Montefiore's The Romanovs, that Russian leaders have been in thrall to the memory and image of PtG ever since. However strong their own personality, there seems to be an implicit assumption that to be a strong leader in Russia, one needs to be like PtG whilst diverging from him just enough to put your own stamp on it.

The book is also strong on "his world" in the wider European sense - who and what Peter encountered on his travels and who was most influential on the Continent; I was surprised just how much space was given to them, but it's because of this sort of thing that the book is nearly 1000 pages in print. Having previously spent very little time on late 17th- to early 18th-century history, I heard more detail here about other notable figures and places of the age than I had before, including Peter's great antagonist Charles XII of Sweden (a very Classical young monarch for whom militarism seemed to be a religion in itself - though not an idea Massie verbalises overtly), Leibnitz, Louis XIV, and the rise of Prussia as a military power under strong rulers. In listening duration, some of these accounts were about as long as an episode of In Our Time, though of course rather less analytical, and from a perspective that was already old-hat academically when the book was first published forty years ago (it is implicitly weighted towards 'great man' theory - though with some figures one needs to acknowledge that isn't groundless, even if it used to be overdone) - but the writing is always entertaining, and vividly engaging.

This giant book (which I originally selected because, as a Pulitzer winner published before 2000, it would fit into a reading challenge), over 40 hours of it, has been a companion during one of the most extraordinary and unexpected periods in my own life, and it came to seem apt that its subject was such a revolutionary monarch and era. And in a wider sense, it felt appropriate to the present moment to be listening to a narrative about emerging into a more modern, but more tightly-controlled state which was controversial and about which many had (and still have) mixed feelings.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I want to learn a great deal in a single book, I turn to a biography. When I want to be completely inundated with information, I look to Robert K. Massie and his handful of well-crafted biographies of the Romanovs. Not for the weak of arm, Massie offers up this lengthy and detailed biography of Peter the Great, whose reign in the late 17th and into the 18th centuries left a significant mark on Russia and the world as a whole.

Peter Alekseyevich Romanov was born to Tsar Alexis and his second wife, Natalya Naryshkina, in 1682. Named for the apostle, Peter was a robust blessing to a royal family that was plagued with issues when it came to potential heirs. The tsar struggled to see how his bloodline would continue as rulers of the country, as his male heirs were either weak or died at an early age. Peter’s birth ushered in new hope for Russia and the Romanovs as a dynastic entity. Massie speaks of Peter’s upbringing in some detail, offering up random facts that the reader may find highly amusing. One such fact, that the royals used dwarves as servants and playmates to the young children to acclimate them to seeing ‘small people’. Peter’s health was accompanied by a great height, topping out at 6 foot seven inches in adulthood. While he towered over others, Peter was quite slim, which made him appear less than rugged, as one might expect a ruler to be. However, he was always quite keen to learn and showed much aptitude when given tasks. This curiosity and active nature would prove useful in the coming years.

When his father died at a young age, Peter was thrust into the position of tsar at ten. Massie talks about the political struggle for the next ruler and how many favoured the young Peter, while others wanted Ivan, one of the surviving sons from the first marriage. Both boys became co-tsars, with a regency put into place for a time. Peter revelled in this, as he was able to fine tune his skills and was quite hands-on. He was said to have taken to sailing and rubbed elbows with the sailors on many occasions, wanting to be ‘one of the boys’ and not treated as royalty. Ivan was sickly and chose to stay out of the limelight, passing his days and keeping the title only because it was pushed upon him.
When Peter became the sole Tsar of Russia on Ivan’s death, he began to shape the country in his own image. He chose to leave the confines of the country to explore Europe and help connect Russia with the outside world. No tsar had ever left the country in peacetime, though Peter was happy to break that tradition. With no diplomatic footprint anywhere, Peter assembled a group of men to travel with him and called it the Embassy Tour, in which he went to see how some of the European powers were engaging in technology, politics, and diplomacy. Peter knew that there was an instability across the continent and wanted to forge some allies ahead of any outbreak of war. Massie offers some interesting mini-biographies as Peter travelled, including Louis XIV (the Sun King) of France and William of Orange of the Netherlands and England. The trip, which took eighteen months, offered Peter a view of the area and helped him better understand how backward Russia was in comparison to their neighbours. Much would have to change if the country were called upon share its insights, on and off the battlefield, in the coming years.

With this new insight into how he might make Russia a great power in the world, Peter sought to bring about a number of changes. He modernised things by pushing back against the strong hold the church had over citizens as it related to their dress, pulled the country out of an arcane calendar system (choosing to tie it to one used around the world), and took a look at having Russia make a political imprint on Europe. Massie turns his focus on King Charles XII of Sweden, another European leader who is soon to have interactions with Peter. The two leaders would clash over territory between their two countries repeatedly, fighting completely different styles. Massie goes into great detail with this interaction, as well as clashes with the Ottoman Empire, which the curious war history buff can soak up at their leisure.

Massie peppers the biography with mention of Peter’s progeny and wives. Beginning with Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina, she and Peter married young and had a son, Alexei Petrovich. Alexei would become the tsarevich, a title and standing that would become important in the years to come. However, Peter and Eudoxia had a falling out and he sent her to a nunnery for the latter part of her life, which led to a great distancing between the tsar and tsarevich. Years later, while fighting the Swedes for the first time, Peter encountered the young Lithuanian Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya, who would one day become Empress Catherine. Massie again mentions this second wife in passing, though letters between the two show the passion they had for one another. When Tsarevich Alexei grew to adulthood, he sought to reconnect with his father, if only to scold him for his long-standing estrangement. Peter and Alexei did enjoy some time together as the tsar continued to expand Russia’s power across Europe. However, there was an ongoing concern about Alexei’s fidelity towards his father, which proves to be a theme in the latter portion of the biography, to the point that Peter debated sending his progeny to a monastery, where he could do no harm. Things took a turn for the worse and Massie details what is sure to be one of the most surprising aspects of Peter’s life, showing how ruthless he could be to protect his position of tsar.

As the biography begins is climactic end, Massie illustrates the impact of Peter’s various decisions and how it helped to shape Russia throughout the rest of the Romanov Dynasty. As any ruler with a dash of narcissism, Peter began the creation of a new and vibrant city to depict the birth of a new Russia. While Moscow remained a key city, the building of St. Petersburg showed some of the grand fortifications that Peter felt would exemplify some of the strength Russia had shown in battle. There was also a new political system put in place, which included a Senate and colleges, that Massie aptly called a Council of Ministers, to assist Peter in running the massive country. While ultimate power rested with the tsar, the depth of experience in the political system helped Russia compete with its European brothers. One final decision made by Peter that shocked the country was to amend the act of succession, removing the idea of primogeniture, allowing the tsar to choose his successor. Peter turned to his long-time wife, who was crowned in an elaborate ceremony. Massie discusses this, as well as the decision’s fallout, in the final pages of the biography. Not long after Catherine’s coronation, Peter fell ill and died, leaving Russia with its first female ruler.

While I am no expert when it comes to Russian history, I feel as though I have a better understanding of the country and its modern place in the European power structure. This came from understanding Peter Alekseyevich Romanov and his choices to remove many of the impediments that kept Russia from being able to grow. Massie takes a great deal of time (over one thousand printed pages) to make his point and offers the reader many wonderful examples throughout the piece. Any reader with the patience to explore this biography is in for a treat, not least because Massie was required to write in direct opposition to many of the Soviet historians of the day. While Peter may not have been ideal from a Marxist perspective, as Massie argues throughout, his life was anything but dull. The amount of research that went into creating this book is astounding and there is no doubt that the thorough chapters used to depict much of his life add another layer to Massie’s already stellar work. I am not surprised that he won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for this piece and am sure that many other accolades were bestowed upon him in the years that followed. While the tome is massive and the amount of information is overwhelming, anyone seeking to understand how Russia entered the modern era need look no further than Peter the Great and thank Robert K. Massie for paving the way!

Kudos, Mr. Massie, for this wonderful piece. I knew nothing of the man or how Russia evolved, but can speak with a little more authority now. I cannot wait to find and read more of your amazing work.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

It All Starts with Peter.

All Russian leaders since 1725 have looked to Peter the Great, whether 19th Century autocrats, Soviet dictators or modern politicians. The benchmark seems to be set with him. But who was this almost mysterious figure, who transformed Russia from a medieval backwater to a major player in the European balance of power? Robert K Massie tells us with ease in the Pulitzer Prize wining historical biography.

Although hefty, coming in at 855 pages of reading pages, plus the bibliography, index and notes it is not only for die hards. This is true accessible history as it is a beautiful piece of literature. A flew through this in no time and read to enjoy it and soak up the information, not to just come to the end.

Peter’s story is unique and cannot be missed if you are interested in Russian or Early Modern history. He is a major player in both senses. Being made joint Tsar in the only western ceremony where two male monarchs were crowned at the same time for the same state, Peter like many great kings had to overcome difficulty and dominating figures in his youth (Edward I and III of England come to mind) to grow and rule. In his natural curiosity and ceaseless energy he turned Russia’s eye to the west, innovated, reformed and built.

The story is epic, the backdrop is fascinating and the writing pulls it all together. A man who saw his family and protectors brutally murdered by the Streltsy (a version of the Royal guard), betrayed by his half sister, victory and then defeat against the Ottoman Empire and ultimate glory in the Great Northern War against the Swedes. St Petersburg was his project and his alone, the learning and skills obtained from the Great Embassy and his willingness to reform drove Russia into a wealthy, powerful and confident nation by the time of his death. Amazing he left no national debt at all!

In recent times there has been a tendency to feel embarrassed about Peter in Russia as he has been called a tyrant. This comes from the brutal oppression of the Streltsy and those involved in the scandal of his son, the Tsarevich Alexis, who Peter even had tortured. It is possible he even killed his son, this may have come about indirectly as a result of the torture itself. The truth is no one knows. However, this is not a reason to shy away from him as being a national icon, his achievements as an exceptional human are too great. This has to be put into context of the time and what was expected of him. He is not a Stalin or a Hitler.

If I had to pull criticisms of the book I would say that there are no sources cited, no references highlighted. Only a select bibliography at the back. Also the book was written in 1980, when the USSR was still clinging on. Times have changed and we now know more, due to more Russian archives being accessible (for example he is unaware in this book that Nicholas II and his family have been found). Sadly Mr Massie is no longer with us to provide an updated edition. With that said, this is still the benchmark for Peter I biographies and I feel that a revision or re look at him is needed. It’s all there, in black ink, in this book. I really enjoyed it.

[rmn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read just one book on Peter the Great, this should be it. If you read two books on Peter the Great, let me know how the other one turns out (just kidding, there are probably other good books on Peter the Great, but none likely as well written as this one).

This book succeeds not just because it deals with a fascinating person in a time where the landscape of the world was ever changing, but it succeeds because the author, Robert Massie, is a fantastic and engaging writer. Seriously, to make 850+ dense pages of Russian history read like a novel, you have to be doing something right, and Massie clearly is so don’t be intimidated by the size or weight of the book as it is well worth the read.

Massie doesn’t just do a terrific job of following the life of Peter the Great, but he paints a detailed picture of late 17th century and early 18th century Russia, he delves in to the intrigue of Europe and the Ottoman Empire with substantial portraits of other leaders such as Charles the XII of Sweden (and note to readers, apparently Sweden kicked a lot of ass back then, who knew?), The Sun King Louis the XIV, Augustus of Poland, Frederick William of Prussia, and numerous others.

In fact the bulk of the book focuses on the 20 year Baltic War between Russia and Sweden (which lasted for most of Peter the Great’s reign and established Russia as a new power in Europe) where the role of Charles the XII is as integral to the story as the role of Peter. So while this section involves a deep look at Peter the Great, it also spends almost as much time on Charles the XII.

Anyway, this is a lively, engaging, and expansive look at Peter the Great who changed the thinking and the standing of an entire country. Peter turned an isolated and backward Russia that was an afterthought to most of Europe, in to a world power simply by the drive of his own will. He had no role model for what he did which was essentially bringing European culture to Russia and catapulting Russia out of the dark ages.

Whether it was his desire for a Russian navy (which he built from nothing to a formidable power by his demise, and quick spoiler, but Peter does die at the end of the book), to have Russians adopt European dress and standards, or to gain land to push Russia’s influence further in the world, Peter never stopped, even if the toll was great (the taxation on Russians was immense, not to mention all of the torture, killings, and deaths associated with putting down rebellions, waging war, and building the entire new city of St. Petersburg. To be honest, the amount of torture and death back then really was overwhelming, heck, Peter even had his own son killed for discussing a rebellion and fleeing Russia rather than choosing to follow in Peter’s footsteps).

Through all of the uncertainty and limited information, Peter refused to accept defeat and in the end created a new power. So if you have a free week or twenty, I highly recommend reading this book as it is well written, informative, and doesn’t just provide great insight in to a fascinating historical figure, but provides an expansive look at Europe and its leaders at the beginning of the 18th century.

[Micah Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

53rd book of 2022

Massie's biography of Peter the Great is absolutely wonderful. I had read very little about Peter the Great up until this point, and I found this to be a great jumping-off point to start diving into more specific aspects of Peter the Great's life and times. One thing I found very interesting was how much Peter the Great opened Russia up to the West. Bringing in much of the arts and culture of the West that had never been seen in the county before, as well as his love of ships which led him to the creation of the first Russian Navy. Five stars.

[Lubinka Dimitrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert K. Massie won my heart with his book about Catherine the Great, so I definitely had to read the one about Peter as well. I cannot believe that I postponed it for so long. This will be one of the best books I've read this year. Massie writes in a clear and concise manner, spicing up the story with ample details which nonetheless never burden the line of narration. The book is perfectly suited both for serious history students as well as those of us who simply enjoy reading history. Indeed this huge tome was so well written, compelling, suspenseful and dramatic at certain points, that it reads like a real page turner.

What I mostly enjoyed in the book was the fact that not only was Peter's portrayal as true and extensive as possible, but also that the author took great care to represent the bigger picture, including extended depictions of many other major - and minor - players of the era, both in Europe and in Russia. We really do get to learn all about Peter's world, from the life of the average Russian peasant to the role of the Holy Roman Empire in European politics. Massie has the amazing ability to handle the intertwined paths of European diplomacy with stunning balance and evenhandedness. He neither turns his protagonists into saints, nor fails to find the deeper reasons underneath seemingly irrational behaviors. The description of Peter's relationship with his son and heir Alexis was blood chilling, and I had to admire the author's decisiveness to not take parts in a very messed-up situation.

"Peter has been idealized, condemned, analyzed again and again, and still ... he remains essentially mysterious. One quality which no one disputes however is his phenomenal energy. He was a force of nature, and perhaps for this reason no final judgment will ever be delivered."

And while no final judgment may exist, this exquisite book will be a true treasure for all those who wish to learn more about Peter and his world.

[Bettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

The rating, any status updates, and those bookshelves, indicate my feelings for this book.

[Brian Eshleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is plenty of five-star material in this. When the author gets into Peter's head through his dealings with his expectations for his son or his intimate, playful banter with his wife, his writing is really special. When he backs up to put Peter in the context of the 18th century by comparing him to other rulers who were also autocratic and even brutal when necessary but get better press because their homelands aren't as mysterious as Russia, his writing is special. Peter bolts off the page as a curious, energetic, even frenetic, willful, nation-changing presence.

But rare indeed is the writer who can maintain a five-star level for THIS long unless the subject he or she is undertaking is already at the core of the reader's interest. That wasn't the case for me, so I think Robert Massie might have found some streamlining beneficial. The wars over Poland seem to go on forever – at least for this reader.

[E. G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

List of Colour Plates
List of Maps

--Peter the Great: His Life and Work

Genealogy of the Romanov Dynasty, 1613-1917
Acknowledgments
Selected Bibliography
Notes
Index
Maps

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://thebestbiographies.com/2023/0...

‘Peter the Great: His Life and World‘ is Robert Massie’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Russia’s Peter I. Massie was a journalist and historian who also wrote best-selling biographies of Nicholas and Alexandra Romanov and Catherine the Great. Massie died in 2019 at the age of ninety.

Peter the Great (1672 – 1725) is an irresistible and transformational figure in Russian history, responsible for modernizing his country’s culture and customs, launching a significant industrialization effort and significantly strengthening his country’s military posture. He had more than a dozen children by two wives (after he divorced his first wife he had her confined to a convent) and proves to be a biographer’s dream. He was inquisitive, mercurial, contemplative, demanding and surprisingly forward-thinking.

Massie illuminates every facet of Peter’s personality in this lengthy, frequently dense and impressively captivating biography. It is an epic, extraordinary and often brilliantly-hued adventure that sweeps the reader through Russia during the late 17th and early 18th century. While no prior knowledge of Russia or the Romanov dynasty is required…it would prove beneficial.

Massie’s knowledge of Peter and his world is nothing short of encyclopedic and he deftly describes the major and minor events of his subject’s life in a way that resonates with readers of all levels of historical fluency. Massie spares little expense when describing the texture of Peter’s world – from the daily life of Russian peasants to the country’s physical contours and from the unique customs of Russian society to the intersection of its culture and religion.

Among the book’s best moments: Massie’s description of Peter’s step-sister and her efforts to rule Russia, his 18-month journey (semi-incognito) through Europe to better understand its customs, culture and competitive strengths, and rich descriptions of late 17th-century Amsterdam and London. Also impressive – is Massie’s discussion of the tactics and protocol of warfare in Peter’s era and his exposition of the Ottoman Empire. But the highlight for me is probably the tragic tale of Peter’s relationship with his son Alexis – raised in the hope he would rule Russia one day – which ended with the torture and death of the young Tsarevich.

Readers lacking any familiarity with Russian or European history during Peter’s time will likely find this book to be both fascinating and frustrating. A deep, considered appreciation for Peter’s military goals, his diplomatic endeavors and his modernization efforts can probably be obtained ex nihilo, but some pre-existing background will undoubtedly prove helpful.

Readers of all stripes, however, are likely to find this book an intimidating collection of unfamiliar but important names – of adversaries, advisers, mentors, proteges, family members and friends. They grow increasingly difficult to keep straight as Peter’s story fully unfolds. Finally, portions of the narrative dedicated to Russia’s multi-year war against Sweden quickly grow increasingly tedious rather than tantalizing. A few well-placed maps would have been helpful.

Overall, Robert Massie’s biography of Peter the Great is a literary and historical masterpiece. It is simultaneously sweeping, deep, colorful, insightful and thorough. Readers with an interest in early Russian history will find it enthralling; those with less background will nevertheless find that the greater-than-average investment is handsomely rewarded.

Overall rating: 4¼ stars

[Fee · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you complain about today, you should read about then. You were considered a bitch if you ate with a fork, just for starters. Men might prefer to live back then cause they inherited a whip from their father in-law to whip their spouses when they got out of line. The only person I know today that practices this form of discipline is Snoop Dogg (You gots to control your ho!). Peter was great for many reasons. The russians in this day were like the geico cavemen of their time. Peter was the first ruler to travel amongst Europe and bring some culture back to Russia. Peter was highly intelligent and you could compare him to the great Thomas Jefferson. Integrating with many countries as Jefferson did with the indians to use as an advantage with networking and pursuing bigger business. Nemesis, Charles XII King of Swedes was however the hater towards Peter as they fought and battled for the seas and ports along the black sea. Peter brought many great things to his country and he did not try to take over his halfbrothers legacy, eventhough his half sister Sophia was power hungry and made an attempt on his life. He was interested in knowledge and bettering himself as he built a powerful navy for Russia. By the way, he did tax his people for having a beard, so if you got one, you then must pay me some roubles, noon, or off with your head.

[Christopher Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert K. Massie's Peter the Great offers a towering biography of the Tsar who transformed Russia from a semi-feudal backwater into one of Europe's dominant states. Massie (author of Nicholas and Alexandra, a Catherine the Great biography and others) does an excellent job conjuring the world Peter lived and operated in, with its mix of political uncertainty, dynastic intrigue and a deeply fatalistic people suspicious of foreign influence and change. Hence Peter's modernizing efforts, from forced shaving of beards to building of St. Petersburg, incur wrath and admiration in equal measure. Peter doesn't come off as particularly sympathetic; like many "great men" his vision comes at the expense of basic decency or fair play, resulting in the purge of political enemies and personal rivals (namely his wayward son). And his near-constant war with Sweden, led by the messianic nitwit Charles XII to destruction. Massie captures this all with fluid prose, novelistic detail and human understanding, making it the rare "great man" biography that's truly absorbing to read.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about one of the towering figures (Peter I was 6'7") in world history. After reading this I have read many books about Peter, but this is still the best.

[Martin, I stand with ISRAEL · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very long book about an exceptional leader. The author, Robert Massie, won a Pulitzer Prize for this work of art. It reads like a novel.

Certainly earning the name Peter The Great must have meant he performed some exceptional deeds. He did. He pushed Russia to modernize. He fought a successful war against, at the time a world power, Sweden. At the same time making Russia a formidable country militarily. Peter tolerated all religions and points of views. Also, he expanded Russia’s borders. However, Peter had a dark side too.

He did not have a very good relationship with his son from his first marriage. He couldn’t understand why his son Alexis was not like him in personality. As bold and outgoing as Peter was, his son was the opposite. He eventually sacrificed his son for his country.

What I liked most about the book was the historical references in the book. He talked about life in England in the late 1600s. The various forms of torture used at the time. The Hapsburg dynasty history.

All in all a very good book about a great leader.

Why do we have such poor leaders today?

[Bruna Oliveira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorei 🤗 Quero ler o da Catarina logo

[The Pirate Ghost (Formerly known as the Curmudgeon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Massie's "Peter the Great: His life and World" has been a wonderful book to listen to, for me. The book is well researched and offers what is likely an accurate picture of an important figure in the History of Western Civilization. Before I get to deep into my romantic vision of what Massie has done here, let me say that this is first and foremost a text of history. It is almost 38 hour narrated as an audiobook and covers Peter's life in three segments, his rise to power, wars (mostly with Sweden and Charles the 11th) and his radical and sweeping reforms of Russian government and monarchy.

If you are not someone who enjoys history, and understands that history often involves a dizzying number of characters, names, nations and dates then you'll be fine here, this is better than most at getting the story out and keeping the minutia managed. It's still a non-fiction tome of history. I will talk about Massie's wonderful ability to "tell Peter's story" without fictionalizing soon. The only warning with this is this:

You do not have to be a student of history, an associate professor, or even a avid historical hobbyist to read this. It is understandable, complete and detailed enough for anyone to understand Massie's Peter the Great and the world around him. It is not a great novel of fictionalized history, or a historical novel so praise of Massie's ability to tell Peter's story should not be confused. That makes him a wonderful historian to read. He's not the second coming of Tolkien.

So, why five stars?

What Massie has done created a wonderful tableau of Peter's life. Peter the great was a very complex man. He lived in a very difficult time full of war. Massie managed to capture the complexity that surrounds the reign of the man who built Russia, but he also captured the essence of what it meant to be a Russian in the time of Peter the Great. As Peter rose to prominence, so did Russia. As the Czar learned to wield power, so did Russia. As the man, Peter, learned to love, so did the people he surrounded himself with.

In this book are wonderful stories and anecdotes about the events that shaped peter's life. Perhaps the most wonderful among these is the love he shared with his third wife Kathrine, who succeeded him as the first Empress of Russia (Sophia was regent, and Kathrine the Great was actually the third Empress Cathrine). Peter's love was a simple Flemish serving girl who caught Peter's eye and developed into one of the most interesting warm women in history.

Though it comes near the end of the book, and it is a well known story, I loved the story about how Peter had accused (tried and convicted) a member of the Russian court of being corrupt. Most of his court and his loving wife believed the man to be innocent. They begged the Czar to reconsider over and over until, in anger he ordered them to stop and never mention it to him again.

So, Kathrine, wrote another appeal for the man's pardon and signed it "Lissette" then fixed the note to the collar of Peter's favorite dog, an Italian Greyhound named, Lisette. When Peter came back from the Senate, which was likely a very trying time for him at any point in his life, the dog, as dogs can be, was very excited to see him. Greeting the dog, Peter saw the note and picked him up as he read it. Then he chuckled and sighed telling the dog.

"Well, since this is the first time you've asked anything of me, perhaps I should reconsider?" And the man was pardoned. Saved by the grace of miniature greyhound and a cunning and determined wife, whom he loved.

Massie also manages to capture the boyish nature of Peter that never left him. The educated, genius barbarian savage. I suppose you can take the Cossack out of the off of the steps but you can never wash the steps off of the Cossack. Why this story has not been turned into an Oscar wining movie about the life of the czar is beyond me.

Peter is no prize, yet, after all of the stories of war, torture, murder, love, laughter, lots and lots of drinking (VODKA!), parties that last weeks and explosions, blunders, brutality it becomes impossible to separate the evil wicked side of the Czar who ruthlessly pursued those he thought were plotting against him and dealt with them mercilessly from the tragic figure who struggled between being a tyrant father with an estranged son, and the State which must be preserved. And thent here was the good Peter who fought corruption in his government and actually wanted to lift his people from the dark ages into the modern world.

An example of the complexity (one of many facets) is how, after many years of war with Sweden and Charles the 11th, when he hears of Charles's death he orders Russia into a state of mourning for a week. Another might be how, whenever he could get away with it, he posed as a common laborer or journeyman even placing himself under the command of others (at least one of whom called his bluff) who enjoyed hard work with his hands. It is not a metaphor to say that Peter built the Russian Navy. Every chance he got he was at St. Petersburg with hammers and tools working.

I could go on. Lets just say, I liked this book. It's not for those with a passing interest in history, but you don't have to be an educated scholar to get something from Massie's book.

Recommended.

Sorry to rattle on.

[Srini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can one man raise a country from mud to glory? Yes, if its Peter, Tsar of Russia.
Can one book capture the complexity of the people, the country and their first truly great leader who dragged the country kicking and screaming into the heart of European geopolitics?
Yes. This is the book. One of the best works of narrative history ever. This is how history should come alive.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que livro, que viagem, que maravilha!!

Escrever uma biografia tão extensa e detalhada como esta não deve ter sido tarefa fácil. A vida de Pedro, o Grande é-nos apresentada por ordem cronológica o que melhora o fluxo narrativo, e leva-nos para o turbilhão da Rússia dos séculos XVII e XVIII.

Robert K. Massie consegue passar a imensa quantidade de informação histórica de uma forma brilhante, o que torna a leitura leve e agradável. O recurso ao suspense mantém o interesse sempre vivo. Quase todos os aspectos de cada período da vida de Pedro são analisados e discutidos de forma não apenas informativa, mas também esclarecedora do ponto de vista cultural.

Massie tinha uma grande admiração pelo czar Pedro, é algo que se nota ao longo da obra, mas também nos transmite os seus aspectos negativos.

Preferia que Massie tivesse perdido menos tempo com os detalhes das estratégias militares, das batalhas e tivesse dado mais tempo ao primeiro casamento do czar, com Eudóxia, e ao filho Aleixo. Gostava que tivesse aprofundado um pouco mais o relacionamento com Marta Helena Skavronska, a sua segunda mulher, e que lhe sucederia como Catarina I (não é Catarina, A Grande).

Robert K. Massie conduz-nos não só através da vida e personalidade de Pedro, mas também através do mundo em que ele nasceu e viveu.

Pedro nasceu em 1672, e as suas hipóteses de chegar ao trono russo eram poucas. Depois da morte de seu pai, czar Aleixo, a população moscovita escolhe Pedro como seu novo soberano. Isto não agradou nem à primeira esposa de Aleixo (mãe de Ivan), nem ao exército Streltsi, nem à sua meia irmã Sofia. O resultado foi uma sangrenta revolta que instaurou Ivan e Pedro como co-monarcas e como regente Sofia.
A revolta Streltsi marcou-o de forma profunda. Após a dupla coroação deixou Moscovo e foi para o interior, Preobrajenskoye, onde passou grande parte da sua infância e adolescência.

Pedro era um apaixonado pelo estilo de vida europeu, e os seus interesses eram as guerras e posteriormente interessou-se por tudo o que dizia respeito a navegação e barcos.
Em 1689 Pedro toma o poder e prende a meia-irmã no Convento de Novodevichi.
A partir daqui Pedro começa a olhar para o mar e para a necessidade de a Rússia ter um porto de águas salgadas que não estivesse congelado cerca de 6 meses . O mar Báltico estava nas mãos dos Suecos, o poder militar mais dominante da Europa Setentrional, por isso restava o mar Negro. Após várias visitas a Archangelsk planeia invadir o Mar Negro. Constrói navios de guerra, ataca e conquista Azov, uma fortaleza turca.
Pedro queria tornar a Rússia uma potência mundial, que pudesse competir com as grandes nações europeias da altura, no entanto tinha consciência de que para por em prática o seu sonho teria que aprender muito.
Aqui começa a parte mais fascinante e divertida do livro, Pedro inicia uma viagem pela Europa ocidental, incógnito, que ficou conhecida como a Grande Embaixada. Ao acompanharmos o czar ficamos a saber um pouco da história e costumes dos países que visitou. É interessante ver como os países europeus olhavam para a Rússia, e o vice-versa também é surpreendente. Pedro tem fome de conhecimento e aproveita esta digressão observar, questionar e por fim recrutar as grandes cabeças de forma a levar para a Rússia o conhecimento que faltava.

Após o seu regresso Pedro alia-se a Augusto II da Polónia e inicia uma guerra contra Carlos XII da Suécia. A guerra dura vinte anos, e os primeiros embates mostram ao czar como o exército russo está mal treinado. O exército é reestruturado. Em 1703, durante a grande guerra do norte, captura a cidade de Nyenskans das mãos dos suecos. Com o objetivo de fortalecer o controlo de suas novas posses, Pedro manda construir aquela que é conhecida como a primeira edificação de São Petersburgo – Fortaleza de São Pedro e São Paulo
Depois da grande Batalha de Poltava modernizou o exército e criou uma marinha, ambas contribuindo para a ocidentalização do país o que permitiu ao império estender a sua influência e território e tornar-se uma potência mundial. Foi Pedro quem dotou o sistema imperial e a sociedade russa dos padrões institucionais em que a vida administrativa, política e social do império se baseou até ao seu fim, em 1917. Não se trata de um feito insignificante, especialmente quando nos lembramos que Pedro herdou um país e uma política que eram tudo menos "modernos" ou "civilizados" pelos padrões do século XVII, uma vez que se tinham desenvolvido fora da corrente dominante da história europeia desde a Idade Média.

Regressa à Europa (finalmente conhece Paris), faz expedições à Sibéria, e manda edificar Peterhof – a Versalhes Russa.

Pedro morre em 1725, mas ainda hoje o seu nome faz parte do orgulho russo.

Próximo: Catarina, a Grande: Retrato de Uma Mulher

[Quân Khuê · Rating 5 out of 5]

(không phải là review)

vài ghi nhớ:

+ Pyotr Đại đế đã biến Nga từ chỗ một đất nước lạc hậu thành một đế quốc bằng cách học theo phương Tây. (Sau này, Nhật trở thành một đế quốc hùng cường cũng bằng cách học theo phương Tây.)

+ Ông học cách đóng tàu của người Hà Lan, Anh và Venice. Học cách làm thương mại của người Hà Lan. Đích thân ông được cấp chứng chỉ đóng tàu chuyên môn. Nga từ chỗ không có hạm đội nào đi đến chỗ đưa tàu chi��n ra biển Đen uy hiếp Đế quốc Ottoman và về sau làm mưa làm gió trên biển Ban-tích, thách thức hàm đội hùng mạnh của Thuỵ Điển.

+ Pyotr trọng dụng người nước ngoài. Nhiều tướng lĩnh cao cấp nhất trong quân đội của ông là người nước ngoài. Khi thành lập chính phủ một số bộ trưởng của ông cũng là người nước ngoài. (Tưởng tượng bây giờ thống đốc ngân hàng hay bộ trưởng bộ y tế VN là người nước ngoài thì sao?)

+ Cùng với việc dùng người nước ngoài Pyotr cho tự do tôn giáo, tuy Nga là một nước Chính thống giáo. Ông cũng cho áp dụng luật La Mã trong các tranh chấp giữa người Nga và người nước ngoài.

+ Ông không ưa xu nịnh. Người ông quý nhất là người dám chê ông.

+ Ông có 5 người con với Ekaterina rồi mới cưới bà làm vợ. Nôm na là ăn cơm trước mấy cái kẻng.

+ Ông sợ gián.

[W.D. Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do check out Jan-Maat's and Antonomasia's superb reviews for the weaknesses of this doorstop, but if, like me, your knowledge of 18C Russia = zero, this book is a godsend. It has a limpid style to it and, somehow, given its 1100 page (in my edition) length, that I forgive it even those sins which would normally turn me away—"Great Man Theory of History" wedded to an overabundance of military history, during lengthy chapters of which I must confess my eyes more than glazed over. But there is so much else here, so winningly conveyed, that I will certainly come back for more of Mr. Massie.

[Natasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Peter the Great” is one of the best-written history books I’ve encountered. Despite the title, this is not a biography — it is an incredible narrative history of the times of Peter the Great. I found this to be not only an outstanding book about Russian history but also an excellent book about Western history in the 17th and 18th centuries.

[Sonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

― “Asking himself how this had happened and what could be done about it, Peter came to understand that the roots of Western technological achievement lay in the freeing of men’s minds. He grasped that it had been the Renaissance and the Reformation, neither of which had ever come to Russia, which had broken the bonds of the medieval church and created an environment where independent philosophical and scientific inquiry as well as wide-ranging commercial enterprise could flourish. He knew that these bonds of religious orthodoxy still existed in Russia, reinforced by peasant folkways and traditions which had endured for centuries. Grimly, Peter resolved to break these bonds on his return.”
― Robert K. Massie, Peter the Great: His Life and World

New York Times bestselling author Robert K. Massie was an American journalist and historian. Educated at Yale and Oxford, he devoted much of his career to studying and writing about the House of Romanov, Russia's imperial family from 1613 to 1917. Massie’s Romanov series includes four books and was awarded the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Biography for Peter the Great: His Life and World. With the reading of Peter the Great, I have now finished three of the four books in this superb series, having completed Nicholas and Alexandra in 2016 and Catherine the Great in 2019.

While it can be difficult to write a summary of a 900+ page book, much less read it, there are a few things that stood out to me as I read Massie’s wonderful biography, into which Massie had poured twelve years of his life. Peter reigned from 1682-1725, ruling jointly ruling with his older half-brother, Ivan V, until 1696. Peter is primarily credited with the modernization of the country, transforming it into a European power.

Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe was largely marked by two key features: 1) it was a period of time when nations settled their differences on the field of battle, 2) but it was also a time that saw a substantial rise in science and knowledge. This movement involved individuals other than just men of science, but also artists, artisans, and engineers. The public grew better informed through the circulation of printed material. In many ways, this growth in knowledge laid the foundations of the modern world.

Seventeenth-century Europe saw great violence and destruction. The ambitions of various European rulers led to conflict on the battlefield, which can be seen in the wars of France and Sweden. Like other European rulers, Peter was an aggressor and an invader. Much of the book is devoted to his campaigns against Charles XII of Sweden and against the Ottoman Empire. Fascinated by ships and sailing, Peter longed to have his own navy; he also wanted to gain access to the Black Sea, which had been controlled by the Ottomans.

But Peter was more than a warrior. He possessed an unquenchable curiosity about Western ways. France was perhaps the most Western, advanced country of his time. Peter traveled there and brought back numerous ideas he wanted to implement in his own country. For some odd reason, Peter chose to travel incognito on his eighteen-month journey with a large Russian delegation—the so-called Grand Embassy. Given his 6-foot 7-inch height, unusual for the day, it is unlikely he fooled anyone. While visiting the Netherlands, he studied shipbuilding. From Dutch artists, Peter learned how to paint seascapes. In England, he also engaged in painting and navy-related activities. While visiting Manchester, he learned the techniques of city building that he would later use to great effect at Saint Petersburg. Peter’s visit was cut short in 1698, when he was forced to rush home by a rebellion of the Streltsy, the units of Russian firearm infantry. Peter’s visits to the West impressed upon him the notion that European customs were in several respects superior to Russian traditions. Unlike most of his predecessors and successors, he attempted to follow Western European traditions, fashions, and tastes.

― “Peter returned to Russia determined to remold his country along Western lines. The old Muscovite state, isolated and introverted for centuries, would reach out to Europe and open itself to Europe. In a sense, the flow of effect was circular: the West affected Peter, the Tsar had a powerful impact upon Russia, and Russia, modernized and emergent, had a new and greater influence on Europe. For all three, therefore—Peter, Russia and Europe—the Great Embassy was a turning point.”
― Robert K. Massie, Peter the Great: His Life and World

At 900+ pages, Peter the Great is a long work, but Massie is such a skilled narrator of history that the book is absolutely fantastic. Both students of history and casual readers will appreciate Massie's approachable, well-researched prose. It is an honest, factual, and fascinating history.

[Erik Graff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having panned Massie's first book, Nicholas and Alexandria (1967), I have to congratulate him on this one, written thirteen years later: Peter the Great. However, I don't know as much about the period of Peter's life (1672-1725) as I did about Nicholas' (1868-1917) so some of the applause may be credited to my ignorance and credulousness, but I also think that Massie put more work into researching and writing this biography and that thirteen years, and several books, have made him a better writer. An additional consideration is that the personalities of Massie and his wife intruded more into the Nicholas book because of their interest in the hemophilia running in the family. Peter the Great is much more of an objective history, Massie's personal views and feelings being more in the background.

Although my friend, John Elkin, gave me this book, he gave it to me because I had enunciated interest in reading more about Peter the Great after reading Zoe Oldenbourg's biography of Catherine the Great.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been fascinated by Russian history and decided that it was finally time to check this book out of the library. It wasn't that I didn't want to read it--I mean, it won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Biography--it was that every time I go to the library I emerge with an armload of books and, at over 900 pages, this book could literally inflict damage if it slipped from my grasp and fell. However, one day last week I ran into the library with four books that were in danger of being overdue and before I ran back out, I grabbed this book from the shelf and checked it out. And am I glad that I did. Not only is this book simply overflowing with information about the life and times in which Peter the Great lived, it reads like a novel. Thankfully, I am only teaching two classes this summer so I have some extra time. I needed it because I found that I simply could not put this book down. Kudos Robert Massie. This book is wonderful.

[Vickie (I love books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter was a brute. He had a violent temper at times. He was paranoid. He was sickly and often cruel. He forced his first wife into a convent and caused his son’s death. He birthed Russia’s navy and he often worked on ships he had built. He brought Russia kicking and screaming into the modern era. He was obsessed with war against Charles XII. Peter traveled and learned from other rulers and countries. In this book which is a chunker I didn’t really like Peter but I did like Swedens King Charles XII and came away wanting to know more about this king who unfortunately died young. Swedens military dominance died with the king. The ultimate irony is Peter’s daughter married Charles XII nephew. What would the 2 kings have thought of this. Their son was Peter III. I liked this read but the military battles were hard to get through. Well worth reading.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been many years since I read this book, so I can't be terribly detailed, but I will tell you that this book is what led to my fascination with the Russian Tsars. It's beautifully detailed, providing not only the story of Peter the Great himself, but also all the other rulers with whom he interacted. The descriptions are beyond parallel. When I was reading it, I would think to myself, "I can actually smell the city." A truly amazing and enthralling book about history.

My original edition was an old, used paperback, but it's back in Montana because my dad shamelessly stole it. I purchased a new, hardcover edition a few years ago from a bargain bin, so I'll have to re-read this amazing book again!