The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and The Romanovs returns with another masterpiece of narrative biography, the extraordinary story of an obscure young German princess who traveled to Russia at fourteen and rose to become one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history.
The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and The Romanovs returns with another masterpiece of narrative biography, the extraordinary story of an obscure young German princess who traveled to Russia at fourteen and rose to become one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history.
Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into Empress of Russia by sheer determination. Possessing a brilliant mind and an insatiable curiosity as a young woman, she devoured the works of Enlightenment philosophers and, when she reached the throne, attempted to use their principles to guide her rule of the vast and backward Russian empire. She knew or corresponded with the preeminent historical figures of her time: Voltaire, Diderot, Frederick the Great, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, Marie Antoinette, and, surprisingly, the American naval hero, John Paul Jones.
Reaching the throne fired by Enlightenment philosophy and determined to become the embodiment of the “benevolent despot” idealized by Montesquieu, she found herself always contending with the deeply ingrained realities of Russian life, including serfdom. She persevered, and for thirty-four years the government, foreign policy, cultural development, and welfare of the Russian people were in her hands. She dealt with domestic rebellion, foreign wars, and the tidal wave of political change and violence churned up by the French Revolution that swept across Europe. Her reputation depended entirely on the perspective of the speaker. She was praised by Voltaire as the equal of the greatest of classical philosophers; she was condemned by her enemies, mostly foreign, as “the Messalina of the north.”
Catherine’s family, friends, ministers, generals, lovers, and enemies—all are here, vividly described. These included her ambitious, perpetually scheming mother; her weak, bullying husband, Peter (who left her lying untouched beside him for nine years after their marriage); her unhappy son and heir, Paul; her beloved grandchildren; and her “favorites”—the parade of young men from whom she sought companionship and the recapture of youth as well as sex. Here, too, is the giant figure of Gregory Potemkin, her most significant lover and possible husband, with whom she shared a passionate correspondence of love and separation, followed by seventeen years of unparalleled mutual achievement.
The story is superbly told. All the special qualities that Robert K. Massie brought to Nicholas and Alexandra and Peter the Great are present here: historical accuracy, depth of understanding, felicity of style, mastery of detail, ability to shatter myth, and a rare genius for finding and expressing the human drama in extraordinary lives.
History offers few stories richer in drama than that of Catherine the Great. In this book, this eternally fascinating woman is returned to life.
I used to say to myself that happiness and misery depend on ourselves. If you feel unhappy, rise above it and act so that your happiness may be independent of all outside events. (查看原文)
As the carriage rolled through thecity gates and onto the high road. Sophia never turned to look back. And in the more than five decades of her life that lay before her, she never returned. (查看原文)
I used to say to myself that happiness and misery depend on ourselves. If you feel unhappy, rise above it and act so that your happiness may be independent of all outside events. Catherine is such a strong woman character. She can well be a role model of feminists. I really share her view about happiness. I often heard people say they feel saddened because of the gloomy weather, and I couldn't ...
2012-12-18 21:503人喜欢
I used to say to myself that happiness and misery depend on ourselves. If you feel unhappy, rise above it and act so that your happiness may be independent of all outside events.引自 38 A Gamble
Catherine is such a strong woman character. She can well be a role model of feminists. I really share her view about happiness. I often heard people say they feel saddened because of the gloomy weather, and I couldn't help feeling contempt about this sentiment. Weather should be the least thing that affect your emotion, I would say to myself silently. And this apply further to other external things. They shouldn't affect our emotions. Be happy. :)
I used to say to myself that happiness and misery depend on ourselves. If you feel unhappy, rise above it and act so that your happiness may be independent of all outside events. Catherine is such a strong woman character. She can well be a role model of feminists. I really share her view about happiness. I often heard people say they feel saddened because of the gloomy weather, and I couldn't ...
2012-12-18 21:503人喜欢
I used to say to myself that happiness and misery depend on ourselves. If you feel unhappy, rise above it and act so that your happiness may be independent of all outside events.引自 38 A Gamble
Catherine is such a strong woman character. She can well be a role model of feminists. I really share her view about happiness. I often heard people say they feel saddened because of the gloomy weather, and I couldn't help feeling contempt about this sentiment. Weather should be the least thing that affect your emotion, I would say to myself silently. And this apply further to other external things. They shouldn't affect our emotions. Be happy. :)
I used to say to myself that happiness and misery depend on ourselves. If you feel unhappy, rise above it and act so that your happiness may be independent of all outside events. Catherine is such a strong woman character. She can well be a role model of feminists. I really share her view about happiness. I often heard people say they feel saddened because of the gloomy weather, and I couldn't ...
2012-12-18 21:503人喜欢
I used to say to myself that happiness and misery depend on ourselves. If you feel unhappy, rise above it and act so that your happiness may be independent of all outside events.引自 38 A Gamble
Catherine is such a strong woman character. She can well be a role model of feminists. I really share her view about happiness. I often heard people say they feel saddened because of the gloomy weather, and I couldn't help feeling contempt about this sentiment. Weather should be the least thing that affect your emotion, I would say to myself silently. And this apply further to other external things. They shouldn't affect our emotions. Be happy. :)
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3 有用 superqs 2016-01-04
历史是一种较高级的八卦。
1 有用 落。 2015-10-03
三年前读过。民间关于凯瑟琳有许多不好的传闻，也是与人讨论这书时才得知。对她太不公平。史上的凯瑟琳大帝，隐忍，勇敢，思想开放，吸纳先进思想。爱贤，也爱帅哥。虽也在宗教和农奴制度上有局限性，我还蛮敬佩她。
1 有用 辛维木Sophia 2014-09-09
What a woman! 有声书听了一半没听下去，写得太啰嗦了抓不住重点的感觉，而且对宫廷八卦什么的真的没兴趣。
0 有用 Ann 2021-02-26
非常精彩的人生，写得很好！难得我和家属能有共同喜欢的书。就是这么长的书两周听完了感觉时间有点紧。
0 有用 空气稀薄 2014-06-08
It was a long and remarkable journey that no one, not even she, could have imagined when, at fourteen, she set off for Russia across the snow.
0 有用 Ann 2021-02-26
非常精彩的人生，写得很好！难得我和家属能有共同喜欢的书。就是这么长的书两周听完了感觉时间有点紧。
0 有用 Eva_PSY 2020-05-25
第一次读俄国/欧洲长篇历史，会觉得这些人是和我更相近时代的人（文化上政治上），但其实对应国内是康熙时候。这么说来还是惭愧，上一次看国内的历史还是明朝那些事。可想见全球化背景下成长起来的我，遭受的来自西方意识形态的影响有多深，我个人会觉得对Catherine的人生、思想、为人处事有更多地认同感，而觉得清朝是个好遥远的过去。Catherine 当然可以被称为当之无愧的大帝，是个了不起的女性。最喜欢的是... 第一次读俄国/欧洲长篇历史，会觉得这些人是和我更相近时代的人（文化上政治上），但其实对应国内是康熙时候。这么说来还是惭愧，上一次看国内的历史还是明朝那些事。可想见全球化背景下成长起来的我，遭受的来自西方意识形态的影响有多深，我个人会觉得对Catherine的人生、思想、为人处事有更多地认同感，而觉得清朝是个好遥远的过去。Catherine 当然可以被称为当之无愧的大帝，是个了不起的女性。最喜欢的是她伴随一生的达观，积极平和的乐观心态，这和她早年博览群书有着不可否认的联系。 (展开)
0 有用 Pascano 2019-10-25
前半本推进较慢，略显枯燥，后来渐入佳境。特别喜欢波特金与莫扎特，以及suvorov将军和拿破仑未交集的命运。
0 有用 augustus 2019-10-12
太琐碎
3 有用 superqs 2016-01-04
历史是一种较高级的八卦。