Catherine the great biography 2011 ram

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Womanby Robert K. MassieRandom House, 2011Right at the half-way mark in Robert Massie's supple, fantastic new life of Catherine the Great, his subject's life changes forever:

She sat on the throne of Peter the Great and ruled an empire, the largest on earth.

Her signature, inscribed on a decree, was law and, if she chose, could mean life or death for any one of her twenty million subjects. She was intelligent, well read, and a shrewd judge of character.

Catherine the great biography 2011 ram 1500

During the coup, she had shown determination and courage; once on the throne, she displayed an open mind, willingness to forgive, and a political morality founded on rationality and practical efficiency. She softened imperial presence with a sense of humor and a quick tongue; indeed, with Catherine more than with any other monarch of her day, there was always a wide latitude for humor.

There was also a line not to be crossed, even by friends.

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