Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Alfred A. Knopf (1980), Edition: 1st ed, 909 pages
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Nonfiction. HTML: This superbly told story brings to life one of the most remarkable rulers��and men��in all of history and conveys the drama of his life and world. The Russia of Peter's birth was very different from the Russia his energy, genius, and ruthlessness shaped. Crowned co-Tsar as a child of ten, after witnessing bloody uprisings in the streets of Moscow, he would grow up propelled by an unquenchable curiosity, everywhere looking, asking, tinkering, and learning, fired by Western ideas. We see Peter in his twenties traveling "incognito" with his ambassadors to the courts of Europe; as the victorious soldier proclaimed Emperor; as the simple workman at his forge; and as the visionary statesman who single-handedly created a formidable world power. Impetuous and stubborn, bawdy and stern, relentless in his perseverance, he was capable of the greatest generosity and the greatest cruelty..… (more)
Media reviews
The specialist cannot in good conscience recommend this book to fellow historians. Yet it would be misleading as well as unfair to leave it at that. For Massie's work strikes this reviewer as, at the same time, an outstanding example of that somewhat ambiguous literary genre known as popular (or
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commercial) history... A colorful, dramatic, at times gripping story is told here in fine detail and effortless prose. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member everfresh1
That's what historical biography should look like. Both comprehensive and entertaining. I love that author gives a background information on other countries that had influenced Russia-related events on world stage.
LibraryThing member eherbst
I recently read this book over quarantine, having never read really
anything about Russian history. I checked it out from my library's
electronic catalog on whim during a bout of insomnia, mostly hoping
that it would bore me to sleep. Unfotunately, my plan didn't work:
/Peter the Great/ is a
history.
What I liked: the book is a breeze to read. I have sometimes heard
this style of writing dubbed as "narrative nonfiction" and I think
that's a really apt description. The chapters are short and full of
novelistic details that avoid making the book a slog. I also really
liked /World/ pieces of the book. The author devoted a lot of
energy to giving context on the political situation in Europe in the
late 17th and early 18th centuries. This certainly helped me,
someone who hadn't done any prior reading on this, appreciate and
understand Peter's diplomatic maneuvers. More importantly, the
short and colorful sketches of the lives of that periods most
important figures helped break up any potential monotony through the
900 pages of material. These includes pieces on Louis XIV, William
of Orange, Charles XII, and George I as well as some minor figures
like the Duke of Marlborough, Vauban, and the (many) people named
Frederick.
What I didn't like: The book focuses of heavily on warfare and
diplomacy. I personally found the nitty-gritty details of 18th
century naval and land warface boring. There is little on how Peter
managed in the internal governance of Russia until late in the book
and it's not exhaustive. The relatively scant material (in addition
to the lack of chronology), makes it hard to appreciate Peter's
contribution on this front. The emphasis of the external, while
perhaps making the book more readable (see above), also has the
effect of downplaying the terrible toll Peter placed on the people
of Russia to pay for war and modernization.
I also found some of the writing a bit dated. Some of the
descriptions of Russian peasants ("a simple people") are kind of
offensive. The author also seems to be a bit credulous when cititng
Peter's own writing and using it to define him. Of course, if one
read Peter's letters he does come across as wholly invested in work,
but you also just devoted 10 pages to a 3 day bender he went on.
C'mon man.
Overall: I wouldn't read this book expecting to come away with a
definitive understanding of Peter, or Russia, or 18th century
geopolitics in Europe. But if you want an interesting introduction
to some of the most important figures and events of the time, you
could do worse than this book.
PS: I read this book on Kindle, which has it's advantages (no need
to carry around an 900 page novel.) But beware the well-known ebook
defect of poor image quality. In particular, the maps (which are
really useful as a companion) are unreadable.
anything about Russian history. I checked it out from my library's
electronic catalog on whim during a bout of insomnia, mostly hoping
that it would bore me to sleep. Unfotunately, my plan didn't work:
/Peter the Great/ is a
Show More
readable and enjoyable piece of popularhistory.
What I liked: the book is a breeze to read. I have sometimes heard
this style of writing dubbed as "narrative nonfiction" and I think
that's a really apt description. The chapters are short and full of
novelistic details that avoid making the book a slog. I also really
liked /World/ pieces of the book. The author devoted a lot of
energy to giving context on the political situation in Europe in the
late 17th and early 18th centuries. This certainly helped me,
someone who hadn't done any prior reading on this, appreciate and
understand Peter's diplomatic maneuvers. More importantly, the
short and colorful sketches of the lives of that periods most
important figures helped break up any potential monotony through the
900 pages of material. These includes pieces on Louis XIV, William
of Orange, Charles XII, and George I as well as some minor figures
like the Duke of Marlborough, Vauban, and the (many) people named
Frederick.
What I didn't like: The book focuses of heavily on warfare and
diplomacy. I personally found the nitty-gritty details of 18th
century naval and land warface boring. There is little on how Peter
managed in the internal governance of Russia until late in the book
and it's not exhaustive. The relatively scant material (in addition
to the lack of chronology), makes it hard to appreciate Peter's
contribution on this front. The emphasis of the external, while
perhaps making the book more readable (see above), also has the
effect of downplaying the terrible toll Peter placed on the people
of Russia to pay for war and modernization.
I also found some of the writing a bit dated. Some of the
descriptions of Russian peasants ("a simple people") are kind of
offensive. The author also seems to be a bit credulous when cititng
Peter's own writing and using it to define him. Of course, if one
read Peter's letters he does come across as wholly invested in work,
but you also just devoted 10 pages to a 3 day bender he went on.
C'mon man.
Overall: I wouldn't read this book expecting to come away with a
definitive understanding of Peter, or Russia, or 18th century
geopolitics in Europe. But if you want an interesting introduction
to some of the most important figures and events of the time, you
could do worse than this book.
PS: I read this book on Kindle, which has it's advantages (no need
to carry around an 900 page novel.) But beware the well-known ebook
defect of poor image quality. In particular, the maps (which are
really useful as a companion) are unreadable.
Show Less
LibraryThing member selfnoise
Very much in the vein of other "Great Man" books, but really well written and peppered with a ton of interesting detail. Makes 855 pages of tiny type seem like a breeze.
LibraryThing member carterchristian1
An esssential biography for the student of European history. Readable.
LibraryThing member Stbalbach
Peter the Great: His Life and World is a remarkable synthesis. I can't imagine a better book on the subject for the general reader(*). It is both informative and enjoyable, wry with humor, par excellence pacing, quality quotes, and a variety of subject. Massie builds a rich tapestry that transports
The main subjects of the book, almost mini-books onto themselves, are Peter's Great Embassy which Massies calls one of the great events of his life and takes the reader on a journey around the capital cities of Europe at the turn of the 18th century. Next is the Great North War (1700-1721), with major battles including Narva (1700) and Poltava (1709), the later being a positive change in the fortunes and history of Russia. Sweden's Charles XII is an interesting character and his coverage in the book shadows Peter during this period, there is almost a complete biography of Charles. His famous ride across Europe, the debacle in Turkey, etc.. Then there is the incident involving Peter's son, with material enough for a TV soap it was a drama played out for all of Europe to watch. The ending is brutal and speaks volumes to the character of Peter and the times. Finally there is the consolidation of the Russian institutions in his later years and some minor conflicts with Persia and Turks. One can see patterns of conflict between neighboring powers that exist to this day in Russia.
(*) general reader - Some reviewers have criticized it as popular history. This is a mistake. Everyone is a general reader, at some point, we only become specialists after a great teacher excites us to learn more. Books such as this are important and not easy to make, works of art onto themselves.
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the reader into the period. Lavish descriptions of the every-day like what it's like to ride in a coach, the foods they age, the clothes they worse, home interiors, are speckled throughout like a spice that bring a dish alive. It was published in 1980, when the USA was emerging from a funk into the electric energy of the 80s and the spirit and mood of that time is mirrored in the book's subject of the emergence of Russia from the Medieval to Modern, when women saw greater freedoms, secularism was on the rise, and technology was challenging ideology. All history books are a product of the milieu in which they are written and this is no exception, to its credit. The main subjects of the book, almost mini-books onto themselves, are Peter's Great Embassy which Massies calls one of the great events of his life and takes the reader on a journey around the capital cities of Europe at the turn of the 18th century. Next is the Great North War (1700-1721), with major battles including Narva (1700) and Poltava (1709), the later being a positive change in the fortunes and history of Russia. Sweden's Charles XII is an interesting character and his coverage in the book shadows Peter during this period, there is almost a complete biography of Charles. His famous ride across Europe, the debacle in Turkey, etc.. Then there is the incident involving Peter's son, with material enough for a TV soap it was a drama played out for all of Europe to watch. The ending is brutal and speaks volumes to the character of Peter and the times. Finally there is the consolidation of the Russian institutions in his later years and some minor conflicts with Persia and Turks. One can see patterns of conflict between neighboring powers that exist to this day in Russia.
(*) general reader - Some reviewers have criticized it as popular history. This is a mistake. Everyone is a general reader, at some point, we only become specialists after a great teacher excites us to learn more. Books such as this are important and not easy to make, works of art onto themselves.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Clara53
The extreme and controversial nature of Peter the Great's personality explodes through the whole book. It's as if he was constantly torn between being the most beneficial, progressive monarch in history and the most cruel one. It was painful to read about the torture that he endorsed and sometimes
The most dramatic personal issue Peter had to deal with was the unwillingness of his son Alexis (from his first marriage) to become his heir. The young man was totally opposite of his father in nature, going as far as fleeing the country, lying to his father, while Peter tried to "break" him, to prepare him for being an emperor - all of which finally ended in great tragedy. This drama was aptly described by Massie.
Quite a big portion of the book is given to King Charles XII of Sweden, almost equal to Peter in cruelty and quite war-crazy, as well as the description of Sweden, a close Russian neighbor and a ferocious opponent. Also, one cannot ignore Peter's unique relationship with Catherine, his second wife (of modest origins) - at times, she was the only one who could appease his rages as well as his epileptic fits and frequent fevers, and who could understand him like nobody else.
The reason that I didn't care for this book as much as for other Massie's biographies ("Catherine the Great", "Nicolas and Alexandra") is probably the tedious, extremely detailed description of brutal warfare, as well as the very elusive feeling that I had while reading: that of the author as if just recounting in his own words (albeit very skillfully) what he has read from other sources (and of course there are plenty on this subject! so it was unavoidable), while his other books had more of his own input and analysis, it seemed.
But it all goes back to Peter's personality in the end. On his deathbed, the great tsar said: "I hope God will forgive me my many sins because of the good I have tried to do for my people".
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even participated in (!), being close to paranoid (not always without basis, it has to be admitted) about betrayal; freedom of speech was not the thing under his reign, for he was greatly feared. But at the same time, progress meant everything to him: he established the first Russian newspaper, the Academy of Sciences, he decreed in favor of women (giving them more freedoms, abolishing arranged marriages, etc.), and what of his ventures abroad to learn and to build a new fleet, a new outstanding city!... The most dramatic personal issue Peter had to deal with was the unwillingness of his son Alexis (from his first marriage) to become his heir. The young man was totally opposite of his father in nature, going as far as fleeing the country, lying to his father, while Peter tried to "break" him, to prepare him for being an emperor - all of which finally ended in great tragedy. This drama was aptly described by Massie.
Quite a big portion of the book is given to King Charles XII of Sweden, almost equal to Peter in cruelty and quite war-crazy, as well as the description of Sweden, a close Russian neighbor and a ferocious opponent. Also, one cannot ignore Peter's unique relationship with Catherine, his second wife (of modest origins) - at times, she was the only one who could appease his rages as well as his epileptic fits and frequent fevers, and who could understand him like nobody else.
The reason that I didn't care for this book as much as for other Massie's biographies ("Catherine the Great", "Nicolas and Alexandra") is probably the tedious, extremely detailed description of brutal warfare, as well as the very elusive feeling that I had while reading: that of the author as if just recounting in his own words (albeit very skillfully) what he has read from other sources (and of course there are plenty on this subject! so it was unavoidable), while his other books had more of his own input and analysis, it seemed.
But it all goes back to Peter's personality in the end. On his deathbed, the great tsar said: "I hope God will forgive me my many sins because of the good I have tried to do for my people".
Show Less
LibraryThing member kslade
Great, detailed biography of the life and times of Czar Peter, who helped Westernize Russia.
LibraryThing member MarkBeronte
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
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development. Robert K Massie's award-winning study remains the essential portrait of the man and his era. Show Less
LibraryThing member ValSmith
The best general biography of this astounding, brutal, far-seeing revolutionary leader of Russia I've encountered.
LibraryThing member santhony
Outstanding biography of one of Russia's greatest czars.
LibraryThing member iayork
History comes alive: Much like Pierre Berton's great Canadian history books, Robert Massie brings history to the "people" with Peter The Great. In this long but highly readable biography, Massie illumimates the distant past of a backward nation which grew into a major European power under the
The brutish nature of life in Russia in this era is not glossed over. So many labourers died in the construction of Peter's centrepiece city St. Petersburg, and the cruel punishments of the time are depicted. Overall, this is the type of historical biography they don't write anymore. History can be and should be written to appeal to a broader audience, and also to tell things as they were, without resorting to revisionism. Books such as this encourage readers to explore history more.
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energetic Peter. We read about the palace intrigues in the Kremlin in Peter's early years, his rise to power, and his historic trip "incognito" through Holland, Austria and England. A major part of this book is devoted to the Great Northern War with Sweden, and the fascinating character of Swedish king Charles XII. I knew very little about that attempted invasion of Russia, and Massie paints a vivid picture of the Swedish campaign. The author also brings us inside the Ottoman Empire and the life of the Sultans and Grand Viziers. He puts Peter's life in context with the greater world and shifting alliances of Europe. The brutish nature of life in Russia in this era is not glossed over. So many labourers died in the construction of Peter's centrepiece city St. Petersburg, and the cruel punishments of the time are depicted. Overall, this is the type of historical biography they don't write anymore. History can be and should be written to appeal to a broader audience, and also to tell things as they were, without resorting to revisionism. Books such as this encourage readers to explore history more.
Show Less
LibraryThing member wenzowsa
Robert K. Massie's biography of Peter the Great is both exhaustive and entertaining. It is obvious, by the details in the book, that Massie did his research, and, thankfully, he's an excellent writer that's able to bring history alive.
If you have any interest in Russian history, I suggest that you
If you have any interest in Russian history, I suggest that you
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read this. It's a quick read and can help to springboard you into learning about other topics related to the Romanovs. Show Less
LibraryThing member zen_923
I really enjoyed this book, my only comment is that there are too many characters which causes you to get confused sometimes. I love the fact that the life stories of other monarchs like george I of england and louis xiv were included in this book
LibraryThing member seabear
The first time I was particularly interested or gripped by this book is on page 220, during a longer quotation from the Bishop of Salisbury, which doesn't bode well for a work of almost 900 pages. There's nothing bad per se about the book - the subject Peter the Great is a fascinating character,
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and Massie's treatment appears to be exhaustive and well-judged. It's never exactly boring, but I am often left feeling throughly underwhelmed and disinterested. Show Less
LibraryThing member scartertn
A great book from beginning to end. This is the definitive guide to Peter the Great. He was both an inspirational and visionary leader that brought Russia out of the Stone Age and into the "modern" age. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Russian history.
LibraryThing member jlphunn
Superb history.
LibraryThing member Pippilin
Probably a 5-star book for most, but not very much to my liking.
LibraryThing member Artymedon
Excellent history book that gives the reader a camera exploring the times of Peter the Great. The parallels between Louis XIVth minority and the 1648 and Peter the Great witnessing the bloody Streltsy 1682 rebellion are striking.
LibraryThing member AlexTheHunn
Like his earlier book on Nicholas and Alexandra, Massie's Peter The Great, suffers from his infatuation with royal subjects. Massie presents his material in a well-organized, readable style. Factually he stays on track, but his depth of analysis remains relatively shallow. Still, Massie never
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claimed to be writing anything but a popular biography and in that respect, he succeeded admirably. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibraryCin
This is a biography of Peter the Great, who was Tsar of Russia in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Of course, it’s also a history of Russia at the time. Entwined with that (due to wars) is some history of Sweden.
I should start by mentioning that I listened to the audio. It was very very
I should start by mentioning that I listened to the audio. It was very very
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loooooong. And boring. At least, the entire looooong middle section about warring with Sweden (or Tsweden, as pronounced by the narrator – like tsar; and unfortunately, we also got words like tsea and tsince), just isn’t all that interesting to me, so I tuned out. The stuff about Peter’s family life and Russian architecture – that held my interest a bit more, but not by much, unfortunately. But, oh my god – listening to that guy pronounce many words starting with ‘s’ as if they start with ‘ts’ - gaaahh! I should also add that I do find the history/biography of women more interesting to start with. Also, I seem to prefer female narrators – not all the time in either case, but often. So, all those factors may have lessened my interest in this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member DanielSTJ
A wonderful biography that paints a multifaceted portrait of a very extraordinary man. Extremely well written, informative and entertaining.
LibraryThing member breic
What an amazing story. Peter is an incredible character. Peter's youth, his love of sailing, his trips across Europe, the development of the Russian navy and St. Petersburg, his conflict with Sweden (under Charles XII), his palaces, the atmosphere in Europe, his torture and killing of the
> "It is an age of gold in which we are living," Peter himself wrote to Menshikov. "Without loss of a single instant, we devote all our energies to work." He was a force of nature, and perhaps for this reason no final judgment will ever be delivered. How does one judge the endless roll of the ocean or the mighty power of the whirlwind?
I'd like to know more about Peter's governance of Russia. It's not missing, but his decrees are mostly just stated, out of order and context, and I'd like to know some of the stories behind them. I'd also like to know more about the historiography of Peter, which is only touched on a couple times.
The writing is very good, and the book is hard to put down.
> There was a tax on births, on marriages, on funerals and on the registration of wills. There was a tax on wheat and tallow. Horses were taxed, and horse hides and horse collars. There was a hat tax and a tax on the wearing of leather boots. The beard tax was systematized and enforced, and a tax on mustaches was added. Ten percent was collected from all cab fares. Houses in Moscow were taxed, and beehives throughout Russia. There was a bed tax, a bath tax, an inn tax, a tax on kitchen chimneys and on the firewood that burned in them. Nuts, melons, cucumbers, were taxed. There was even a tax on drinking water.
This list reminded me of Robert Caro, in "Working": "I thought I could have a rhythm that builds, and then change it abruptly in the last sentence. Rhythm matters. Mood matters. Sense of place matters. All these things we talk about with novels, yet I feel that for history and biography to accomplish what they should accomplish, they have to pay as much attention to these devices as novels do."
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Tsarevich, on and on. > "It is an age of gold in which we are living," Peter himself wrote to Menshikov. "Without loss of a single instant, we devote all our energies to work." He was a force of nature, and perhaps for this reason no final judgment will ever be delivered. How does one judge the endless roll of the ocean or the mighty power of the whirlwind?
I'd like to know more about Peter's governance of Russia. It's not missing, but his decrees are mostly just stated, out of order and context, and I'd like to know some of the stories behind them. I'd also like to know more about the historiography of Peter, which is only touched on a couple times.
The writing is very good, and the book is hard to put down.
> There was a tax on births, on marriages, on funerals and on the registration of wills. There was a tax on wheat and tallow. Horses were taxed, and horse hides and horse collars. There was a hat tax and a tax on the wearing of leather boots. The beard tax was systematized and enforced, and a tax on mustaches was added. Ten percent was collected from all cab fares. Houses in Moscow were taxed, and beehives throughout Russia. There was a bed tax, a bath tax, an inn tax, a tax on kitchen chimneys and on the firewood that burned in them. Nuts, melons, cucumbers, were taxed. There was even a tax on drinking water.
This list reminded me of Robert Caro, in "Working": "I thought I could have a rhythm that builds, and then change it abruptly in the last sentence. Rhythm matters. Mood matters. Sense of place matters. All these things we talk about with novels, yet I feel that for history and biography to accomplish what they should accomplish, they have to pay as much attention to these devices as novels do."
Show Less
LibraryThing member gbelik
I enjoyed this biography, but about 400 pages of Peter the Great and his battles was enough. I didn't finish it.
LibraryThing member briandrewz
If you are looking for an all-encompassing look at the life of Peter the Great and the world he inhabited, look no further. This book is massive. It is very well-researched and describes in great detail what life was like in Russia at Peter's court.
The book can get a bit heavy-handed, especially if
This is not a casual read. You have to be ready. But, this is recommended if you are looking to broaden your horizons and read about one of history's greatest figures.
The book can get a bit heavy-handed, especially if
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you are not one for war and battles, which, takes up the vast majority of the book. You do get insights into the lives of Peter's opponents, which was fun. I wish the book had been a bit more detailed in his personal relationships with his family members. There are some that are touched on in just a few short sentences. However, more is known about their interactions.This is not a casual read. You have to be ready. But, this is recommended if you are looking to broaden your horizons and read about one of history's greatest figures.
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LibraryThing member jwhenderson
I read this book when it was first published back in the eighties. It's very well written and very readable. The presentation of Peter the Great's life and especially the changes resulting from his leadership are memorale. I still remember enjoying the experience of being immersed in Peter's Russia.
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1980
Physical description
909 p.
ISBN
0394500326 / 9780394500324