Peter the Great: His Life and World

A biography of Peter the Great, the tsar who became co-ruler at age ten and reshaped Russian history. Robert K. Massie examines the pivotal events of Peter's life against the backdrop of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe and Russia, tracing how a boy became a legendary figure. The narrative covers Peter's travels through Europe incognito, his interest in Western practices, his focus on naval power and the development of the Russian navy, his military innovations, and his transformation of Russia. Massie also explores Peter's relationships with Catherine, a peasant woman who became his mistress, wife, and successor, and with Menshikov, a prince who gained wealth and influence through Peter's friendship. Portrayed as a complex figure—impetuous and stubborn, generous and cruel, tender and unforgiving—Peter emerges as a man of considerable energy and contradictions.