Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman

“[A]taleofpower,perseveranceandpassion...agreatstoryinthehandsofamasterstoryteller.”—TheWallStreetJournalThePulitzerPrize–winningauthorofPetertheGreat,NicholasandAlexandra,andTheRomanovsreturnswithanothermasterpieceofnarrativebiography,theextraordinarystoryofanobscureGermanprincesswhobecameoneofthemostremarkable,powerful,andcaptivatingwomeninhistory.Bornintoaminornoblefamily,CatherinetransformedherselfintoempressofRussiabysheerdetermination.Forthirty-fouryears,thegovernment,foreignpolicy,culturaldevelopment,andwelfareoftheRussianpeoplewereinherhands.Shedealtwithdomesticrebellion,foreignwars,andthetidalwaveofpoliticalchangeandviolencechurnedupbytheFrenchRevolution.Catherine’sfamily,friends,ministers,generals,lovers,andenemies—allarehere,vividlybroughttolife.HistoryoffersfewstoriesricherthanthatofCatherinetheGreat.Inthisbook,aneternallyfascinatingwomanisreturnedtolife.“[A]compellingportraitnotjustofaRussiantitan,butalsoofaflesh-and-bloodwoman.”—Newsweek“Anabsorbing,satisfyingbiography.”—LosAngelesTimes“Juicyandsuspenseful.”—TheNewYorkTimesBookReview“Agreatlife,indeed,andirresistiblytold.”—SalonNAMEDONEOFTHEBESTBOOKSOFTHEYEARBYTheNewYorkTimes•TheWashingtonPost•USAToday•TheBostonGlobe•SanFranciscoChronicle•ChicagoTribune•Newsweek/TheDailyBeast•Salon•Vogue•St.LouisPost-Dispatch•TheProvidenceJournal•WashingtonExaminer•SouthFloridaSun-Sentinel•BookPage•Bookreporter•PublishersWeekly