Super Short Summary

Peter the Great: His Life and World by Robert K. Massie details the life of Peter the Great, the Russian Tsar who modernized Russia in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It chronicles key historical events, including his rise to power, travels through Europe, involvement in the Great Northern War, and the founding of St. Petersburg, highlighting his ambitions and monumental impacts on Russian history as he relentlessly pursued westernization. The book depicts intense violence and cruelty, including scenes of torture and manipulation.