Catherine the Great

Portrait of a Woman

By: Robert K. Massie

Narrated by: Mark Deakins

Length: 23 hrs and 52 mins

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.

©2011 Robert K. Massie (P)2011 Random House

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)

Very happy that I invested the time for this biography!

Strange how history seems to remember this amazing woman differently. This biography is well organized, very informative and important to know. Voiced excellently!

Great historical evaluation

I really enjoyed this historical evaluation of the reign of Catherine the Great. The geopolitical side of the story was very interesting. If you’re into history, I recommend it!!

She's Great, He's Not

If you could sum up Catherine the Great in three words, what would they be?

Absorbing, fascinating and unlikely

Who was your favorite character and why?

In any telling of the life of Catherine the Great, Catherine must be the central character. Nobody but Catherine herself could have invented her.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

It is clear that the narrator is simply reading words (which he does quite well) but has no deeper connection to the subject. Constant and consistent mispronunciation of Russian German and French words and names (and not just the difficult ones) are distracting and make one think he did no preparation. This may seem like a trivial point, but a good reading is one where one feels like the narrator knows what he/she is talking about and that is not the case here.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There are genuinely amusing, genuinely moving and genuinely horrifying moments.

Any additional comments?

This is a well paced and lively telling of a great story. It does not dig very deep into the history of the period, the mind of the protagonist or the culture of the period. But presents the information that it does provide in a manner that is clear and understandable for anyone with no background on the subject and that is no small accomplishment

Enjoyed

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have recommednded to this book to many freinds.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Catherine the Great?

The 1762 coup, when Catherine and the Orlov brothers overthrew Catherine's husband Peter.

Have you listened to any of Mark Deakins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any other books read by Mark Deakins, but I will watch out for him in the future.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was moved by the love affair of Catherine and Grigory Potempkin.

Any additional comments?

The book was fast paced and interesting.

The best

This is a masterfully written book about an important and fascinating era in history. The reader was excellent.
Don't be afraid of its length; it reads like a great novel.

A story of nature versus nurture

Would you listen to Catherine the Great again? Why?

Yes I would and I I did listen to parts more than once to better understand the details of the Russian history. I was very interested in how people react to treatment and surroundings during their formative years. It questions why some become bitter and self serving while others survive and learn from childhood experiences. It seems that Catherine was forged into a strong, wise woman while her husband was badly damaged and could not overcome the challenges of his early life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Catherine was my favorite character as she learned from each challenge she faced and overcame. She was able to control her emotions and behavior and observe rationally. In the end she was able to use all that she learned and did impact the country positively. I did feel that Elizabeth groomed Catherine to rule after she became aware of the failings of her nephew. Catherine did not become bitter as she struggled to survive the hardships but rather became a very wise person with conviction and certainly courage. She was a strong, intelligent woman who earned respect and ruled well.

What does Mark Deakins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I just enjoy listening to stories being told. I don't know if I would have felt any different if I had been reading the book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There was not a moment but I was moved by Catherine overcoming her treatment and becoming a great ruler in her own right and ruling with intelligence and grace. Her attempting to free the serfs and seeing that it was wrong showed why she was a great ruler.

Any additional comments?

I listened to the book once but stopped many times and went back to earlier passages and listened carefully. It was a history brought to life and a story well told. The author was able to make you feel her as a living, breathing person living her life as best she could.

Rather than dwelling upon the unfairness or cruelty, Catherine filed it away and moved on to what she could affect positively. She knew the difference between the things she could change and the things she had to accept and could not change at the time. When her time came to rule, she was indeed a competent and able ruler in all ways. Was she born to rule or did she learn to rule as she faced her childhood challenges?

Great History- Great Life

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Though this book covers an incredible amount of detail in the history of this woman, I actually couldn't wait to listen again.

What does Mark Deakins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I actually think the book might be a bit overwhelming if read. There is something about the forced clip of an audio book that keeps it going.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A salute to continued education.
This woman had many things against her achieving what she did - family support (for this), chauvism, nationality.. but she did it and did it well. If she could have implemented some of her progressive ideas it may have saved Nicholas' life generations later.

Great detail for a history buff

This is a very, very long book. The story was well written to help bring Catherine alive to the reader. When a new person is introduced, there is sometimes so much background info in the sentence that it must be re-read to understand it. Overall, it is interesting and very informative about the politics of Russia and her allies. In addition, you learn about the concerns of a monarch in the 18th century. If you are a history buff, particularly Russian history and like long books, this is a good book for you.

EXCELLENT COMPREHENSIVE BIOGRAPHY

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend it highly to anyone interested in Catherine the Great. Massie's research is astounding. The book reads like a novel.

What does Mark Deakins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He changes his voice according to who he is quoting...male voice, voice with various European accents, etc.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Same as title

Couldn't put it down

Would you listen to Catherine the Great again? Why?

The writing is very clear and I got it the first time.

What other book might you compare Catherine the Great to and why?

Some of the histories by David McCullough. Well told stories and informative.

What does Mark Deakins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Clarity and natural expression, rhythm.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I take joy in learning.

Any additional comments?

One thing I liked was the way the history was told within the context of other 18th century events in Europe. The scope if this book is quite broad, though, spanning virtually the entire century, and I'd have liked some more depth here and there. So I am left inspired to hear more.