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Catherine the Great
- Portrait of a Woman
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 23 hrs and 52 mins
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Publisher's summary
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An “absorbing” (Los Angeles Times) biography of one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in Russian history—from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and The Romanovs
“[A] compelling portrait not just of a Russian titan, but also of a flesh-and-blood woman.”—Newsweek
ONE OF ESQUIRE’S BEST BIOGRAPHIES OF ALL TIME • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Salon, Vogue, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Providence Journal
Robert K. Massie returns with another masterpiece of narrative biography, the extraordinary story of an obscure German princess who became Catherine the Great. Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into empress of Russia by sheer determination. 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. Catherine’s family, friends, ministers, generals, lovers, and enemies—all are here, vividly brought to life. History offers few stories richer than that of Catherine the Great. In this book, an eternally fascinating woman is returned to life.
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Critic reviews
“What Catherine the Great offers is a great story in the hands of a master storyteller.” (The Wall Street Journal)
“What a woman, what a world, what a biography.” (USA Today)
“[Massie] hasn’t lost his mojo. . . . A consistently nimble and buoyant performance. . . . [Massie] has always been a biographer with the instincts of a novelist. He understands plot—fate—as a function of character, and the narrative perspective he establishes and maintains, a vision tightly aligned with that of his subject, convinces a reader he’s not so much looking at Catherine the Great as he is out of her eyes. . . . Juicy and suspenseful.” (Kathryn Harrison, The New York Times Book Review)
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Horrible narration - don’t purchase
- By ballymerrigan on 12-27-18
By: John Guy
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Bloody Mary
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 23 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Here is the tragic, stormy life of Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. Her story is a chronicle of courage and faith, betrayal and treachery - set amidst the splendor, pageantry, squalor, and intrigue of 16th-century Europe. The history of Mary Tudor is an improbable blend of triumph, humiliation, heartbreak, and devotion - and Ms. Erickson recounts it all against the turbulent background of European politics, war, and religious strife of the mid-1500s.
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A good history
- By A. Barrios on 05-21-15
By: Carolly Erickson
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Secret Lives of the Tsars
- Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia
- By: Michael Farquhar
- Narrated by: Enn Reitel
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Scandal! Intrigue! Cossacks! Here the world’s most engaging royal historian chronicles the world’s most fascinating imperial dynasty: the Romanovs, whose three-hundred-year reign was remarkable for its shocking violence, spectacular excess, and unimaginable venality. In this incredibly entertaining history, Michael Farquhar collects the best, most captivating true tales of Romanov iniquity.
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A good introduction to the Romanovs
- By Daniel Burgon on 07-14-14
By: Michael Farquhar
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The First Elizabeth
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 18 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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In this remarkable biography, Carolly Erickson brings Elizabeth I to life and allows us to see her as a living, breathing, elegant, flirtatious, diplomatic, violent, arrogant, and outrageous woman who commands our attention, fascination, and awe. With the special skill for which she is acclaimed, Carolly Erickson electrifies the senses as she evokes with total fidelity the brilliant colors of Elizabethan clothing and jewelry, the texture of tapestries, and even the close, perfumed air of castle rooms. Erickson demonstrates her extraordinary ability to discern and bring to life psychological and physical reality.
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Well Researched Book
- By JustBill on 03-13-15
By: Carolly Erickson
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Victoria
- A Life
- By: A. N. Wilson
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 21 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The longest reigning British monarch and female sovereign in history, Queen Victoria was a figure of profound paradox who has mystified historians for over a century. Now in this magisterial biography, A.N. Wilson rebukes the conventional wisdom about her life - that she was merely a "funny little woman in a bonnet" who did next to nothing - to show she was in fact intensely involved in state affairs despite a public façade of inaction.
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This book has old and new info
- By Dr. A. on 10-29-14
By: A. N. Wilson
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The Turbulent Crown
- The Story of the Tudor Queens
- By: Roland Hui
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 22 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Ten remarkable women. One remarkable era. In the Tudor period, 1485 to 1603, a host of fascinating women sat on the English throne. The dramatic events of their lives are told in The Turbulent Crown: The Story of the Tudor Queens.
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a very good listen
- By Evil Guppy on 09-21-19
By: Roland Hui
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Eminence
- Cardinal Richelieu and the Rise of France
- By: Jean-Vincent Blanchard
- Narrated by: Mary Kane
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Chief minister to King Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu was the architect of a new France in the 17th century, and the force behind the nation's rise as a European power. Among the first statesmen to clearly understand the necessity of a balance of powers, he was one of the early realist politicians, practicing in the wake of Niccol Machiavelli. Truly larger than life, he has captured the imagination of generations, both through his own story and through his portrayal as a ruthless political mastermind in Alexandre Dumas's classic The Three Musketeers.
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Great story boringly told
- By pete k on 09-19-16
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Ambition and Desire
- The Dangerous Life of Josephine Bonaparte
- By: Kate Williams
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Josephine de Beauharnais began as a kept woman of Paris and became the most powerful woman in France. She was no beauty; her teeth were rotten, and she was six years older than her husband, but one twitch of her skirt could bring running the man who terrorized Europe. The tale of Napoleon and Josephine is one of the most famous love stories in the world. With Josephine, Napoleon became the greatest man in Europe, the Supreme Emperor.
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Thrilling, romantic, fascinating, and enlightening
- By Leon Miller on 03-30-17
By: Kate Williams
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Prince of Pleasure
- The Prince of Wales and the Making of the Regency
- By: Saul David
- Narrated by: Sam Devereaux
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Described by the Duke of Wellington as "the most extraordinary compound of talent, wit, buffoonery, obstinacy and good feeling that I ever saw in one character in my life", George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales, later George IV, was a highly controversial figure. He courted both Whigs and Tories in his attempts to establish the Regency during the "madness" of his father, George III.
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George IV in all his "glory"!
- By TemperPolk on 08-25-16
By: Saul David
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The Borgias and Their Enemies
- 1431-1519
- By: Christopher Hibbert
- Narrated by: John Telfer
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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The name Borgia is synonymous with the corruption, nepotism, and greed that were rife in Renaissance Italy. The powerful, voracious Rodrigo Borgia, better known to history as Pope Alexander VI, was the central figure of the dynasty. Two of his seven papal offspring also rose to power and fame. The Borgias were notorious for seizing power, wealth, land, and titles through bribery, marriage, and murder. The story of the family's dramatic rise from its Spanish roots to the highest position in Italian society is an absorbing tale.
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Covers the bases, but falls a little flat.
- By Chap Walker on 06-16-13
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The Assassination of the Archduke
- Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance That Changed the World
- By: Greg King, Sue Woolmans
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Set against a backdrop of glittering privilege, The Assassination ofthe Archduke combines royal history, touching romance, and political murder in a moving portrait of the end of an era. One hundred years after the event, it offers the startling truth behind the Sarajevo assassinations, including Serbian complicity, and examines rumors of conspiracy and official negligence.
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Sarajevo trip in riveting slow motion
- By Skeptical on 06-29-14
By: Greg King, and others
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The House of Medici
- Its Rise and Fall
- By: Christopher Hibbert
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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This enthralling book charts the family's huge influence on the political, economic, and cultural history of Florence. Beginning in the early 1430s with the rise of the dynasty under the near-legendary Cosimo de Medici, it moves through their golden era as patrons of some of the most remarkable artists and architects of the Renaissance, to the era of the Medici Popes and Grand Dukes, Florence's slide into decay and bankruptcy, and the end, in 1737, of the Medici line.
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Laundry list of names
- By Elizabeth W on 01-02-17
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In-depth and gripping history of 3,000 years
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Empress of the Night
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Perfect for listeners of Hilary Mantel, Alison Weir, and Philippa Gregory, Empress of the Night is Eva Stachniak’s engrossing new novel, told in the voice of Catherine the Great as the Romanov monarch reflects on her ascension to the throne, her rule over the world’s greatest power, and the sacrifices that made her the most feared and commanding woman of her time.
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Good but not as "Great" as the first book
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What listeners say about Catherine the Great
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- David Entrikin
- 08-29-19
Truly one of the great rulers in history
beautiful narrated, awesome and engaging. one of the greatest people in history absolutely loved listening to this
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- Maui Diver
- 05-14-20
How Carherine Became The Great
A dynamic history little realized or appreciated by Americans. This is a vital book that lays the foundation of understanding for modern Russia
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- Kate, NYC
- 11-28-18
Well written and well narrated
Finished it in 4 days. The narrator does an excellent job. Very interesting historical figure. I wish the book were longer.
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- Shelly
- 02-03-13
Highly recommend this book.
Would you listen to Catherine the Great again? Why?
Yes. Interesting information, well presented. Before reading this book I had no idea hat her impact on Russia was. Now I see that she was indeed a great leader no doubt, but also as a real, vulnerable and very human persona.
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- Renee M.
- 06-04-20
Engrossing and Fascinating
An excellent and detailed history about the life of one of the greatest women in history. Thoroughly enjoyable. I will listen to this again.
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- Baroque Loverboy
- 06-12-21
Wonderful, Well Written Book
Robert K. Massie is one of the pre eminent writers specializing in Russian history and the Romanov family in particular. This epic work is extraordinarily easy to read and flows along quite nicely. I followed along with the actual book while the audio book narrator read out the text. I did this as Russian names do not come naturally to me and so I wanted to see them in print. The narrator does an excellent job of reading the text. I would recommend this work to anyone interested in the topic.
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- VMC
- 09-05-12
Amazing!! Great storytelling.
Where does Catherine the Great rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Top 3. It makes me sit longer in my car just to hear a few more minutes before going in to work.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Catherine the Great?
N/a
What does Mark Deakins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Comfortable voice and articulation is wonderful!
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I cheered for Catherine!
Any additional comments?
Usually books with Russian names make for tough audiobooks. It's hard to follow their names. But this book is written so well there is no trouble! Wonderful timeline and detailed story of an amazing time in history!
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- Grrr
- 08-28-17
A great read, as was Peter the Great.
As with Peter the Great and Nicholas and Alexandra, I learned so much about the evolution of Russia and it's rulers. In today's environment, it would do all justice to read all three.
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- Alexandria Phillips
- 04-08-18
Loved it from cover to cover!
What did you love best about Catherine the Great?
Amazing story about an amazing woman. The performance was great. I truly loved this book.
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- Yana
- 03-01-23
Fascinating
Great source of information. It is well written and keeps you intrigued. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Russian history or people in history.
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