Scan barcode
A review by lubinka
Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie
5.0
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.
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.