Peter the Great was a complex, even contradictory character. An all-powerful despot who preferred carpentry to war; a violent spouse-abuser who ensured his wife would rule as Autocrat after his death; a loving father who caused the death of his only son; Peter was all of these. Yet he was also a glittering figure on the international stage, a daredevil, a father to his people, and the most hated, respected, and loved man in Europe.
Who better to explain the psychology and the life of such a man than Robert Massie? Massie is a superb storyteller, capable of making even the most complex and abstruse points understandable to the average reader. He makes Peter come to life, not as a dry, dusty historical character but as a wonderfully alive, supremely dangerous man -- a man you'd love to meet but one you'd hate to have to live under.
I strongly recommend this book.