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A review by udle
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie
4.0
I listened to this as an audiobook. I liked the pacing and tone of the voice actor.
I normally don't go for historical biographies, but I enjoyed this one. I went into it knowing little about Russian history, and even less about European politics during the mid-late 18th century. This proved to be the perfect introduction to both. Massie presents Catherine's world as full of complex characters, each with their own ambitions and life stories. This gives depth to her greatness. Instead of a story about an individual of great character that enacted great deeds, it is an elaborate mosaic of conniving politicians, foiled philosophers, and small pox (lots of small pox).
I normally don't go for historical biographies, but I enjoyed this one. I went into it knowing little about Russian history, and even less about European politics during the mid-late 18th century. This proved to be the perfect introduction to both. Massie presents Catherine's world as full of complex characters, each with their own ambitions and life stories. This gives depth to her greatness. Instead of a story about an individual of great character that enacted great deeds, it is an elaborate mosaic of conniving politicians, foiled philosophers, and small pox (lots of small pox).