Peter the Great

Troyat writes in an engaging and engrossing way. Just as he did in his biography of Catherine the Great, you feel as if you are there watching these autocrats insist their will and in an equally polar mind, exact their affection. The pages are filled with opportunities to learn about Russia becaming a force in Baltic nations and her interactions with the west. You also witness the treatment of peasants who were sacrificed at will and/or for the purpose of a greater Russia (such as with the building of the city of St. Petersburg) One is left wondering if the erractic and fearful way that Peter I ruled was necessary to create a more modern Russia- did Russia & Russians need that firm grip in order to modernize? This is a well written and informative read!

The fact of the matter is Peter the Great was a very violent man. People were tortured in horrible ways and he seemed to almost enjoy it. But Troyat does not dwell on this aspect of his reign more than any other. This is a very well-written, concise biography of a truly amazing man. It does not go into the amount of detail that some others do, but I found the use of so many primary sources extremely interesting. An excellent biography.

I disagree with Publisher's Weekly: a book need not have ten footnotes per page not to be deemed "superficial." I was able, by reading Troyat's work, to learn just enough about Peter the Great--neither too little nor too much--in a manner that was fun, informative, and ultimately absorbing. Unlike those putatively scholarly tomes that ultimately leave you cold, this one left me well informed: I feel that I could deliver a stand-up lecture on Peter's life and achievements at a moment's notice. Also, nobody before Troyat pointed out to me various things that--while they might be obvious given careful reconsideration--I had simply never seen in print before, e.g., Peter was single-handedly responsible for the destruction of the Swedish Empire, which at one time embraced modern Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. It was also just plain fun to read about some of Peter's personality quirks and the way in which they manifested themselves in his daily behavior. A 6'7" Russian giant, drunk beyond belief, lugging a stuffed crocodile on his back? An emperor who insisted that all his courtiers "say aah" so he could then and there whip out his proud collection of dental tools and do surgical extractions (no anesthesia, thank you) on the spot? A guy who smashes up hotel rooms wherever he goes and feels so bad that he gives the local lord a priceless diamond--wrapped, of course, in unadorned brown paper? Where else would you get to read these kinds of anecdotes? Troyat gave me a picture of Peter the man that I will simply never forget, and for that I heartily thank him.

peter the great is a book about an autocrat with big ideas, the power to instigate them, and the total lack of understanding about what these powers and ideas caused his people. he overtaxed them, enforced his own ideas and desires (which changed daily some times), and instituted his powers unmercifully. people didn't know from one minute to the next if their heads were secure. this was everyone from his own son to the lowest serf in the land. however, he was a man who was far-sighted, interested in everything, and tried to bring some enlightenment to everyone he ruled. he was also a man of many excesses, i.e., women, liquor, power, and many human failings the worst of which was lack of sympathy for anybody or anything. it was all or nothing as far as he was concerned. henri troyat does it again with an in-depth biography of one of history's truly fascinating monarchs.

A fascinating biography of a bizarre man, brilliant and blind, great and evil at the same time. Every page has an amazing fact or two in a work of scholarly depth that nevertheless is so well written and translated that it reads like a suspense novel.