The Memoirs of Catherine the Great
Non-Fiction
Catherine II of Russia, who reigned from 1762 to 1796, cultivated an image as an enlightened monarch, an image to which three different memoirs contributed. This new translation from the original French spans a portion of the memoirs from 1744, when she, a German princess, arrived in Russia to marry Grand Duke Paul, heir to the throne, through 1759. But as the translators note, Catherine wrote of this period near the end of her life, which lends her recollections an air of considerable self--justification: after all, her claim to rule was dubious, having come to power in a palace coup in which her husband was assassinated. Although historians will read this work wary of Catherine's biases, general readers can still enjoy the vividness of Russian court life that she supplies. Its appearance, its rituals, its gossip, its hazardous intrigues

Meeka says:
Useful reading for anyone who likes to read historical novels and wants something to refer to.

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