Fire and Water: A Life of Peter the Great

by Alex de Jonge

Reviews the life and reign of the ruler considered to be the world's most excessive and enigmatic czar, a man whose intense passion for learning and discovery finally brought Russia out of the Middle Ages

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction

279 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1930

Reviews

[Jordy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een pareltje van een biografie! De Jonge schrijft met veel gevoel voor multiperspectiviteit over de man die de geschiedenisboeken in ging als Peter de Grote.

Uniek aan deze biografie, is dat de auteur het karakter van een historisch persoon schetst aan de hand van details. Met vele waarnemers uit de tijd van Peter, maak je als lezer kennis met een energieke visionair die meedogenloos zijn land naar vernieuwingen duwde. Hierbij benoemt de biograaf ook uitvoerig minder vlijende karaktertrekken, zoals een wreed gevoel voor humor en het ontbreken van enig analytisch vermogen.

Uiteindelijk is dit boek ook zeer geschikt om de Russische mentaliteit enigszins beter te begrijpen. Ook in het heden. De Jonge trekt parallellen met de latere tijden onder Stalin en onderstreept daarmee dat Peter de Grote ook aansloot bij oude Moskovische tradities, ondanks zijn verlangen om te shockeren en te hervormen.

Absoluut een aanrader. Dit is naar mijn idee een goed voorbeeld van hoe een biografie recht doet aan de geschiedenis. Het verhaal kent een inleiding, een duidelijke kern en een sussend einde waarbij de eindjes aan elkaar geknoopt worden.

[Dan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book I am convinced that Peter did earn his title, "the Great." Russia turned towards a more progressive Europe and established a standing army and navy and used them to defeat European powers, along with adopting many other Western practices. So if you're trying to escape an extremely conservative culture and become more progressive, Peter is your man. Turns out a Russian czar wields power that is checked only by how fast one can physically drive the people forward.

But be prepared then to take the good with the bad. For example, when you're trying to build a navy from nothing, and have no real idea how to do it, it helps to have the right attitude: no, not "yes we can" but the far more practical "who knows, this may work!" So give Peter high marks for being willing to pay to learn. Yes, Russia DID develop a navy - but mostly it was just a learning experience with no real chance of challenging European powers on the high seas. Call it laying a foundation for the future. Of course, this method is highly inefficient. But again, when the czar orders it, what does the cost in lives and money matter? Russia certainly had plenty of manpower to throw at such a venture.

Also be prepared for lots of physical violence. Seems torture was the distinguishing characteristic of the Russian justice system. Peter himself stated he didn't believe anyone unless they had been tortured three(!) times. And with all power concentrated in the hands of one man, be prepared for A LOT of torture to keep him in power. For example, Peter also established a feature of Russian government which has played a major role ever since then - the secret police, forerunners of the infamous KGB. Still, Peter relied on denunciation - the legal requirement to report anyone who was "plotting" against him. So if you heard your neighbor say something derogatory against Peter, you were required to report it or be punished yourself. Well, you were going to be punished either way. You see, the system had one major check: if you made an allegation of disloyalty you would be tortured FIRST to see if you would stick to your story or not! Seems fair in its own way!!!

In the end though, the torture just got out of hand. Peter even tortured HIS OWN SON to death. Peter was more or less a self-made man so did very little to prepare his son to follow him. Naturally the prince became a focal point for those who wanted to go back to the old ways. Peter knew this, so apparently to protect the progress of his reign he killed his own son.

In the end, Peter was a man of his times. A larger-than-life mixture of good and bad who was willing to sacrifice himself, and a lot of other people, for the "good" of Russia, but could not escape the norms of the day. He was blind to the corruption of his closest advisors, only realizing as he lay on his deathbed that he was leaving the empire in the hands of people who pretended to be following him but were mostly concerned with their own fortunes and power, not the greater good of Russia. For example, many historians believe Peter received less-than-stellar healthcare on his deathbed because his Empress and closest advisor had been implicated in a major corruption scandal and so benefited from his death. It must have been a bitter end.

So read the book. It has a lot of lessons for those who believe autocratic power is the best way forward for our society.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1979, 'Fire & Water - A Life of Peter the Great' is a fascinating account of the life and achievements of this famous Russian leader. Taking place during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, this chronicles in bloodthirsty details Peter's ambitious attempts to move Russia forward from a quasi-medieval society into something more modern, mostly at a military level. The background details of personality clashes have all the best ingredients of a good 1970s power-soap, whilst the apparent brutality is rarely put into context by a comparison with such standards in other countries - after all, it was a more brutal age. Mostly enjoyable, with some parts slow going.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew NOTHING about Peter the Great, not even the era in which he lived. De Jong’s book describes him unsparingly - cruel, demanding, illogical, while humble and ambitious for Russia more than for himself. His love of the sea and ships along with his often feckless attempts at building a navy; his promotion of education, Western fashion, industry often in the wrong order; his profligacy with the nation’s resources, including people, and the religious and administrative groundwork he laid that still exists in Russia - all are conveyed in a very readable way. I would like to see a list of books that have influenced Mashable Gessen….

[Georgia Dentel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter the Great is certainly a fascinating person in history. This is the second book I've read about him and they were both from very different perspectives. Fire and Water is very well documented so I tend to believe this image more. Although Peter essentially took Russia out of the dark ages, he had quite a negative side to his personality, politics, and personal family interactions. Fascinating history, though. Especially since I have been to the Baltic Sea and St. Petersburg.

[Kate Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really brief but engaging read about the life of peter the great! one of the most interesting opening chapters - if anyone ever tells me that history is boring i am just going to whip out this chapter and read it aloud to them. old russia was a wild wild place.

я скучаю по россии

[Jenny Moench]

This book helps you to understand Russia and digs deeper into the history that shapes the culture even today. More interesting stuff of history.

[Grada (BoekenTrol) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it, but it is too long ago for a proper review. Will put this one on my growing mount to re-read.

[Johnathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loves it. The author described Peter best when he pointed out that he would lead his people to water and ensure that they drank.