Peter the Great: His Life and World
by Robert K. Massie
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Book Summary Information
Author: Robert K. MassieEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1981-10-12
ISBN: 0345298063
Number of pages: 928
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Book Reviews of Peter the Great: His Life and World
Book Review: Engrossing & Intimate
Summary: 5 Stars
To popularize the history surrounding Peter I of Russia is no mean feat. In fact, to popularize history at all leaves most historians at a loss. What is meant by "popularizing" in this instance is the accomplishment of mutating true history (with the attention to accuracy and research that is necessary) into a dramatic format that appeals to those outside the sphere of the scholarly historian. The author succeeds in this endeavor beyond all expectations.
Massie, who studied modern European history at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and has published three best-selling books on Russian history, has captured the "triple crown" with this work: (1) he provides accurate, even-handed, and exhaustive detail (2) about a compelling historical figure (3) in a suspenseful and enjoyable writing-style.
The book opens with a stunning description of Moscow at the time that Peter's father, Alexis, ascends the throne. Adequately placed in this rich setting, the author takes us through Peter's childhood. Massie argues that the future Peter was brought into existence by the fortuitous fact that he was not the first in line for the throne, and therefore was not leashed by the upbringing expected of a future Tsar during his minority. Peter was free to eschew the religious and scholarly training that was given to his older half-brother Ivan V in favor of the practical trades and skills that became his (and therefore, his country's) life-long interests.
There are many examples within the work that illustrate Massie's balanced handling of historical contradictions. One example that is indicative of this is the description of Peter's half-sister and regent Sophia. Conventional wisdom labels Sophia as ambitious, ruthless, and more like a man than a woman in both temperament and appearance. In his memoirs, a French ambassador calls Sophia ugly and fat, with hairs on her face and tumors on her legs. Massie reasons how this was probably not an accurate portrait of the woman. First, the French ambassador visited Moscow during the end of Sophia's reign, when Russia had aligned itself with Austria, France's enemy during that time. Secondly, the author is skeptical that the French ambassador would have ever seen Sophia's legs to make such an observation. And lastly, Massie argues, if Sophia had been so hideous, other visitors to her court would have certainly said so, and there is no other account in existence that describes Sophia in such a way. This is an illustrative example of the even-handed manner in which Massie handles all people inhabiting Peter's world, with an exhaustive examination of the evidence, but also with a firm grasp on how primary sources can be skewed for other purposes besides historical accuracy.
The "meat" of this 900-page epic centers around The Great Northern War, as it should, since the majority of Peter's reign was spent overseeing this monumental conflict. The middle-third of the book is by far the most entertaining, as Massie expertly builds a slow crescendo of suspense that explodes at the Battle of Poltava, perhaps the single-most important event in Peter's reign, both for Russia as well as for Sweden. Massie gives a sizeable helping of information concerning Peter's counterpart Charles XII, as equally compelling a figure as Peter himself. In fact, the work bounces back and forth between the Russian and Swedish camps during this conflict as effectively as any Tom Clancy novel.
But it is not just the generous treatment of Peter and Russia that makes this such an excellent work. We meet all of Peter's contemporaries, including Leopold I of Austria, Louis XIV of France, William of Orange, Augustus I of Poland, Frederick William I of Prussia, and the many sultans (and their viziers) that ruled the Ottoman Empire. These personages are introduced within their historical contexts, with a concise exposition of their countries and recent histories. (Massie spends eight pages describing Louis XIV and Versailles for the reader, even though Peter never actually meets the Sun King and does not travel to Paris until the reign of the boy-king Louis XV.) These peripheral details make the work entertaining to the casual reader and, at the same time, invaluable to the novice historian.
The most moving episode comes toward the end of the book with the description of Peter's relationship with his son and heir Alexis. Massie leans just a bit in the direction of Alexis as the sympathetic figure in this drama, but refuses to speculate about the mysterious circumstances surrounding Alexis' death in prison after he had been sentenced to die for treason. (Some believe that Alexis was killed in private to spare Peter the infamy of publicly executing his own son.) This is another example of Massie's even-handedness; the evidence either way is not there, and Massie does not invent it nor does he extrapolate false conclusions.
In the last paragraph of the book, Massie furnishes his conclusion concerning his subject: "[Peter] has been idealized, condemned, analyzed again and again, and still ... he remains essentially mysterious. One quality which no one disputes [however] is his phenomenal energy. He was a force of nature, and perhaps for this reason no final judgment will ever be delivered." The judgment made here, however, is that those wishing to learn more about Peter and his world could hardly begin in a better place than with this enjoyable epic.
Summary of Peter the Great: His Life and World
Winner of the Pulitzer PrizeAgainst the monumental canvas of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe and Russia unfolds the magnificent story of Peter the Great, crowned co-tsar at the age of ten. Robert K. Massie delves deep into the life of this captivating historical figure, chronicling the pivotal events that shaped a boy into a legend?including his ?incognito? travels in Europe, his unquenchable curiosity about Western ways, his obsession with the sea and establishment of the stupendous Russian navy, his creation of an unbeatable army, his transformation of Russia, and his relationships with those he loved most: Catherine, the robust yet gentle peasant, his loving mistress, wife, and successor; and Menshikov, the charming, bold, unscrupulous prince who rose to wealth and power through Peter?s friendship. Impetuous and stubborn, generous and cruel, tender and unforgiving, a man of enormous energy and complexity, Peter the Great is brought fully to life.
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