John T. Alexander

Few women have been able to rule vast empires in their own right. Catherine the Great was one of these. Incidentally, I use the word “able” not in terms of ability, but the simple fact of access. Catherine achieved her status by removing her husband, Tsar Peter III, in a coup after which she initially justified her position in the name of her underage son.

Catherine ruled from 1762-1796. She corresponded with philosophes, expanded Russian boundaries and influence, and introduced a number of reforms, which didn’t last much longer than her reign. In her free time, Catherine had a succession of lovers. She has fascinated historians and popular culture.

John Alexander published his study of Catherine’s impact on Russia in 1989. It’s an academic, scholarly work. Alexander’s research is prodigious. His need to share everything understandable. The book is well worth reading. But I suggest reading it in small doses. It’s the kind of book to pick up and digest before putting it down again. I started it in January and have now finished in August.

Alexander chronicled an important period in Russian and European history, but he didn’t write a social, intellectual or personal history. Readers won’t learn much about individuals or social movements. But they will learn what happened when, and that’s not a bad result.… (meer)