Ivan the Terrible

by Kazimierz Waliszewski, Lady Mary Loyd (Translator)

Ivan was a man of huge contradictions—a man of God who personally tortured his victims and beat his own son to death; a despot who often behaved like a coward; a man who believed himself chosen to save the souls of his people, but who brutally put thousands to death in carefully orchestrated purges. Yet in Russia, many still see him as a national hero, the Tsar who expanded the Russian empire, who fostered mercantile relations with Western Europe, and who strengthened the Orthodox Church’s position in Russia as never before. This fascinating account winds through these contradictory views and paints a remarkable portrait of one of history’s most fascinating characters.

Genres: Nonfiction, Russia, Biography, History

383 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1904

About the author

Kazimierz Klemens Waliszewski (1849–1935) was a Polish author of history, who studied in Warsaw and Paris, and wrote primarily about Russian history.

Born in Poland, but a long resident in France, Waliszewski wrote a detailed, scholarly works covering nearly three centuries of Russian history: from Ivan the Terrible to the end of the nineteenth century. He began research in 1870, and devoted over thirty years of work in libraries and archives in Paris, London, Berlin, Vienna, and Saint Petersburg. Several of his works written in French were translated into other languages. Waliszewski, also researched Polish history, and his book, Poland, the Unknown, offers a defence of the country's history against hostile Russian and German interpretations.

As a man of letters, Waliszewski expressed his intention to introduce Joseph Conrad to the Polish public in 1903, after the two had exchanged a number of letters.

Reviews

[Javid Jafarov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Книга об истории с хорошим нарративом.

[Brian Bigelow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book extensively and exhaustively explores the world of Ivan. It really leaves nothing out. For those who wish to have an in depth knowledge I recommend reading this book.

[Dingo87 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interessante biografia di un personaggio che ha segnato un punto di svolta nella storia Russa.