Rating: 
Summary: The Skinny on the Catherine
Review: A masterly work borrowing heavily from Catherine the Great's own memoirs, Troyat's biography delves deeply into the politics and personal strife surrounding Russia's most famous and most licentious Empress. We found that this book best deflected the occasional Puritanical sensibilties that hamper a story and went straight for the dirt, when necessary. Were other biographers too red-faced to admit Catherine died in the bathroom? Believe it! [HistoryHouse.com]
Rating: 
Summary: Superb and fascinating read!
Review: Catherine the Great was a wonderful read. It masterfully followed the intrigues of court life and all its complexities. One learned a great deal of information regarding Catherine, some through personal letters of her own. Troyat did a remarkable job with this biography. Anyone interested in Russian history, or even someone merely interested in a twisting tale such as one you might find in a work of fiction--Catherine is definitely a go!
Rating: 
Summary: An Intriguing Woman
Review: Catherine thhe Great, the little teenage Princess who came from germanic heritage, developed into a scheming, pitiless, yet loving ruler. The author takes us through her development with wonderful descriptions of those times. One can compare her reign in Russia with the development of the American Revolution and be astonished at the paths of the two nations. It is well worth reading and helps us understand the Russia of that time and of later times.
Rating:
Summary: An Intriguing Woman
Review: Catherine thhe Great, the little teenage Princess who came from germanic heritage, developed into a scheming, pitiless, yet loving ruler. The author takes us through her development with wonderful descriptions of those times. One can compare her reign in Russia with the development of the American Revolution and be astonished at the paths of the two nations. It is well worth reading and helps us understand the Russia of that time and of later times.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome book
Review: I read this book for a school project, expecting it to be boring. But the way the book was written made it really easy to understand. I like the author, and I think this is his best work. This is a great way to get information, or to just read for fun. I reccomend this book to everyone! (but watch out for the Russian names! )
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, fascinating and informative!
Review: I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that this biography, unlike others I've read, was a page turner as well as an eye-opener. In fact,it was one of the best books I have ever read. Informative to the hilt, it takes the reader through the life of Catherine II from her birth to her death, with excerps from her Memoires and correspondences over the years. It read like some romance novels I've experienced, full of Court intrigue and brimming with affairs. Catherine the Great was truly deserving of her title. I would highly recommend this book to everybody. Even if you don't like biography, I guarantee you won't realize you're reading one.
Rating:
Summary: Great book of a women who knew what she wanted
Review: The daughter of a minor German prince, it almost easy to imagine Catherine the Great came to the throne by accident. But Catherine had a mission. Almost from the day she was chosen to be the wife of Grand Duke Peter, Catherine set her sights on greater power. She suceeded, some say by murdering her own husband, Tsar Peter III. Catherine lead the Russians in the battle for the Crimea, eventually winning the region for the empire. The book also goes extensively into the many loves of Catherine. But short of using them to define who the Tsarina was, Troyat treats them as the diversion that Catherine saw them as. Catherine saw herself as a liberal monarch. In fact, she regularly corresponded with Volraire and Diderot. But in the end, Catherine's main accomplishment was the maintain the power of the monarchy.
Rating:
Summary: Great book of a women who knew what she wanted
Review: The daughter of a minor German prince, it almost easy to imagine Catherine the Great came to the throne by accident. But Catherine had a mission. Almost from the day she was chosen to be the wife of Grand Duke Peter, Catherine set her sights on greater power. She suceeded, some say by murdering her own husband, Tsar Peter III. Catherine lead the Russians in the battle for the Crimea, eventually winning the region for the empire. The book also goes extensively into the many loves of Catherine. But short of using them to define who the Tsarina was, Troyat treats them as the diversion that Catherine saw them as. Catherine saw herself as a liberal monarch. In fact, she regularly corresponded with Volraire and Diderot. But in the end, Catherine's main accomplishment was the maintain the power of the monarchy.
Rating:
Summary: I love this book
Review: This is a book about a woman who wasn't perfect but had great intentions and made the best of her situation. I admire Catherine the Great immensely
Rating:
Summary: I love this book
Review: This is a book about a woman who wasn't perfect but had great intentions and made the best of her situation. I admire Catherine the Great immensely
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