Robert K. Massie Libri

Against the monumental canvas of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe and Russia, unfolds the magnificent story of Peter the Great, crowned at the age of 10. A barbarous, volatile feudal tsar with a taste for torture; a progressive and enlightened reformer of government and science; a statesman of vision and colossal significance: Peter the Great embodied the greatest strengths and weaknesses of Russia while being at the very forefront of her development. Robert K. Massie delves deep into the life of this captivating historical figure, chronicling the pivotal events that shaped a boy into a legend - including his 'incognito' travels in Europe, his unquenchable curiosity about Western ways, his obsession with the sea and establishment of the stupendous Russian navy, his creation of an unbeatable army, and his relationships with those he loved most: Catherine, his loving mistress, wife, and successor; and Menshikov, the charming, unscrupulous prince who rose to power through Peter's friendship. Impetuous and stubborn, generous and cruel, a man of enormous energy and complexity, Peter the Great is brought fully to life.

The thundering battles on the high seas during World War I are explored by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Dreadnaught." Photo insert.

A gripping chronicle of the personal and national rivalries that led to the twentieth century’s first great arms race, this work by Pulitzer Prize winner Robert K. Massie showcases his rare talent for capturing extraordinary lives. He vividly portrays a cast of influential figures, including the determined Admiral von Tirpitz, the ambitious Winston Churchill, the cunning Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow, Britain’s esteemed foreign secretary Sir Edward Grey, and the innovative Admiral Jacky Fisher, who transformed the British navy with the H.M.S. Dreadnought. Their intertwined stories reflect an era marked by misunderstandings and missed opportunities, unfolding like a Greek tragedy in a powerful narrative. The book is both intimate and dramatic, presenting history in its most riveting form. Praise highlights its grand storytelling, with Time noting it as history shaped by individuals, while the Chicago Sun-Times calls it a classic that superbly encapsulates an entire era through its captivating characters. The Wall Street Journal commends Massie's grand scale and masterful historical portraiture, and the Los Angeles Times praises his evocative detail in nautical themes, making this work a compelling exploration of a pivotal moment in history.

The compelling quest to solve a great mystery of the twentieth century: the ultimate fate of Russia's last tsar and his family. In July 1991, nine skeletons were exhumed from a shallow grave near Ekaterinburg, Siberia, a few miles from the infamous cellar where the last tsar and his family had been murdered seventy-three years before. Were these the bones of the Romanovs? If so, why were the bones of the two younger Romanovs missing? Was Anna Anderson, celebrated in newspapers, books, and film, really Grand Duchess Anastasia? This book unearths the truth. Pulitzer Prize winner Robert K. Massie presents a colourful panorama of contemporary characters, illuminating the major scientific dispute between Russian experts and a team of Americans, whose findings – along with those of DNA scientists from Russia, America, and the UK – all contributed to solving one of history's most intriguing mysteries.

A “magnificent and intimate” (Harper’s) modern classic of Russian history, the spellbinding story of the love that ended an empire—from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, The Romanovs, and Catherine the Great “A moving, rich book . . . [This] revealing, densely documented account of the last Romanovs focuses not on the great events . . . but on the royal family and their evil nemesis. . . . The tale is so bizarre, no melodrama is equal to it.”—Newsweek In this commanding book, New York Times bestselling author Robert K. Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of the Russian empire to tell the story of the Romanovs’ lives: Nicholas’s political naïveté, Alexandra’s obsession with the corrupt mystic Rasputin, and little Alexis’s brave struggle with hemophilia. Against a lavish backdrop of luxury and intrigue, Massie unfolds a powerful drama of passion and history—the story of a doomed empire and the death-marked royals who watched it crumble.

Pulitzer Prize winner Massie tells the story of a princess who, at 14, traveled to Russia and became one of history's most powerful women. Born into minor German nobility, she transformed into an empress through sheer determination. With a brilliant, curious mind, she immersed herself in Enlightenment philosophy and sought to apply these principles to govern the vast, backward empire. She corresponded with notable figures like Voltaire, Diderot, and Frederick the Great, aspiring to be the “benevolent despot” Montesquieu envisioned while grappling with the harsh realities of Russian life, including serfdom. For 34 years, she managed the government, foreign policy, and cultural development, facing domestic rebellion, wars, and the political upheaval inspired by the French Revolution. Her reputation varied widely; Voltaire praised her as akin to classical philosophers, while enemies labeled her “the Messalina of the north.” The narrative vividly portrays her family dynamics, including her scheming mother, her weak husband Peter, her troubled son Paul, and her cherished grandchildren. It also explores her relationships with young lovers and her most significant partner, Gregory Potemkin, with whom she shared a profound bond and mutual achievements. Massie’s work is marked by historical accuracy, deep understanding, and a talent for revealing the human drama behind the figures.

"A book to astonish readers: never before has Stalin's Gulag been the setting for a love affair. This powerful narrative by a distinguished historian will take its place not just in history but in literature." -- Robert K. Massie, author of Catherine the Great Author of Natasha's Dance and The Crimean War In 1946, after five years as a prisoner--first as a Soviet Union POW in Nazi concentration camps, then as a deportee (falsely accused of treason) in Russia's Arctic Gulag--twenty-nine-year-old Lev Mishchenko unexpectedly received a letter from Sveta, the sweetheart he had hardly dared hope was still alive. Amazingly, over the next eight years the lovers managed to exchange more than 1,500 messages, and even to smuggle Sveta herself into the camp for secret meetings. Their recently discovered correspondence is the only known real-time record of life in Stalin's Gulag, unmediated and uncensored. Orlando Figes draws on Lev and Sveta's letters as well as KGB archives and recent interviews to brilliantly reconstruct the broader world in which their story unfolded. With the powerful narrative drive of a novel, Just Send Me Word reveals a passion and endurance that triumphed over the tragic forces of history.

Massie jest mistrzem historycznej opowieści, imponuje niesamowitym literackim rzemiosłem… Max Boot, The New York Times Book Review Przedstawił każdą postać z artystyczną wizją pisarza… napisana z pasją opowieść o ludziach z epoki pierwszej wojny światowej… The Waszyngton Post Book World Wspaniałe, niewyobrażalne osiągnięcie …Książka napisana lekkim, świetnie się czytającym stylem oparta na benedyktyńskiej pracy historyka... Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Żywy opis postaci i wydarzeń… mistrz gawędziarstwa… w tym rodzaju historycznego pisarstwa wątpię, by Massie miał sobie równego Paul Kennedy, Los Angeles Time Book Reviev Półmisek wypełniony smakowitymi opisami postaci. Wielka, wspaniała lektura… New York Post Robert K. Massie Urodzony w 1929 roku w Lexington. Studiował na Uniwersytecie w Yale i Oxfordzie, dziennikarz, zdobywca Nagrody Pulitzera, jeden z najpoczytniejszych współczesnych pisarzy historycznych na świecie. „Stalowe Fortece” są kontynuacją świetnego „Dreadnoughta” wydanego przed kilku laty w Polsce.