Much of Alexander's reign (1801--25) was spent in the titanic struggle with Napoleon. His defeat left the triumphant tsar the dominant figure in continental Europe, promoting a new political vision... This description may be from another edition of this product.
That would place him in the company of Churchill, Hitler, Lincoln (I think), and Elizabeth I in this series of books. Is this the same Alexander I, the Blessed, the great dissimulator? Actually the author presents a rather strong case for this tsar's use of power in a short and concise book that includes maps (!), a superb bibliography, and a chronology. He grew into a "power" when engaged with Napoleon, which was probably the most fascinating part of this reign. This historian's take follows this life precisely, so the end of the book leaves one with the same downer as does the early end of Alexander's life. Indirectly, it is suggested that the real power involved here was the negative impact Alexander ultimately had on the house of Romanov. Criticism? It did not seem the author wrote with the passion for the subject as seen in other books. But maybe it is okay for a historian to display a sort of clinical viewpoint. A book that adds to the body of work on this tsar that is well worth finding.
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