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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Massie never failed to grip me. His writing is top notch, bringing the larger than life characters of Peter and those around him to life. From Peter's childhood to his death, his life was full of excitement, glory, adventure, and loss, and you are there with him all the way. I can only hope Massie's other works are on the same level.
Easily the best work of history I have ever read. The accounts of Peter the Great himself are insightful and often thrilling, especially when he describes the perils of the many military campaigns.
But more important than that is the way that Massie holds the reader's interest by constantly delving into a variety of smaller topics surrounding the great autocrat, like the construction of St. Petersburg, the life and personality of Swedish King Charles XII, the Great Northern War, the strange court of the Persian empire, the rise of the Russian navy, and so on.
This enthusiasm and skill at providing context fleshes out the core story and makes me feel enthused about history in ways I didn't imagine I could feel.
But more important than that is the way that Massie holds the reader's interest by constantly delving into a variety of smaller topics surrounding the great autocrat, like the construction of St. Petersburg, the life and personality of Swedish King Charles XII, the Great Northern War, the strange court of the Persian empire, the rise of the Russian navy, and so on.
This enthusiasm and skill at providing context fleshes out the core story and makes me feel enthused about history in ways I didn't imagine I could feel.
adventurous
challenging
informative
tense
slow-paced
What more can I say about this amazing book that hasn't already been said? It's one of the best books I've ever read. This book has sparked my intense interest in Russian history, but I feel that no one can tell you more about it than Massie.
I read this book on my trip to England in the 1980s. It was a great read during the trip- I learned about Russia and the other countries of the time.
borrowed from Phil (for a long time), notation inside book says 'this book stolen from Dave Hall' hahahahahaha!
anyhoo - in depth, lots of info about life during the 16th century - very interesting...
anyhoo - in depth, lots of info about life during the 16th century - very interesting...
I would give this more than five stars if I could. Not only do I consider Peter the Great the best biography ever written, but quite possibly the best book ever written.