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Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great

Simon Dixon

Nov 2001, Paperback, 208 pages
ISBN13: 9780582098039
ISBN10: 0582098033
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£28.99
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Neither a comprehensive 'life and times' nor a conventional biography, this is an engaging and accessible exploration of rulership and monarchial authority in eighteenth century Russia. Its purpose is to see how Catherine II of Russia conceived of her power and how it was represented to her subjects. Simon Dixon asks essential questions about Catherin'es life and reign, and offers new and stimulating arguments about the Englightenment, the power of the monarch in early modern Europe, and the much-debated role of the "great individual" in history.

  • Author is major contributor to Channel 5 documentary on Catherine the Great, showing in November.
  • Sparkling new account of this famous Russian Empress - first in many years.
  • Popular interest fed by her notorious private life.
  • Fresh insights into how she applied "Enlightened Absolutism" in Russia.
  • Focus on the cultural and intellectual aspects of power.

Simon Disxon is Professor Modern History at the University of Leeds in 1999. He is the author of The Moderisation of Russia, 1876-1825 (1999).

Expert Reviews

'a concise and closely argued study of a crucial period in the making of Russia'BBC History 'a splendid book, thoughtful, graceful, and insightful' Russian Review 'a stimulating and lively study...contributes not only to our understanding of Catherine's Russia but puts the Russian experience firmly within the broader context of ancient regime' History

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