Brief Description
In Peter the Great, Yale historian and Russian scholar Paul Bushkovitch offers a brilliant, but concise, biography of this enigmatic leader.
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Centuries after he ruled Russia from 1689 to 1725, Peter the Great remains one of the most revered and enigmatic leaders in world history. This penetrating study by noted Yale historian Paul Bushkovitch casts new light on Peter and his times, and demonstrates why it is impossible to comprehend the later course of Russian history without first grasping Peter's profound influence. Bushkovitch illustrates how Peter, during his thirty-six years as tsar, transformed his country into a modern nation he strengthened the state, reorganized the army, established a navy, and conquered new territories. In addition to these momentous achievements, Peter changed the face of the Russian character by introducing European culture, scientific innovations, and political thought to Russia. His influence ultimately paved the way for liberalism, Western-style nationalism, and communism. In the end, neither his contemporaries nor generations of future historians can agree on how Peter should be remembered: was he a heroic reformer who brought Russia into the modern age, or a violent despot who valued the ideas of foreigners over Russian heritage?"
Review Quotes
1. "In this brief and easily digestible biography, Bushkovitch captures the essence of Peter's powerful personality--his physical strength, his ceaseless curiosity, and his indomitable will. Unlike several of Peter's earlier biographers, Bushkovitch downplays his subject's image as a lone-wolf modernizer; rather, he asserts that Peter often acted in concert with many of his supposedly reluctant nobles. This well-written survey of the life of an important, dynamic, and often frightening ruler should encourage general readers to delve deeper into the subject."
2. "This is an exciting book that will provide readers with a very different look at early 18th century Russia. Bushkovitch illuminates the complexities of reform and aristocratic politics during the last years of Alexis Mikhailovich as well as during the reigns of Tsar Fyodor and the regency of Sofia Alexeevna. The scholarship is excellent and it contains new material on the role of the great aristocrats during this period. Bushkovitch's direct and clear writing style is appropriate for all audiences from the least to the most sophisticated. He has the ability to convey the most interesting information in a clear and sensible manner."
3. "It is Bushkovitch's incisive analysis of Peter the Great's relations with his aristocracy that sets this volume apart from other books on the subject. By demystifying the achievements of Russia's greatest ruler, Bushkovitch distills the complex personal politics of westernization for the general reader. It should serve as the standard introduction to Peter the Great for years to come."
4. It is Bushkovitch's incisive analysis of Peter the Great's relations with his aristocracy that sets this volume apart from other books on the subject. By demystifying the achievements of Russia's greatest ruler, Bushkovitch distills the complex personal politics of westernization for the general reader. It should serve as the standard introduction to Peter the Great for years to come.--Colum Leckey, Lincoln Memorial University
5. This is an exciting book that will provide readers with a very different look at early 18th-century Russia. Bushkovitch illuminates the complexities of reform and aristocratic politics during the last years of Alexis Mikhailovich as well as during the reigns of Tsar Fyodor and the regency of Sofia Alexeevna. The scholarship is excellent and it contains new material on the role of the great aristocrats during this period. Bushkovitch's direct and clear writing style is appropriate for all audiences from the least to the most sophisticated. He has the ability to convey the most interesting information in a clear and sensible manner.--Alexandra S. Korros, Xavier University
6. Unlike so many books that stress Peter's foreign policy, Bushkovitch's Peter the Great focuses on domestic and cultural reforms and Peter's struggle with conservative aristocratic opposition. Concise and tightly argued, this book sets forth the myriad contexts in which Peter acted Muscovite tradition, seventeenth-century cultural change and late Baroque Europe and analyzes the key reforms. By focusing on power and political reform, Bushkovitch brilliantly demonstrates the logic that drove Peter's incessant drive to europeanize Russia.--Nancy Kollmann, Stanford University"
7. A dramatic, clear, and engaging portrait of Russia's great emperor and his policies... An original and convincing explanation of Peter's reforms of Russian government.....--Jane Burbank, New York University
