Peter the Great

Rating:
Summary: Stunning and comprehensive.
Review: Peter the Great:His Life and World is an magnificient biography, I wish they all were like this. Impeccably researched and written, Massie reveals life in the Russian Royal Court in the time of Peter the Great. Massie's writing style is generally easy reading, but it will still take many evenings to complete this book.

Personalities abound throughout the telling of one of the greatest of all Tsars. What really stands out about this particular book, is that while the book is really about Peter, Massie allows the flow of the book to follow personalties of the time as they enter and exit Peter's world. So as well as learning about Peter, I learnt of Charles' rivalry with the Russian leader, and the battles they fought; Tolstoy, the ambassador to the Ottoman empire, and his constant diplomatic battles with the leaders of Turkey. The Sun King of France. These are just a few examples that litter the book.

Furthermore, social and political issues of the time are discussed, some in great depth. I never realised the stuggles involved with the construction of St. Petersburg, the workers dealing with both the [danger] of the Swedish Army and Navy, as well as the marshes on which the city was built. That the establishment of the Russian Navy was initiated by Peter, was another surprise. I would have thought that a major empire such as the Russian would have already had a navy. The political intrigues between the Royal houses of Europe was another eyeopener for me.

There are always faults with any book; Peter the Great is no exception. Some details would be repeated, some to the point of numbness. How many times do we have to hear about Peter's fondness for the sea? Or the sciences? Still, many people like myself will overlook these and instead, look at the book for what it is; a stunning and comprehensive look into not only the life of Peter the Great, but the world of Eastern and Middle Europe. I began reading the book to learn the story of Peter the Great. That I got a history lesson about Europe in the 18th century is a real bonus.

Rating:
Summary: Two Bios for the price of one
Review: The words "definitive" and "magisterial" are often thrown about by reviewers, but I can not think of any better way to describe this work. Here is a rare book that actually deserves its Pulitzer.

Not only do we get the life of Peter, but Massie spends plenty of time with King Charles XII of Sweden, the man whose life would become so intertwined with Peter's. The subtitle, "His Life and World" is very accurate. 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 also provides us with capsule biographies of all the major and minor players, including Louis XIV of France and William III of England.

If you are interested in the life of Peter the Great, read this book. If you an interested in seeing proof of how one man can change the course of history, read this book. If you are interested in European diplomatic and military history, read this book. If you simply enjoy a well-told yarn, read this book.

I've read a lot of history books and this is one of the best. I literally never wanted to put it down. Check it out.

Rating:
Summary: There was no way I could read 900 pages
Review: of hard to pronounce names & obscure 17th century geographical locations. Fredrick Davidson made it easy for for me in his fine narration on 32 cassettes.
This book is not just for scholars but it is a major biography on Peter the Great, indisputably the greatest ruler Russia has ever had (including her Soviet Union era). Robert Massey is to be commended & his research is excellent.
Czar Peter, literally dragged Russia kicking & screaming into the modern era. He did it, many times single handedly, by the sheer force of his personality. The greatest impact on his life were the two extended visits he made to western Europe. The first, early in his reign, was attempted incognitio. This was sometimes ridiculous as he was 6 ft. 7 inches tall & was easily spotted in any gathering. This visit fired his interest in the sea & his dreams of Russian seaports & a great Russian Navy. He actually became an Admiral, coming up thru the ranks.
The author digresses, with good result, into a series of mini-biograhies on Louis XIV, William of Orange & others.
Mr. Massey devotes several chapters to Charles XII of Sweden. He was Peter's adversary in the seemingly endless Northern wars. These wars dominated Peter's time & energy for over ten years at the start of the 1700's. These were the years of the beginnng of the end fot some of the empires of the middle ages. The Holy Roman Empire & the Ottoman Empire were in slow decline. Peter destroyed the Swedish Armies & Sweden never rose again to her previous prominence.
His discriptions of Paris in the 1717 & the impact Paris had on Peter were quite important for the changes that overcame St. Petersburg in the last years of Peter's reign. Peter borrowed heavily from European culture as well as technology. Few in Russia could keep up with his ambitions & aspirations for Russia.
Peter was a complex man with simple tastes. He was one of the few monarchs in history that was actually suited to the ruling of an empire. Most kings thru history of the world were inbred morons simply ruling because of birth. He was a cruel man but not unsually so for his time. He was big-hearted, demanded loyalty & rewarded it. He was as just as a despot could be & above all, honest. He was Russia & Russia was him. Russia was better for it.
This is a large work in every sense & gives us a good feel for Russia & Europe as they entered the 18th century.

Rating:
Summary: Sparked an interest in Louis XIV not PETER the Great.
Review: This book is big, so before embarking on reading it, make sure you have the time!
Here is my experience

The book starts a bit slow, but quickly catches up, becomes really interesting and enjoyable but not for long. For the first two parts (21 sections, 280 pages) which I enjoyed most of it, I started to get tired of the endless redundancy about His Majesty's obsession with ships and ship building. Eventually it got to me. I tried skipping the parts talking about Peter's passion for the sea and shipbuilding - they were too many! -, I just thought enough already, the theme of 200 pages was more or less the same.

After that and just when the "Peter and his Ships" part is over, starts the part about the endless trips and skirmishes, with details that are neither necessary nor amusing.
And so it goes for the rest of the book, a tendency for repetition, and painfully boring details, unfortunately on too many occasions irrelevant, no wonder this book is few pages short of 900. The bottom line, I found that I had to fish for the useful information.

Actually I found the parts talking about Louis XIV, and Charles XII, and the chapters discussing the history of Holland and France better written, and more insightful than the ones discussing Peter's life and Russia's history!

Some incidents are researched, and analyzed deeply, but most are not, it is amusing to see the author seriously trying to critically analyze the role of Peter in some of the executions, while merely skipping over gravely more important issues and simply delivering them as facts.

I am a serious biography fan, even if it meant reading big volumes, and I enjoy ones written with good literary style, even if that makes them sometimes cheesy. I found this one a little too big for its level of seriousness, and a little too cheesy for my taste.

If you have the time and patience, you may like this book, I just could not get my self to finish it, I will be searching for another biography about Peter the Great, and two biographies about Louis XIV, and Charles XII, since this book sparked my interest in the latter two.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Reading
Review: Robert K. Massie's "Peter the Great" is one of the best historical biographies I've ever read. His eye for detail and his storytelling ability are unparalleled in historical writing. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history (of any kind) and especially to any with an interest in European or Russian history. "Peter the Great" is hard to put down. How many times have you said that about historical nonfiction?

Rating:
Summary: An excellent book.....
Review: I bought this book at the Anglia Bookstore on the Fontanka Canal last month while visiting St. Petersburg and quickly realized you don't find many books better, or near as good as this one. It captivates you from the moment you start. Massie gives details that make the history literally come to life. One thing I enjoyed about it was that Massie took the time, and had the talent, to describe in detail the actions and traits of many of Peter's antagonists and allies such as Charles of Sweden and Augustus of Poland, along with the Duke of Marlborough and the 'Sun King'. The dissolution and execution of the Streltsy was quite well depicted; enough to form a picture but not bog down in gory details. It amazes me how much a man such as Peter the Great is still loved by the Russians, at least the people of St. Petersburg. My Russian friends have always called their city simply 'Peter', even when it was Leningrad. A first rate book that entertains completely and shows the history of a place and time that have been somewhat shrouded for many years in the West.

Rating:
Summary: Pure Inspiration--To Learn, to Travel
Review: "Peter the Great" is a powerful history by a consummate historian, Robert K. Massie. It is the history of the commanding ruler who raised St. Petersburg from a swamp and catapulted Russia from a backwater to a country destined to be a world power. These two giants (Massie and Peter) propelled the City on the Neva to my list of top ten must-see places in the world.

I have had the hardcover (ISBN 031210443) in my library since 1981. Since I read it, Massie's call to Russia has been nagging me.

This summer I finally went with a program called Summer Literary Seminars. I pulled my tattered copy from my bookshelves and reread it. I warn those who are looking for light reading that this is a real history, full of detail. It is also exciting and thoroughly awe inspiring. Massie is a consummate historian but he could not go wrong with Peter as his subject.

I advise those who are interested in this period and this place to get their hands on the hardback. It contains maps and pictures that will increase both understanding and enjoyment. If, however, the paperback is the easier choice, my recommendation should not deter you from reading it at all. Given a choice, paperback is better than nothing.

Buy a nice lemon-yellow highlighter before you curl up with this book. Part of the fun will be keeping a record of the places you will want to go, the things you will want to see when-not if-you get to St. Petersburg, Peter's (and Robert's) city of canals, seagulls and art. For once you have read it, you will not rest until you have seen it for yourself.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place" --This text refers to the Paperback edition

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating book that you won't be able to put down
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book that Robert K. Massie wrote about the life and personality of Peter the Great and the challenges he faced in trying to make Russia a major power on the European stage of the 18th century. Although Peter is accurately described as being a driven, uncompromising, and oftentimes ruthless man, this book also presents his softer, warmer side that usually opened up only to his second wife Catherine and to his inner group of trusted friends.

In reading the biography of Peter, a great deal of insight is also gained into the society and politics of 17th-18th century Russia and Europe, which in the hands of any other historian might be written in a dry and abstract manner. With Massie, however, he has such an engaging narrative style that the book reads like an action novel at times (such as in describing the Battle of Poltava).

Each personality of monarchs that Peter dealt with in Europe and the Middle East is given an ample introduction in "Peter the Great", which is entertaining reading in its own right. For example, we learn that Augustus II, King of Poland and useless ally of Peter in the Great Northern War, was a sexual philanderer of extreme proportions and that Frederick Wilhelm I, King of Prussia, had his famous collection of giants and suffered from pains that almost drove him to insanity.

Of course, a major portion of the book is devoted to the conflict between Peter and his archnemesis Charles XII in the Great Northern War. Massie recounts how Charles' fanaticism and his legendary aura of invincibility eventually brought the Swedish empire to its knees.

All in all, this is a book that would appeal to the general interest reader, as well as to the Russophile and to the person interested in European history. If you do get this book, try to get the hardcover edition, because a 915+ page book in paperback starts to fall apart after awhile. And you definitely want to have a nice-looking copy of this book to grace your bookshelf for a long time.

Rating:
Summary: Biographies do not get better than this!
Review: Every so often you find a biography that reads better than fiction. Every once in a while you find a non-fiction author who makes history come alive...Robert Massie has done it twice. I did not think it would be possible to write a book as good as Nicholas and Alexandra...but his Peter the Great is on the same level if not better. Kinda like trying to debate whether godfather I is better than II or vice versa. Like Manchester's Macarthur or Mccoullough's Harry Truman this book was a pleasure to read, you learn, and never want it to end.

Not only do we learn about Peter and Russia, this book is equally as informative about Charles XII, William of Orange, and the Ottoman Empire.

All I can say is READ THIS BOOK!

Rating:
Summary: HOLY COW!!!
Review: Having just finished Peter the Great. I bow my head in awe and admiration at Peter Massie's amazing efforts. Having picked up the paperback version this summer out of sheer curiosity, I quickly found myself engrossed in Peter's world, life and relationships. I discovered how crucial his rule was to the Russian Empire. Massie does an amazing job presenting Peter's life in the most unbiased way possible. he shows Peter's good traits (hardworking, loyal, fair) to his worst (short tempered, sometimes quite violent). Pick up this book and read the first ten pages. I dare you to put it down after that. I guarantee you wont until you've read the last page.