This was a very interesting look at the life of the forerunner of Catherine the Great. Empress Elizabeth was the daughter of Peter the Great. Her mother, Catherine I, also ruled Russia in her own right. However, Elizabeth came to the throne vastly unprepared for the task set before her. She was sorely lacking in book knowledge, yet she didn't hesitate to provide opportunities for her subjects to advance their education.

The book makes the case that had their been no Elizabeth, there could have been no Catherine the Great. Catherine modeled a lot of her reign and some of her behavior on her predecessor. The book delves into the impact Elizabeth made on the arts. This can become a little dry. I wish that an author will be able to write a more up to date biography of this seemingly little known Empress of Russia. ( )

2684 Elizabeth Empress of Russia, by Tamara Talbot Rice (read 18 Dec 1994) This is a 1970 book. Elizabeth was the daughter of Peter the Great and was born Dec. 18, 1709 (Russian calendar) and was not the daughter of Peter's wife--not till 1711 did Peter marry Elizabeth's mother. Elizabeth on Nov. 24-25, 1741, seized the throne from Ivan, a child of one or two years. Elizabeth died Dec 25, 1761, and of course her death saved Frederick the Great from losing the Seven Years War. Elizabeth was rather ignorant, addicted to luxury, erratic--but this book looks rather favorably upon her. Not a bad book, but less exciting than the biographies of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great which I have read. ( )