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25th out of 395 books
—
141 voters
Great Catherine: The Life of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia
From the moment the fourteen-year-old Princess Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst agreed to marry the heir to the Russian throne, she was mired in a quicksand of intrigue. Precociously intelligent, self-confident, and attractive but with a stubborn, wayward streak, Sophia withstood a degree of emotional battering that would have broken a weaker spirit until at last she emerged, trium...more
Paperback, 400 pages
Published
August 15th 1995
by St. Martin's Griffin
(first published 1994)
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I enjoyed this book a lot, but I have to admit that the author seemed to grow bored with the subject matter by the end, which meant that I did, too. The first half I could barely put down; it really is fascinating how the rather unremarkable (that is to say, precocious, but not pretty) Princess Sophie of Germany managed to rise to become the Empress of Russia. But once she finally came into power, it seemed like the best of the story was over, and while she was a good ruler, I didn't feel she wa...more
For me, this book was interesting because I knew virtually nothing about Catherine the Great before picking it up. Because it was based on her memoirs and seemed well researched, it was very in-depth and managed to show events in historically accurate ways. The beginning of the book really allows the reader to connect with the young Catherine and to sympathize with her; however, I feel that this is not as true for the end of the book, where I felt less of a connection with the empress. It seemed...more
Largely a very interesting book, I found it a little heavy on the details of Catherine's life during the early years of her marriage and very light on details when it came to her actual years of reign. I thought this was a shame not because her early years were boring, but because I would have liked to have learned more about why she earned the title "great." As it was described by the author, it didn't seem like she did much to deserve the nickname.
Still, all-in-all an enjoyable read with easy,...more
Still, all-in-all an enjoyable read with easy,...more
I had wanted to learn more about Catherine the Great (a moniker she shunned during her life), and this fit the bill. I liked the details about the personalities surrounding Catherine, and the court intrigues, and how horrible it was to be a poor person (being rich was no picnic, either) living in Russia in the 18th century. Not to mention a woman... Did you know that during this time women (wives) could be punished by their husbands for any infraction by being beaten mercilessly, sent to a conve...more
A fascinating life she led, from a minor German princess to Empress of a vast and powerful country. There is more detail about her life before becoming Empress, due to the memoirs that she wrote and re-wrote only covering her early life. I would have liked more about her life after becoming Empress, but I guess the writer had to work with what was known.
It seems she earned the title of 'Great' by what she would have liked to have achieved rather than what she did actually achieve, not that her a...more
It seems she earned the title of 'Great' by what she would have liked to have achieved rather than what she did actually achieve, not that her a...more
I really liked it, especially up until she gets married. Should have been called "Young Catherine" because it's mostly all about the pre-Empress times, drawn from her early memoirs. Easy reading.
Love the cover of the book and even the special letters used for the title, hand-crafted by Dia Calhoun, a lettering artist."
Love the cover of the book and even the special letters used for the title, hand-crafted by Dia Calhoun, a lettering artist."
Mar 09, 2009
Tara
added it
I learned alot about Catherine the Great of Russia. I never knew that she was a German princess, married (like most noble women at the time) to man who disliked her. I knew the rumors of her debauchery but they were mostly untrue.
Interessante Zusammenstellung aus den eigenen Aufzeichnung Katharinas, Briefen und anderen historischen Zeugnissen. Es wird nicht nur aus Katharinas Blickwinkel erzählt sondern auch der Blick "von außen" wird dem Leser gewährt. Such wenn man deutlich merkt, dass die Autorin auf Seiten Katharinas ist.
i am not sure if this is the book i read or not.
i read catherine the great about 15 yrs ago. i no longer remember the cover on the book.
but i did enjoy reading about her and her fight for survival and becoming empress.
i read catherine the great about 15 yrs ago. i no longer remember the cover on the book.
but i did enjoy reading about her and her fight for survival and becoming empress.
Loved, Loved this book. Pure history about Catherine the Great. I just wished I would have read it before I visited St. Petersburg instead of just after.
A very well written account of the life of Catherine the Great. Most of the information was taken from her memoires so the book has the air of first hand knowledge and not just a bunch of gossip or speculation about her. Anyone interested in learning about this remarkable woman should read this book.
Very nicely written, with a lot of historical detail and very graphic description of key moments and important events.
Super quick read; I read it over the course of a two day business trip. I've come to the conclusion that I like to listen to Carolly Erickson's books more than to read them. Her writing is too basic for me to really get into when I'm reading, but that very trait makes her easy to follow in an audiobook.
This was one of Erickson's more biographical works rather than a novel, and I like the novels better. I would have liked more explanation of the political maneuverings of the time, etc., but her...more
This was one of Erickson's more biographical works rather than a novel, and I like the novels better. I would have liked more explanation of the political maneuverings of the time, etc., but her...more
Although the author seemed bias towards her subject, it is hard not to be impressed with everything Catherine accomplished.
Doesn't paint the best picture of her, but probably honest
She was quite a gal! A woman of power and indomitable will. Was she naughty? Yes. Was she intelligent? Yes. A reminder that rulers must often do bad things.
This biography was not an easy read because of the many Russian names and affiliations. It provides a very thorough and detailed description of Catherine's life and accomplishments. Occasionally, Erickson goes off on a tangent, like her discussion of the use of the guillotine in France, and she includes many excerpts from Catherine's personal correspondance as support material; both of these add to the length of the book. Having said that, it was an interesting account of an amazing women and I'...more
very similar to the Troyat book.
This book was absolutely fascinating.
Nov 08, 2010
Brian
added it
great
A great read. The Great Empress of Russia in the 1700's. Groomed from 4 years old, promised to marry the king of Russia at 14, she was the daugher of an inconsequential province, Anhalt-Zerbst. Born Sophie, she emerged as a Queen to be reckoned with. This is the story of her emotional stuggles and her unsatiable need for love. A visionary, feisty and a woman with a mind of her own. Whether you love her or hate her, you'll find her fascinating for a woman of her day.
Dec 27, 2007
Carolyn
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those interested in Russian history
Shelves:
non-fiction
What an awe-inspiring story. I knew nothing about Catherine when I picked up the book. While the storytelling can be about as juicy as drinking a glass of sand, the story itself compelled me forward. Admittedly, I've been reading a lot of historical fiction and the lack of dialog took getting used to. The author, whose excellent historical fiction work about Marie Antoinette was amazing, is a well-regarded historian and I found the book to be well sourced and credible.
What a great read about a very admirable woman. It is historically accurate, which makes it even nicer for someone like me. I don't want to hear what an author might thinks someone said or did. I want to hear what really happened and how a person really lived. I'm still in the process of reading this book and I'm enjoying every page of this story of a truely remarkable character.
I really liked the history in the book of the interesting life of Catherine the Great of Russia, but I think I enjoyed it a lot more because of having been to Russia. At times there were too many details that seemed unnecessary about her childhood. The book picks up a lot about 100 pages in and became a much better read.
Awesome read. I knew very little about Catherine the Great prior to reading this book. While it's a bit dense at times and covers a lot of historical ground, the author does a nice job of keeping the story moving, especially through periods (i.e. decades) that were likely somewhat tedious in reality.
I read a biography of CtG when I was in grade school, and I've always intended to revisit her as an adult. Carolly Erickson is of course one of the goddesses of royal-philia, and does not disappoint. It's impossible not to admire the sheer gumption and courage of women like Ekaterina.
This book is really very entertaining. It provides a wonderful overview of Russian culture and history before the revolution, and shows a strong women figure in a time where equality wasn't exactly the norm.
I do believe that this book does share a good deal of knowledge on Catherine the Great. She knew how to live in a "world of men" and she certainly did it. A very interesting book.
While I enjoyed the intrigue of this book, I felt that it was not very concise. Overall, good, but it dragged a little in the end.
Jan 30, 2008
Susie Coggin
added it
Highly recommend it. Page turner until half way through-then it gets a little tiresome
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Distinguished historian Carolly Erickson is the author of The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette, The First Elizabeth, Great Catherine, Alexandra and many other prize-winning works of fiction and nonfiction. She lives in Hawaii.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/caroll...
More about Carolly Erickson...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/caroll...
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Jun 09, 2011 01:02pm
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