Peter The Great: The Classic Biography of Tsar Peter the Great

by Vasily Klyuchevsky, Василий Ключевский

Recreates the life of the Russian tsar, focusing on social and administrative progress which took place during his reign

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Russia, Romanovs, School

296 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 1984

Reviews

[E. G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

List of Colour Plates
List of Maps

--Peter the Great: His Life and Work

Genealogy of the Romanov Dynasty, 1613-1917
Acknowledgments
Selected Bibliography
Notes
Index
Maps

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and highly enjoyable biography.

[Jonathan Jerden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical writing and fair translation, describing the rein of Peter the Great (roughly 40 years ending 1726) of Russia. Reforms, started in the last 20 years of Peter's rule, remain his lasting contribution, covered in good detail starting about 40% into this book. At first the reform unfolding is tedious, but a little patience reveals a multitude of both political & administrative good-intension rationale that applies very much to today, then followed by results disappointing to Peter, but again very much a mirror of government greed, fraud, incompetence, lack of accountability (no one gets fired) . . . just like today. What is further revealed in this book is also what Adam Smith had something to say in his 1776 publication of Wealth of Nations . . . that public administrators and their minions can never match the speed at which decisions need to be made to act on market demands of supply & demand. Peter often complements himself on his active, speedy decisions, and yet he is notoriously slow in catching up with the Europe he dreams of emulating.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is half biography, half analysis of Peter the Great's reforms. It was fascinating seeing how dysfunctional life in 17th/18th century Russia was and the many, many individual reforms that go into modernizing a country like it. Reading this will give you a vivid picture of what Russian civic life was like for both serfs and nobles, and introduce you to one of the most interesting and unique historical figures you'll ever meet. It's high level of detail can make it a bit dry at times, but if you enjoy history or biographies you'll enjoy this book.

[Barksdale Penick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just skimmed this book, as it seems quite dated a history, but learned a tad about Peter. For instance, he traveled to Holland incognito and worked in a shipyard for four months. And in his efforts to reform the Russian tax system, he really did end up with a tax on souls (persons), which is how Dead Souls came about. But I expect there are more contemporary treatments of Peter that are a better bet.

[Wortumdrehung · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The quarrels of popes and kings, with wars or pestilences, in every page; the men all so good for nothing, and hardly any women at all (...)." (J. Austen / "Northanger Abbey", 1818)

I'm with Catherine Morland on this one.

The first quarter of this biography was really well done, unfolding a very vivid panorama of 17th century Russia and bringing all the earlier main characters to life in a masterful way. For a larger part of the latter section however Massie just arranges events in a correct order, putting in tiring and repetitive details that don't make up the lack of interest.

I missed the bigger picture, the larger effects and longtime repercussions those events (mostly war, siege, battle, ... and building of elaborate palaces) had for everyone involved. Some of them are mentioned or discussed but not enough to keep me interested. This might be due to the fact that this biography was first published in 1980 - historical writing focussing mainly on "great men and great events" back then.

There also is a huge gap about Peter's family life and the often quite complex relationships with his close companions, most of whom are mentioned rather briefly in an otherwise epic narrative (800+ pages).

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent a nice week with Peter, reading 150 pages a day for seven days. The edition I got at the library came in at over a thousand pages, making it the longest book I've read since 2017. For the most part, it was a breeze to read, EXCEPT for the Battle of Poltava. Although I understand that this was an important part of Russian military history, it was definitely a drag to get through, especially for someone (like me) who isn't passionate about battles and war-related things in general.
I guess my biggest critique of the book is that it was maybe a bit too long and descriptive. That being said, Massie has done a wonderful job of making the life of Peter the Great interesting and accessible for the average reader. If you are at all interested in Russian history or just in great rulers in general, I highly recommend this detailed and well-written biography.

[Maja Helena · Rating 3 out of 5]

An alltogether exellent biography!

I’ll have to admit, though, that I did struggle and perhaps skimmed through some of the long chapters devoted entirely to the battles between Peter and Charles of Sweden. When it comes to history, I’m more interested in the dramas at court than foreign policy and wars and this being a biography on Peter the Great I should have realized that in would contain more of the latter.

I most enjoyed the beginning, as it contained the aforementioned drama but I also found the chapters on the founding of St. Petersburg extremely interesting.

One thing is sure, though; Russia most certainly has a fascinating history and Peter was an extraordinary Tsar.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have ever wondered how the typical Russian sees Peter the Great, then here is your chance. Kliuchevskii, a nineteenth century Russian historian, wrote a superb biography of Peter for his own multi-volume History of Russia. This book contains the scandals, romance, reforms, and travels of Peter, notwithstanding the author's own literary ability which even shows through in translation. When Vasilii Kliuchevskii retired, the students after his final lecture carried him out of the room.

[Hamizah Salleh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so good I wish it does not end.
RKM wrote history like a novel and it is so enjoyable. I wish novelist can write as good as he was.
Full of details, continuity of context, private conversations and quotes... it is a must read.
Definitely going to read again.
Time to pick up another RKM reading list!

[Literati · Rating 3 out of 5]

the discussion of Slavophilism was probably the only great takeaway from this, not nearly enough about Peter's military nous.