Closing the cover on this fascinating title, I couldn't help but think about the extreme degrees that current avenues of pop-culture alters and skews lasting impressions of historic figures that deserve to be remembered better. I also couldn't stop berating myself because I'm as guilty as any blithe individual that paid attention to slack and cheap tidbits of "history". I admit, for years all I really knew (and really cared to know) about Catherine the Great was far and in between the truth (I waited far too long to learn the actual facts and real history). I wish to foremost apologize for my past ignorance and to strongly encourage any potential reader that may think that particular myths concerning parades of male company and possible equine bedfellows are all there is to be remembered or commented on about this remarkable woman to please pick up or purchase a copy of Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie as quickly as possible. Mr. Massie is a master of his craft and in Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman he deftly shares his extensive research and approaches his subject in a respectful manner that shows why he has earned so many awards for his non-fiction works. In this incredible work he pulls away the embellished myths and rumors to reveal an individual who rightly deserves "the Great" forever attached to her name. He also illustrates how such exaggerations and opinions of this historic lady could have been created and spread as he takes the reader to each fascinating stage and event of Catherine the Great's life with richly textured facts and quotes from Catherine's own memoirs and those who personally knew or had the privilege of meeting her before or after the German princess became a grand duchess and finally the Imperial Empress of Russia. It may be a good idea to pace yourself when you choose this book. This biography never means to be quick glossed over read but if you have the time and patience this can be quite the rewarding experience with the trove of minute details and a unbiased view of a truly remarkable woman who changed her adopted country forever and made her stamp in history books concerning politics, art and science. For this reader, I am so happy I finally read this biography. I learned so much and this book allowed me the opportunity to attach a strong voice and clearer picture to a name I have only vaguely read about before. It was also an unexpected surprise to find this book momentarily left details of Russia and ambled down the blood-soaked streets of the French Revolution for a chapter (even going into the mechanics of the guillotine and its continued history and a little about experimentation) but then returned and shared how Catherine reacted and feared the same happening in Russia. Even though I overall enjoyed this non-fiction title, I did find the middle became a bit repetitious with events and it seemed more emphasis was put on Catherine's early life versus her thirty-four year reign but I can see why that would be so (a lot happened that shaped her into the woman she was later to become). I wish there was some sort of glossary of names and a regional map at the beginning (there are so many names, places and titles to try to remember). I was also a little disappointed in the small section of pictures in the back, I was really hoping to see more pictures of Catherine or even a couple of the palaces where she lived at times and couple other names mentioned in this work. Still this is one read I think could benefit anyone who has an interest to learn real facts about Catherine the Great, an important portion of Russian history and even a little about 18th century Europe. -Reviewed in June 2015, review written June 2015/ copy of CATHERINE THE GREAT: PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN borrowed from local library Comments are closed.
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