History comes alive: Much like Pierre Berton's great Canadian history books, Robert Massie brings history to the "people" with Peter The Great. In this long but highly readable biography, Massie illumimates the distant past of a backward nation which grew into a major European power under the energetic Peter. We read about the palace intrigues in the Kremlin in Peter's early years, his rise to power, and his historic trip "incognito" through Holland, Austria and England. A major part of this book is devoted to the Great Northern War with Sweden, and the fascinating character of Swedish king Charles XII. I knew very little about that attempted invasion of Russia, and Massie paints a vivid picture of the Swedish campaign. The author also brings us inside the Ottoman Empire and the life of the Sultans and Grand Viziers. He puts Peter's life in context with the greater world and shifting alliances of Europe.

The brutish nature of life in Russia in this era is not glossed over. So many labourers died in the construction of Peter's centrepiece city St. Petersburg, and the cruel punishments of the time are depicted. Overall, this is the type of historical biography they don't write anymore. History can be and should be written to appeal to a broader audience, and also to tell things as they were, without resorting to revisionism. Books such as this encourage readers to explore history more.

This is simply brilliant. Captivating, detailed, thrilling, sweeping. I give it my highest rating. One of my favorite works of history. ( )

1668 Peter the Great: His Life and World, by Robert K. Massie (read 7 Nov 1981) (Pulitzer Biography prize for 1981) Since I so much enjoyed Massie's book on Nicholas II and Alexandra (read by me 6 Sep 1969), as soon as I saw this book I knew I would have to read it. Massie is a popularizer, and I think he works little with primary sources, and his footnotes are not scholarly. But he tells the story with verve and holds one's interest. Peter the Great's story is a fantastic one, and while I cannot forgive him for torturing his son, nor all the other cruelties and atrocities he committed, he was a giant of a figure in history. The book is over 800 pages, and treats expansively all that involved Peter the Great, including a full treatment of Charles XII. And though I am no stranger to Russian history, there were things I never realized: Peter's campaign in the Caspian Sea area; the fact that the war between Russia and Sweden lasted from 1700 to 1721; that Peter was almost annihilated on the Pruth by the Turks--if they had not let him get away; etc. A very good book, easy and fun to read, and a good refresher for the years 1689 to 1725 in European history. Because of the generous treatment of all the matters covered, I have no present inclination to read further--now--in the area. ( )

A great work of history. Highly recommend it to anyone interested in the life of Peter the Great and Russian history. ( )

Outstanding biography of one of Russia's greatest czars. ( )