Robert K. Massie - Catherine The Great (Head Of Zeus, 2011) ****

Last year I watched the television series "The Great", of which the latest Season 3 has just finished, with Elle Fanning as Catherine The Great, and Nicholas Hoult as her husband Peter. The series is possibly one of the most politically incorrect series ever to appear on television, but among the funniest you are likely to watch. It is presented as "an occasionally true story". Reason enough to check out the real life to find out what's actually true in the series. 

The book "Catherine The Great, Portrait Of A Woman" gives a substantial insight in the life of one of Russia's greatest leaders, a woman who against all odds had the character and the courage to go against the system and introduce some of the basic concepts of the Enlightenment into the Russia of the 18th Century. 

As a 16-year old German princess, she was married to the Peter, the heir to the Russian throne, and selected by Empress Elisabeth and her entourage in order to create a better alliance between Prussia and Russia, with the implicit understanding that she would generate off-spring for the imperial family. 

Her husband Peter was in reality also the somewhat immature and childish character that the series depicts. Their marriage was never consummated because Peter was not sexually interested in Catherine. Both had lovers. Catherine indeed staged a coup against her husband. Intellectually - she was an avid reader - superior to him and most other courtiers, she built alliances with other leaders against Peter. In 1762 she became Empress of Russia, setting up a lot of reforms in education, public health, serfdom, culture and arts. 

She wrote her own epithaph

HERE LIES CATHERINE THE SECOND

Born in Stettin on April 21, 1729.

In the year 1744, she went to Russia to marry Peter III

At the age of fourteen, she made the threefold resolution to please her husband, Elizabeth, and the nation. She neglected nothing in trying to achieve this. Eighteen years of boredom and loneliness gave her the opportunity to read many books. 

When she came to the throne of Russia she wished to do what was good for her country and tried to bring happiness, liberty, and prosperity to her subjects.

She forgave easily and hated no one. She was good­-natured, easy-going, tolerant, understanding, and of a happy disposition. She had a republican spirit and a kind heart. 

She was sociable by nature.

She made many friends.

She took pleasure in her work.

She lved the arts.

The biography itself is phenomenal, as is the Empress herself. One of the major surprises of reading her real life events, is that many of the stories and plots in the television series are not too far from the truth. 

I can recommend both to the readers of this blog.