In the All-Russian contest “Name of Russia”, aimed to elect the most notable personality in Russian history by voting via the Internet, radio and television Peter I finished fifth. Ahead of another person who radically altered the destiny of Russia after him – Vladimir Lenin. The guy who brought here Christianity – Prince Vladimir I – and the guy responsible for the downfall of the USSR - Mikhail Gorbachev – didn’t even make it to Top 50 (though Boris Yeltsin did). This illustrates the importance of Peter’s figure even in contemporary Russia, 300 years after his untimely death.

This was my second book by R. Massie, first being a wonderful tome on Catherine II another of only three monarchs so styled since the establishment of tzardom in Russia in XV century. What I can surmise upon reading these two books – on Catherine and Peter – the author loved Russia. I would go even further proposing that he was a very pleasant person to be with. The way he depicts characters, no matter how repulsive their deeds are, normally doesn’t provoke rage or any other negative emotions. Probably you’d feel sorry and upset by person’s bad behavior. And if a person possesses some commendable traits or did something good, you’d end up his Facebook fan for life. Mr. Massie probably was adored by his students. He’s not only a great narrator, but a very savvy psychologist too.

Time and again you will run into some tangential figures main protagonist meets. Their names may sound remotely familiar, but all of us are a bit rusty on school history, aren’t we? Don’t panic, you’ll be provided with a brief, but yet sufficient enough description of a person, age, event, trade, country, etc


While reading it, I simultaneously read and watched some Russian historians talking on Peter I. It looks like Mr. Massie covered every interesting story and fact of Tzar’s life. Bravo! His warmness to Russia still baffles me, if we factor in the time of writing – late 1970s – Cold War’s apogee! It’s as apolitical treatment of history as it should be. An example for all historians.

P.s. In spite of making it to top 5 Russia’s historical heroes public opinion on the Tzar is still divided.

My dad read this in the late 1980s or early 1990s and loved it, around the time of the TV miniseries (maybe a rerun, as 1986 seems too early, and I remember watching parts of it with him). Anyway, I gave it a try in the early 1990s, but was too young and undisciplined to finish it. On reading it now, at 43, I enjoyed it immensely. Massie is a good writer, I have read some of his other stuff, and this is one of those expansive life and times biography, big bricks of books, that are still quick and enjoyable to read. Peter the Great was an amazingly important ruler, wresting his country from backwards and eastern facing to modernizing and western facing. He is the reason Russia became a European power and then a world power. He was quite an interesting fellow, at one hand shunning the trappings of power and on the other hand being a dictatorial autocrat. On one hand working as a carpenter, on the other building a city of palaces on marshland. On one hand defeating the forces of Sweden and the Turks as a good strategist, and on the other almost losing it all on an ill-fated, bungling attempt to fight the Turks. In interesting biography and well worth the read. ( )

If you are looking for an all-encompassing look at the life of Peter the Great and the world he inhabited, look no further. This book is massive. It is very well-researched and describes in great detail what life was like in Russia at Peter's court.

The book can get a bit heavy-handed, especially if you are not one for war and battles, which, takes up the vast majority of the book. You do get insights into the lives of Peter's opponents, which was fun. I wish the book had been a bit more detailed in his personal relationships with his family members. There are some that are touched on in just a few short sentences. However, more is known about their interactions.

This is not a casual read. You have to be ready. But, this is recommended if you are looking to broaden your horizons and read about one of history's greatest figures. ( )

I enjoyed this biography, but about 400 pages of Peter the Great and his battles was enough. I didn't finish it. ( )

Na, ez a könyv pont annyira fantasztikus, mint amekkora. Massie szĂłrakoztatĂłan Ă©s alaposan kivesĂ©zi nemcsak a kor OroszorszĂĄgĂĄt, hanem Ășgy egyĂĄltalĂĄn: a XVIII. szĂĄzad elsƑ harmadĂĄnak EurĂłpĂĄjĂĄt szƑröstĂŒl-bƑröstĂŒl. Ebben segĂ­tsĂ©gĂ©re van maga PĂ©ter cĂĄr is, aki megteszi neki azt a szĂ­vessĂ©get, hogy uralkodĂłtĂłl szokatlan mĂłdon bejĂĄrja a fĂ©l vilĂĄgot, ahovĂĄ pedig nem jut el, azzal hĂĄborĂșba bonyolĂłdik. Így Massie-nek alkalma nyĂ­lik bemutatni a korszak valamennyi fontosabb figurĂĄjĂĄt OrĂĄniai VilmostĂłl XII. KĂĄroly svĂ©d uralkodĂłn Ă©s legendĂĄs hadvezĂ©ren ĂĄt magĂĄig a NapkirĂĄlyig*. Csupa szĂ­nes, izgalmas alak kavarog e könyv lapjain, Ă©s mĂ©g magyar vonatkozĂĄs is akad: egyrĂ©szt RĂĄkĂłczi rövid vendĂ©gszereplĂ©se, mĂĄsrĂ©szt az eszmĂ©letlen mennyisĂ©gƱ tokaji bor, amit PĂ©ter jóízƱen elfogyaszt.

AmĂșgy meg ez a PĂ©ter egy nagy franc volt. Volt egy missziĂłja, ĂĄt akarta rĂĄncigĂĄlni a Nagy Orosz AnyĂĄcskĂĄt keletrƑl nyugatra, Ă©s ettƑl nem igazĂĄn hagyta magĂĄt elrettenteni. Éhen haltak a parasztok a sok hadiadĂł miatt? Ez van, ezt kell szeretni. SzentpĂ©tervĂĄr Ă©pĂ­tĂ©sekor hullottak a munkĂĄsok, mint a legyek? HĂĄt most mit csinĂĄljon velĂŒk. Persze, csodĂĄs dolog, ha egy nagy formĂĄtumĂș uralkodĂł ĂŒldögĂ©l az ember feje felett, de az a helyzet, hogy a nagy formĂĄtumĂș uralkodĂłkat ĂĄltalĂĄban utĂłlag szoktĂĄk szeretni. Közben nem feltĂ©tlenĂŒl. Persze meglehet, hogy ez az orosz nĂ©plĂ©lek, ez a keleti fatalizmus szinte kihĂ­vja ezt: hogy a dolgok ne folyamatukban fejlƑdjenek ki, kisebb-nagyobb döccenƑkkel, hanem jöjjön egy diktĂĄtor, egy agyagbĂĄlvĂĄny vĂ©res mancsokkal, Ă©s a szakĂĄllĂĄnĂĄl fogva rĂĄngassa ki a nĂ©pet a derĂ­tƑgödörbƑl. Vagy vissza az derĂ­tƑgödörbe – mert ez is egy opciĂł.

De nem akarok Ă©n tĂșlsĂĄgosan igazsĂĄgtalan lenni PĂ©terrel – bĂĄr talĂĄn megĂ©rdemelnĂ©. AmĂșgy egy igazĂĄn tĂŒndökletes, izgalmas szemĂ©lyisĂ©g volt, akinek tetterejĂ©t nehĂ©z nem bĂĄmulni Ă­gy hĂĄromszĂĄz Ă©v tĂĄvlatĂĄbĂłl, Ă©s alighanem nagyobb szĂ­ve Ă©s nyitottabb elmĂ©je volt, mint korabeli kollĂ©gĂĄinak. Ɛ a maga rĂ©szĂ©rƑl igazĂĄn jĂłt akart – csak Ă©ppen abbĂłl a magassĂĄgbĂłl, ahol Ƒ Ă©lt, talĂĄn alig tƱntek nagyobbnak az emberek, mint a bolhĂĄk. PlĂĄne hogy szemĂ©t folyton elƑre szegezte: a vĂĄgyott napnyugat felĂ©. Ahol azĂłta is hiĂĄba vĂĄrjĂĄk Ƒket.

* Na mondjuk vele PĂ©ter pont nem talĂĄlkozott se civilben, se a hadszĂ­ntĂ©ren, de sebaj, az Ă­rĂł ravaszul megoldja, hogy rĂłla is rittyentsen egy bĂĄjos portrĂ©t. És jĂłl teszi, a korszak mĂĄsik legjelentƑsebb figurĂĄjĂĄt bƱn lenne kihagyni egy ilyen aprĂłsĂĄg miatt. ( )