This book describes the life of Catherine the Great, a prominent female figure in Russian history. Catherine was originally named Sophie and was born in Russia in 1927. Catherine married Peter III of Russia, a terrible and abusive man that she ultimately overthrew. Rather than abusing her power, Catherine made many reforms that benefitted the Russian people, like constructing hospitals and schools and establishing a modernized legal system through the Nazak. Aside from internal advancements, she also expanded Russias’ cultural influence through conquering other peoples and supporting trade. Catherine’s time of ruling was known as the Catherinian Era and was considered the Golden Age of Russia.
I would recommend this book because it is always great to see a women of earlier times going against societal standards and truly inspiring change. She was an amazing and influential women that everyone should know about. I liked this book because it was not difficult to comprehend and presented the information in a simple manner, making it an enjoyable read. Also, the book was extremely informative about all of the major events and milestones in her life that shaped her beliefs. This was relevant to understand her as a person and interpret the reasoning and motives behind her reforms. Anyone who is interested in history will definitely enjoy this book and gain a significant amount of knowledge regarding Russia’s past and Catherine.
By Anonymous