Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
by Robert K. Massie
Random House (e-book)

For eight years Catherine the Great was a constant presence in Robert Massie's life as he researched and wrote about Russia's longest-ruling female leader. His Portrait of a Woman underscores that dedication to understanding Catherine II, who was born in Prussia in 1729 and who ascended the throne in 1762 - reigning until her death in 1796 - following a coup and the assassination of her husband, Peter III. A German, like Catherine, Peter, her second cousin, is portrayed as somewhat odd: he loved to play with toy soldiers in their marital bed, which is why their marriage was probably never consummated. Massie's biography does not shy from the emotions of a woman humiliated by her husband. It is little wonder she took lovers and said of him: 'When he left me, the most boring book seemed delightful.' She was as well-liked by the people as her husband was unpopular. As Massie writes: 'Peter had provoked and insulted the Orthodox Church, infuriated and alienated the army, and betrayed his allies.' Massie's biography is a historical treat.