Five Empresses: Court Life in Eighteenth-Century Russia
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.43 (922 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0313361738 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 384 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-06-13 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Astute and intelligent, Catherine had a talent for making people like her, winning them to her cause; however, the era of her rule would be a time of tumultuous change for both Europe and her beloved Russia.In this vivid, quick-paced account, Anisimov goes beyond simply laying out the facts of each empress's reign, to draw realistic psychological portraits and to consider the larger fate of women in politics. Next, Anna Ioannovna (1730-40), chosen by conniving ministers who sought an ineffectual puppet, would instead tear up the document that would have changed the course of Russian history forever only to rule Russia as her private fiefdom and hunting estate. From the untimely demise of the 52-year-old Peter the Great in 1725 to nearly the end of that ce
Margaret FlanaganCopyright © American Library Association. In addition to advancing their own agendas and protecting their own interests and power bases, these women also had to contend with being female in the primarily male-dominated arena of international politics. The eighteenth century was an especially fascinating era in the annals of the Russian empire. All rights reserved. During the bulk of the century, both the country and the court were ruled by five powerful czarinas. From Booklist Brimming with intrigue, scandal, mayhem, and murder, the drama of Russian court life is unrivaled by any contemporary soap opera. Through these five
"Soap Opera at Tsarskoye Selo" according to M. A Newman. This could have been a better book than it is. While it is interesting to read anything that a Russian has written on his country's history (since it marks the reclamation of the past following 1991), this book drags on for far too long and would have been better if the author had demonstrated an understanding of the power politics of Russia as a whole and not just the court.This is the story of Russia's rulers in the 18th century, after Peter the Great and before Napoleon. It might have been called "ladies choice," since most of the rulers were w. "Enjoyable, amusing and painless history lessons" according to Patricia Harris. My knowledge of Russian history is zip - a collection of names (eg, Catherine the Great, Peter the Great, the doomed Nicholas and Alexandra). Mr Anisimov has given me a thoroughly delightful history lesson of five empresses of 18th century Russia. His clever comments and personal way of writing made me look forward to each page turning.