Robert K. Massie’s Peter the Great: His Life and World (1980) is an acclaimed, Pulitzer-winning biography that reads like a vivid novel, yet still contains exhaustive research. It provides a comprehensive, balanced portrait of the complex Tzar, covering his reforms, personal life, and his efforts to modernize Russia.
Massie begins with Peter’s early life, starting with his coronation at age 10. It describes the violent power struggles he witnessed, his ‘toy’ regiments, and the influence of his half-sister Sophia.
The reader is then taken, along with Peter, on an 18-month ‘incognito’ tour of Europe. Massie highlights Peter’s unquenchable curiosity, particularly his time working as a shipbuilder in the Netherlands and England to master Western technology.
The author then recounts the multi-decade conflict with Sweden and its King, Charles XII. A focal point is the Battle of Poltava (1709), which Massie presents as the turning point that established Russia as a major military force. This is followed by an exploration of Russia’s new role in international diplomacy and Peter’s continued efforts to align his country with Western norms.
A large section examines the new Russia brought about by internal reforms. The construction of the new capital, St. Petersburg, on marshland is given full treatment, and Massie concludes with Peter’s final years.
This book is a remarkable achievement for its vast scale and comprehensive detail, whilst still managing to be digestible for the reader.
Robert K. Massie (1929 – 2019) was an American historian and journalist born in Lexington, Kentucky. He studied American history at Yale and European history at Oxford, which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar. He was president of the Authors Guild from 1987 to 1991. His books include Nicholas and Alexandra; Peter the Great: His Life and World (for which he won a Pulitzer Prize for biography); The Romanovs: The Final Chapter; Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War; Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea; and Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman.
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1136 pages in Modern Library
ISBN-13 : 978-0679645603
First published 1980
