Examines all aspects of Catherine the Great's life and career, focusing on her role as mother, lover, and ruler during her reign as Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796.

The first authoritative, popular biography of one of the most colorful characters in modern history, Catherin the Great provides a vivid portrait of Catherin as a mother, a lover, and, above all, an extremely savvy ruler. Concentrating on her long reign (1762-96), John T. Alexander examines all aspects of Catherine's life and career: the brilliant political strategies by which she earned the acceptance of a nationalistic elite; her expansive foreign policy; the domestic reforms she used to revamp the Russian military, political structure, and economy; and, of course, her infamous love life. The result of twenty years' research by one of America's leading narrative historians of modern Russia, this truly impressive work offers a much-needed, balanced reappraisal of one of history's most scandal-ridden figures.