Catherine the Great: A Portrait of
a Woman
By Robert K. Massie
544 pages
544 pages
Catherine was born a minor noble
and became the Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. The book is largely based
on her memories. Thus the biography shows Catherine in a mostly favorable
light.
Catherine adored power and thrived
to obtain it. Although she felt little love during her childhood and endured a
painful marriage to Peter III of Russia , she was popular amongst her
subjects and she forcibly seized the throne from her husband.
During this time in history, the
offspring of emperors and nobility were used as pawns for power. The marriages
were arranged only to maximize the strength of the country. Love and
faithfulness to one’s spouse was not a concern. The majority of the princes and
princes were raised and educated by others. This harsh reality was evident in
the pages of this book. For
Catherine rarely saw her son and felt no motherly instincts towards him, since he was
taken away after his birth.
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