
Catherine the Great
Life and Legend
John T. Alexander(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 5. April 1990
Book
Paperback/Softback
460 pages
978-0-19-506162-8 (ISBN)
Description
Empress of the vast Russian Empire by the age of 33, Catherine's private and public life generated tremendous contemporary controversy, and she has subsequently been portrayed variously as a political genius, a despotic foreign adventuress, a tyrant, and a nymphomaniac.
Drawing on little-known sources, including Catherine's billets doux , John Alexander has produced a much-needed balanced appraisal and popular biography of one of the most powerful, infamous, and colourful figures in modern history.
Drawing on little-known sources, including Catherine's billets doux , John Alexander has produced a much-needed balanced appraisal and popular biography of one of the most powerful, infamous, and colourful figures in modern history.
Reviews / Votes
`Alexander demonstrates that he posesses two important skills which enable him to address a popular readership: the ability to tell a good story well and an understanding of the effective use of descriptive contemporary accounts and interesting detail to enliven the text. An academic readership will also find this study of value'Slavonic Review 'a balanced, comprehensive portrait of the woman whom custom calls "the Great", whom gossip painted as scarlet, but whom Diderot described probably accurately as "the soul of Brutus in the body of "Cleaopatra"'
Sunday Times `Alexander's biography is the best there is and likely to remain so'
Times Literary Supplement `a serious and highly readable work'
Times Higher Education Supplement 'this is a serious and highly readable work, which draws on a wealth of published sources, notably Catherine's own voluminous writings'
Lindsey Hughes, University of London, THES 'A very well researched book that's also very readable'
Scottish Home and Country 'one of the most comprehensive studies of this woman written in modern times ... Well worth buying.'
Irish Independent 'an excellent analysis of the historical context in which she cut such a flamboyant figure'
Saturday Magazine 'Catherine the Great: Life and Legend 's principal service to the scholar is to trace the chronology of Catherine's reign in unparalleled detail ... a perceptive biography.'
Scottish Slavonic Review, No. 17
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
US School Grade: From Fourth Grade to Eighth Grade, Interest Age: From 14 to 18 years
Illustrations
24 pp black and white plates, maps
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
693 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-506162-8 (9780195061628)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
11/1989
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€7.99
Available for download

Book
03/1989
Oxford University Press
€76.60
Shipment within 15-20 days

E-Book
11/1988
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€7.99
Available for download
Person
Professor of History at the University of Kansas
Author
Professor of History and Soviet and East European Studies at the University of KansasProfessor of History and Soviet and East European Studies at the University of Kansas