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)

Thoroughly impressed with the subject

this book was my first attempt to learn more about Catherine. It was thoroughly accessible and gripping.

She was more than pettycoat government!

Any additional comments?

Amazing how fate would have it that capital become one of the greatest leaders of the Russian aristocracy and the monarchy during many troubled decades in Russia. Story upon story abounds in this book of her and her court, the man she loved, and the men that love her. She did a lot of traveling in Russia, and you can only imagine the difficulties of traveling in that day when there was no modern conveniences to transverse the hundreds and thousands of miles that are needed in order to see Russia and all the cities and provinces that she ruled over. There was recently a movie about her however the movie was only a couple of hours it would take a definite miniseries and a large magnitude to ever amplify all the efforts achievements and affairs that transpired during her reign. This is a story worth reading listening to if you've never studied this subject it will certainly enlighten you as to, there's a lot more going on in Russia than you think.

Catherine the Great

An excellent book. I enjoyed it and learned a great deal. I enjoy history written by Massie, and I hope you enjoy this read\listen also.

Catherine

I enjoyed the many hours of listening. The clarity of voice and the interest of history. What an enjoyable way to relax and learn.

Outstanding

This book came as a complete surprise to me. Because of its length I expected it to have boring sections, but this was not the case. It was fascinating through out.

There are stories within the story....

Any additional comments?

Loved how the author introduces and explains everyone's history and brought the subjects together.

Not Massie's best work

Where does Catherine the Great rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Among the best of the middle of the pack.

Would you be willing to try another book from Robert K. Massie? Why or why not?

I have listened to 2 of his other books and thought all were well done.

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

He does a wonderful job staying consistent with his voices.

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

I didn't. I was disappointed with the disjointed nature of the book. That is certainly the author's fault. It was entertaining and informative, but annoyingly disjointed.

Royalty is insane and inhuman.

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

Yes. It's a wonderful history of both the personal and social. For the first time I considered what was going on in the U.S. at the time of our founding relative to Russia. The Enlightenment had a powerful impact on Katherine but she could not implement it because the current structure simply wouldn't allow it. Also, the question of serfs and slavery and how both countries ended up dealing with the issue.

I also loved that two strong women, Alexandra and then Katherine ruled Russia for so long and during a transitional period.

I was stunned at the way Alexandra took Katherine's children.

What did you like best about this story?

The social history.

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

His pronounciations in the original language adds authenticity and somehow is transportive.

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

What women need to know to lead.

Any additional comments?

Great book.

Great story telling!

Would definitely recommend this book even if I wasn't a Russian history buff. The narration is easy to listen to and the story is drawn from many perspectives. I can't wait to read more from Massie!

Catherine the Great by R Massie

This is a superb book. I may have to listen again. Not only did Mr Massie write a wonderful renditon, but I love Mark Deakins performance.