Catherine the Great
Portrait of a Woman
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Remove from Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Catherine the Great
Narrated by:
Mark Deakins
Buy Now for $43.99
-
Narrated by:
-
Mark Deakins
-
By:
-
Robert K. Massie
About this listen
“[A] compelling portrait not just of a Russian titan, but also of a flesh-and-blood woman.”—Newsweek
ONE OF ESQUIRE’S BEST BIOGRAPHIES OF ALL TIME • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Salon, Vogue, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Providence Journal
Robert K. Massie returns with another masterpiece of narrative biography, the extraordinary story of an obscure German princess who became Catherine the Great. Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into empress of Russia by sheer determination. For thirty-four years, the government, foreign policy, cultural development, and welfare of the Russian people were in her hands. She dealt with domestic rebellion, foreign wars, and the tidal wave of political change and violence churned up by the French Revolution. Catherine’s family, friends, ministers, generals, lovers, and enemies—all are here, vividly brought to life. History offers few stories richer than that of Catherine the Great. In this book, an eternally fascinating woman is returned to life.
Critic Reviews
“What Catherine the Great offers is a great story in the hands of a master storyteller.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Dense and detailed, enriched by pages of full-color illustrations, Massie’s latest will transport history lovers.”—People
“What a woman, what a world, what a biography.”—USA Today
“[Massie] hasn’t lost his mojo. . . . A consistently nimble and buoyant performance. . . . [Massie] has always been a biographer with the instincts of a novelist. He understands plot—fate—as a function of character, and the narrative perspective he establishes and maintains, a vision tightly aligned with that of his subject, convinces a reader he’s not so much looking at Catherine the Great as he is out of her eyes. . . . Juicy and suspenseful.”—Kathryn Harrison, The New York Times Book Review
“A meticulously, dramatically rendered biography.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“[A] rich, nuanced examination of Russia’s lone female leader.”—The Daily Beast
“What a woman!”—Elle
“Massie once again delivers a masterful, intimate, and tantalizing portrait of a majestic monarch.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[A] meticulously detailed work about Catherine and her world. . . . Massie makes Catherine’s story as gripping as that of any novel. His book does full justice to a complex and fascinating woman and to the age in which she lived.”—Historical Novels Review
“Dense and detailed, enriched by pages of full-color illustrations, Massie’s latest will transport history lovers.”—People
“What a woman, what a world, what a biography.”—USA Today
“[Massie] hasn’t lost his mojo. . . . A consistently nimble and buoyant performance. . . . [Massie] has always been a biographer with the instincts of a novelist. He understands plot—fate—as a function of character, and the narrative perspective he establishes and maintains, a vision tightly aligned with that of his subject, convinces a reader he’s not so much looking at Catherine the Great as he is out of her eyes. . . . Juicy and suspenseful.”—Kathryn Harrison, The New York Times Book Review
“A meticulously, dramatically rendered biography.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“[A] rich, nuanced examination of Russia’s lone female leader.”—The Daily Beast
“What a woman!”—Elle
“Massie once again delivers a masterful, intimate, and tantalizing portrait of a majestic monarch.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[A] meticulously detailed work about Catherine and her world. . . . Massie makes Catherine’s story as gripping as that of any novel. His book does full justice to a complex and fascinating woman and to the age in which she lived.”—Historical Novels Review
The content was clearly well researched and I learnt more than I expected not only about Russian history but also about Catherine’s personality which was evident throughout the entire book.
Definitely an interesting read
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
She was Great
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Even if u don’t have a burning interest or n Russian history, you’ll enjoy this, and if Russian history is your jam (mine Defintely is) then you will love this. I recommend everything by Massie who I have recently discovered and I’m set for books (to read (this is audible don’t say u have “read” these books) for a big part of the year. Im stoked.
A masterpiece. One of the 3 5 stars I’ve ever given.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great story
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
what a shame
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Too much detail
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.