Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman: Portrait of a Woman Audiobook

" The life of Catherine was fascinating. Born from non-Russian parents and married at 14 to a baffoon and heir to the Russian throne...Peter, staged a coup to have Peter removed from the throne and making herself Empress of Russian, during her rule Russia boundaries expanded by conquest, and her many liaisons with interesting characters Robert Massie's readability enhances this book. "

" Did you know that Catherine the Great was asked to send 20,000 Russian soldiers and 1000 Cossack cavalry to stop the American Revolution. She refused. Britain paid Germany for the Hession mercenaries. "

" A favorite sentence: "Peter made Russia a great power; Catherine magnified this power, and advanced the nation toward a culture that, during the century that followed, produced, among others, Derzhavin, Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Chekov, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Petipa, and Diaghilev." "

" The best book I have read so far this year. I would love to meet her one day. "

" Okay book, wonderfully written. It was just so depressing to read! Everyone is screwing everyone over, no compassion, being completely selfish and ruled by the power of power itself. Just got really frustrated with the book and how the author seemed to agree with the characters' actions. Made him seem a little cynical and power-happy himself. Just an observation. Overall: wonderfully written with, alas, a deeply sickening history as the story. "

" Read this for book club. This was hard to get into because I didn't know much about Russian history it was also densely packed with information. Catherine the Great certainly had an interesting life, but there was nothing about the writing itself that I found compelling. "

" This is the first book I've read on Russian history as an adult and I really appreciate the way Massie has woven together the tapestry of both Catherine the Great's story and those that surrounded and influenced her. While the story is fairly linear for the early part of Catherine's life, taking a more direct route based on her diaries, the later sections of the book that focus on her life as the Empress of Russia skip around to people and political topics that were key to her reign. The inclusion of the interplay of concurrent events outside of Russia gives additional context to the forces at work in the world around her. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Russian history or European history in the 1700's. "

" Not sure if I would have made it through this book in paper format, but as an audible.com commute companion for the last couple of months, it has been lovely. "

" Interesting and captivating historical account "

" An enjoyable and throughly researched biography that provides a good overview of the history of mid-18th century Russia. "

" Interesting look at life and times of Russia and the Tsarina. The book includes much detail and much political posturing. It chronicles her many lovers it also paints a humorous picture of her early life and marriage to the heir to the throne. "

" A great historical novel that kept me wanting more. Catherine was extremely smart and clever and way ahead of her time. Wish she were alive today. "

" Wonderful book the whole way through. It started to slow a bit while she was declaring war everywhere at the end of her reign, but otherwise I loved it. "

" Love Massie's work. "

" Really interesting and thought provoking "

" What a strange but rewarding reading experience. I loved it, but at the same time I thought it was never going to end. So be warned that it's a major undertaking, but it's also perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel and movies like the recent A Royal Affair. "

" Easy to read with fascinating facts but the author often made jumps in timeline that made me have to re-read. Overall I learned a lot and would not hesitate to recommend. "

" Fascinating book about a fascinating woman! It dragged a bit in parts, but all on all, a great read. "

" Well worth the time, learned a lot about world history in the 1700's, especially Europe. Enjoyed reading about this remarkable woman. Really admire her fortitude and vision. "

" I didn't learn anything new or shocking but the book is laid out very well and the most important parts of Catherine's reign are discussed. This is a well written and clear biography. "

" this is a great monarch biography. the first half is riveting..the second is heavier with political achievements and failures which makes it a little less exciting, but still a good read. "

" This was one of the most disjointed biographies I have ever read, even if it was written by a Pulitzer Prize winner. It wasn't written in a timeline fashion, but in a character fashion, as that character applied to Catherine. It was very confusing. "

" I'm enjoying this so far. "