Peter the Great: His Life and World

While yet long this book brings the reader into the beginning of moderation of Russia. Peter the Great begins dragging the boyars into more more European dress and views. Excellent read

This is THE book on Peter the Great. It will continue to be read when our grandchildren are very old, and probably beyond that. Not only does Massie take us through every facet of Peter's life, his tortured family background, his foreign friends and mistresses; Massie also immerses us in the world affairs of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Thus it is that we meet the Dutch/English monarch, William of... Read Full Review

I am working on a doctorate in Russian history, and, consequently, have read many, many, books on Russia. This book is by far the best book on Russian history. Robert Massie's Peter the Great is an elegantly-written work which not only provides abundant and overflowing information about the "great" man, but which, like no other book, transports the reader into the world of late 17th century and early 18th century Russia... Read Full Review

Wow! Massie's Peter The Great is a fascinating study; an enjoyable read and a spectacular trip back through Russian history in the early 1700's. Even if you are not a history buff, you will enjoy Peter's thirst for knowledge, personal hands-on development of the Russian Navy, his massive economic, architectural and social reforms, ingenious manner of self-education by traveling incognito throughout Western Europe, his unique... Read Full Review