x dismiss this message
Did you know you can edit this page?
-
Sign Into Shelfari
-
Choose something to edit
-
Save your contributions
see page history
Description edit
The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and The Romanovs returns with another masterpiece of narrative biography, the extraordinary story of an obscure young German princess who traveled to Russia at fourteen and rose to become one of the most... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
People edit
- Prince Christian Augustus: Of Anhalt-Zerbst. a professional soldier in the army of King Frederick William of Prussia. He married Princess Johanna Elizabeth of Holstein-Gottorp.
- Princess Johanna Elizabeth: Of Holstein-Gottorp, married Christian Augustus when she was a teenager and became pregnant with their first child 18 months later.
- Duchess of Brunswick: Johanna's godmother, who raised her.
- Peter III: Husband of Catherine, future ruler of Russia after Empress Elizabeth, also the Duke of Holstein.
- Catherine: The main character in the book
- Paul: Catherine's son, named Peter's heir by Elizabeth after his birth.
- Frederick: King of Prussia, Frederick II.
- Sophia: Add a description of this character.
- Nikita Panin: Catherine's first Chancellor after becoming the empress of Russia.
- Madame Choglokova: Woman used by Empress Elizabeth to keep Catherine under control ater marrying Peter.
- Diderot
- Dashkova: Princess Dashkova had a minimal part in helping Catherine come to the throne.
- Gregory Orlov: Lover of Catherine whose family helped her take the throne.
- Poniatowski: Catherine's second lover.
- Bestuzhev: Empress Elizabeth's Chancellor who controlled and took care of most of the government work for Elizabeth.
- Stanislaus
- Ivan Vi: Son of Elisabeth's older sister and true heir to the throne of Russia. Elizabeth has him put in prison as an infant.
- Grimm
- Anne
- Maria Theresa: Queen of Austria
- Sergei Saltykov: Catherine's first lover.
- Alexander Shuvalov
- Madame Krause
- Suvorov
- Alexis Razumovsky: Elizabeth's last lover who many suspect she married.
- Charles
- Jones
- Elizabeth Vorontsova: Mistress of Peter, whom he intended to replace Catherine before she overthrew him.
- Joseph
- Ivan Shuvalov
- Mamonov
- Madame Vladislavova
- Alexis Orlov: Brother of Gregory, Catherine's lover, who assisted her in taking the throne.
- Potemkin
- Anna Leopoldovna
- Natalia
- Mirovich
- Bibikov
- Vasilchikov
Setting & Locations edit
- East Prussia
- St. Petersburg
- Poland
- France
- Moscow
- Pugachev
- Austria
- Europe
- Paris
- England
- Berlin
- Turkey
- Sweden
- Holstein
- Tsarskoe Selo
- Germany
- Black Sea
- Oranienbaum
- Crimea
- London
- Montesquieu
- Neva River
- Riga
- Vienna
- Denmark
- Gatchina
- Warsaw
- Versailles
- Silesia
- Winter Palace
- America
- Orenburg
- Stettin
- Ropsha
- Kiev
- Constantinople
- Kremlin
- Zerbst
- Gulf Of Finland
- Hamburg
- Praskovia
- Saxony
- Kazan
- Great Britain
- Oramenbaum
- Khitrovo
- Zavadovsky
First Sentence edit
Prince Christian Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst was hardly distinguishable in the swarm of obscure, penurious noblemen who cluttered the landscape and society of politically fragmented eighteenth-century Germany.
Glossary edit
Series & Lists edit
This book is in Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2011. (authoritative list)
This is book 7 of 16 in New York Times Bestsellers - Hardcover Nonfiction (Current). (authoritative list)
Preceded by Thinking, Fast and Slow, and followed by Through My Eyes.
This book is in Amazon.com Best Books of 2011. (authoritative list)
This is book 2 of 10 in Amazon.com Best Books of November (2011). (authoritative list)
Preceded by Steve Jobs, and followed by A History of the World in 100 Objects.
Authors & Contributors edit
- Robert K. Massie (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Random House
Country: Add the country of publication.
Publication Date: November 8, 2011
ISBN: 0679456724
Page Count: 656
Publisher: Random House
Country: Add the country of publication.
Publication Date: November 8, 2011
ISBN: 0679456724
Page Count: 656
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 920
Subjects edit
Popular Tags
See all 50 tags
More Books Like This edit
Books with Additional Background Information edit
Amazon Customers Who Bought This Book Also Bought
We’re hiding the errata, movie connections, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.
