Peter the Great

by Ian Grey

"Ian Grey's Peter the Great reads like a novel . . ."
- Louis Fischer

The first modern Russian was Peter the Great. In this enthralling biography of that remarkable ruler, award-winning historian Ian Grey paints an illuminating portrait - clear, objective, and without malice or sentimentality. Here we have, life-size, not only the great czar, but the man who fell in love with a peasant girl and made her his empress; the father who was betrayed by his son; the giant who carried all his life the scars of a childhood terror; the soldier, sailor, laborer, innovator, and architect of a nation.

Genres: History, Biography, Russia, Nonfiction, Historical, Ebooks

380 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Ian Grey (5 May 1918 – 5 June 1996) was a New Zealand-born historian of Russian history.

He began his career as a lawyer, a member of the New South Wales Bar. In 1941 he joined the Australian navy and was posted at Naval Intelligence of the Admiralty in London, then serving in the Soviet Union as an officer. He served for two and a half years in the Russian north, acting as a liaison for British Destroyers of the Soviet Navy in the Arctic. He also served as Deputy Secretary-General and the editor of publications of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Headquarters Secretariat from 1966 until his retirement. In 1971 he established the Parliamentary Information and Reference Centre.

Reviews

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mainly liked this book because of the subject, who was an incredible ruler, who managed to move Russia from the dark ages. Before him, no Russian ruler had even visited Europe, and the Russians had a very negative attitude about Europeans, largely due to the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, which held all other Christian churches to be false. The Europeans on the other had viewed Russians as crude and backward - and they were! They drank vodka from morning till night, the women were barricaded and denied much freedom, much of the populace was extremely poor, and the men frequently got in fights and destroyed the buildings they were staying in. This even happened when they visited Europe, so Peter had his work cut out for him. Luckily he was a man of almost superhuman strength and energy, as well as extremely intelligent and curious. He learned every craft and skill he could, especially ship building, which became his passion.

There was a lot in the book describing the many wars and battles Peter engaged in due to his desire, which he fulfilled, of establishing ports so Russia wouldn't be a landlocked country. There is also a lot of brutal punishments given to those who opposed him at different times. It was only because of the superstitious regard the people had for the tsar, and his willingness and ability to wield power that Peter was able to accomplish so much.

I recommend this book to anyone who'd like to understand Russia and Russians more. It's kind of dry at times, but still fascinating.

[Mj Enriquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter the Great, Emperor of all Russia by Ian Grey talks about the life and reign of Tsar Peter the Great I. It talks about how Peter changed all of Russia, from an old fashioned and isolated, to a country who could compete with all of Europe. He built schools, modernized technology, advanced all of Russia, he left a legacy that would change the world. He is now renowned as one of the most creative, dynamic, and versatile ruler in history.

Overall the book is very informative and it is not very hard to follow. It gives a clear picture of how Peter is remembered in all of Russia. While some parts of the book focuses on politics and wars, it still gives the reader information on how he changed Russia. I would recommend this book to people who wants to learn Russian history, though it may come as boring to some it is still very informative.

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of Peter the Great was pivotal in creating the Russian Empire from the smaller state of Muscovy and its existing lands to the East. This was a period of European history about which I knew little, and his twenty year battle with Sweden was previously unknown to me.

[Alan Lampe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ian Grey gives a wonderful review of Peter the Great’s life. Wish he would have included maps so that we could see how far Peter traveled in any given season. Also, Ian uses a few Russian words that are not defined very well in context. Still, a lot to learn from this book.

[Julie K Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book certainly isn't for everyone. It is long and involved. I happen to love history and also had the chance to visit St Petersburg recently, therefore, I found it fascinating. I would not have minded however, if the author had not included every single battle and general. At times I had to skim over some of those. He was an indefatigable individual who was responsible for changing Russia in countless ways during his reign. He brought Russia from the Dark Ages, educated his people, formed a navy, reformed the church, abolished arranged marriages, built the city of St. Petersburg from swamp land and so much more.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is advertised as reading like a novel. Surprisingly, it does. The writing is story-like and extremely interesting, as well as professional and very in-depth. The amazing life story of Peter the Great, both his private and political life, is a good read for any biography lover.