A masterly study of one of the most colorful monarchs in all of history. "Magisterial and authoritative.a panoramic view of Russia's social, political, economic and culture development."--"The New York Times Book Review." "Reads with the excitement of good fiction.a sparkling story."--"Chicago Sun-Times." "Highly recommended."--"Choice." "Engrossing narrative is rich with human interest and transports the reader back into 18th-century Russia."--"Publishers Weekly." "A well-balanced scholarly treatment.meticulous research."--"Library Journal."