The Memoirs of Catherine the Great (Modern Library Classics)

The Memoirs of Catherine the Great (Modern Library Classics)

Empress Catherine II brought Europe to Russia, and Russia to Europe, during her long and eventful reign (1762â€”96). She fostered the culture of the Enlightenment and greatly expanded the immense empire created by Czar Ivan the Terrible, shifting the balance of power in Europe eastward. Famous for her will to power and for her dozen lovers, Catherine was also a prolific and gifted writer.

Fluent in French, Russian, and German, Catherine published political theory, journalism, comedies, operas, and history, while writing thousands of letters as she corresponded with Voltaire and other public figures. The Memoirs of Catherine the Great provides an unparalleled window into eighteenth-century Russia and the mind of an absolute ruler.

With insight, humor, and candor, Catherine presents her eyewitness account of history, from her whirlwind entry into the Russian court in 1744 at age fourteen as the intended bride of Empress Elizabeth Iâ€™s nephew, the eccentric drunkard and future Peter III, to her unhappy marriage; from her two children, several miscarriages, and her and Peterâ€™s numerous affairs to the political maneuvering that enabled Catherine to seize the throne from him in 1762. Catherineâ€™s eye for telling details makes for compelling reading as she describes the dramatic fall and rise of her political fortunes.

This definitive new translation from the French is scrupulously faithful to her words and is the first for which translators have consulted original manuscripts written in Catherineâ€™s own hand. It is an indispensable work for anyone interested in Catherine the Great, Russian history, or the eighteenth century.
Country USA
Brand Modern Library
Manufacturer Random House Publishing Group
Binding Paperback
ItemPartNumber 9780812969870
Color Purple
ReleaseDate 2006-06-13
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780812969870

Country	USA
Brand	Modern Library
Manufacturer	Random House Publishing Group
Binding	Paperback
ItemPartNumber	9780812969870
Color	Purple
ReleaseDate	2006-06-13
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780812969870

The Memoirs of Catherine the Great (Modern Library Classics)

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