Catherine the Great
Portrait of a Woman
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Catherine the Great
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Narrated by:
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Mark Deakins
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By:
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Robert K. Massie
About this listen
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.
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)
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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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Cath
- 13-02-2021
Definitely an interesting read
Not a typical pick for me to read and whilst lengthy & at times required complete concentration to follow, I actually thoroughly enjoyed this book.
The content was clearly well researched and I learnt more than I expected not only about Russian history but also about Catherine’s personality which was evident throughout the entire book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jennie Mohler
- 25-06-2023
She was Great
Loved this wonderfully crafted history of Catherine the Great! She was truly a maverick! I would have loved it more if a women has been the narrator. But still riveting
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Juju
- 21-07-2024
Great story
I love Massie’s Peter the Great, and always wanted to read about the Cathrine the Great! It was a delightful story, with lots of documents quoted, and listening to this book contributed greatly to my knowledge about my native country- Russia! I hope there is a translation to Russian, and I would recommend the book to anyone interested in Russian and European history. The reading of the book was excellent, and different accents of the characters added to the listening pleasure.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Erica Coombes
- 23-01-2022
what a shame
What a shame it was narrated by a man, a man who puts on a woman voice, what a shame.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 28-09-2022
Too much detail
Struggled to finish. Too much detail. Need more focus on only big events of her life. I don't need to know this room has got a peep hole that becomes an entertainment piece for the grand duke. The part on her impact on policy such as the Nakas and abolition of feudalism was good.
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