Peter the Great: A Biography - Softcover

Hughes, Lindsey

Softcover

ISBN 10: 030010300X ISBN 13: 9780300103007

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2004

Synopsis

The definitive short biography of the enigmatic Peter the Great

Peter the Great (1672–1725), tsar of Russia for forty-three years, was a dramatic, appealing, and unconventional character. This book provides a vivid sense of the dynamics of his life—both public and private—and his reign.

Drawing on his letters and papers, as well as on other contemporary accounts, the book provides new insights into Peter’s complex character, giving information on his actions, deliberations, possessions, and significant fantasy world--his many disguises and pseudonyms, his interest in dwarfs, his clowning and vandalism. It also sheds fresh light on his relationships with individuals such as his second wife Catherine and his favorite, Alexander Menshikov. The book includes discussions of Peter’s image in painting and sculpture, and there are two final chapters on his legacy and posthumous reputation up to the present.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"In her splendid new biography, Lindsey Hughes deconstructs these mythic images and bring us closer to the true face of the Tsar."-Orlando Figes, Sunday Telegraph; "This book will likely become a standard for scholars and students who want a short but comprehensive account of Peter the Great."-Publishers Weekly; "Fascinating and compellingly readable ...[a] superb short biography" - Simon Sebag Montefiore, Literary Review ; '[an] excellent biography' - Kevin Sharpe, Sunday Times

About the Author:

Lindsey Hughes is professor of Russian history at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London. She is also the author of the classic work Russia in the Age of Peter the Great.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 030010300X
• ISBN 13: 9780300103007
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 324