Catherine the Great

by Robert K. Massie
Category: "Autobiographies, Memoirs and Biographies"
Pages:574
Year of Publication:2011
Date Added:09/23/2023
Date Read:03/10/2026
Notes:Biography of Sophia Fredericks, born into minor German noble family and brought to Russia when she was 14 to marry Peter III, heir to the throne. She was given the Russian name Catherine. Her marriage was never consummated — Peter was extremely immature and preferred to play with toy soldiers. In time, Catherine began a series of affairs that lasted the rest of her life. She gave birth to children from three different men. When Empress Elizabeth died, Peter became emperor, but he still hadn't grown up. Within months, his eccentricities upset many people. One of Catherine's lovers, with some others, murdered Peter and put Catherine on the throne, even though she wasn't in the line of succession. Having studied Enlightenment philosophy, she tried to institute changes, but when they met with opposition, she drew back. By the end of her reign, alarmed by the revolution in France, she became an absolute ruler. She took over Poland and expanded Russia south to the Black Sea. She introduced art and culture to Russia, continuing the work of Peter the Great to make the country more European. But mostly she let her lovers, particularly Gregory Potemkin, lead the country while she cavorted with her boy toy of the moment.
My Rating: 6

Reviews for Catherine the Great

Review - Catherine the Great

Well-written, but I was unimpressed by Catherine. She was supposedly kind and liked to enjoy life, but her religion and philosophy were adaptable to the circumstances and her morality was based on self-satisfaction. I get that the expansion of Russia during her reign was good for the nation, but it wasn't great for those who were conquered, and I wasn't convinced that she'd done anything that would make her great. In fact, before I read this book, the only I knew about her is that she slept around a lot. Quite the legacy.

Reviewed by Roger on 2026-03-10 14:30:48

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