{"product_id":"alexander-i-9780875804668","title":"Alexander I","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlexander I was a ruler with high aspirations for the people of Russia. Cosseted as a young grand duke by Catherine the Great, he ascended to the throne in 1801 after the brutal assassination of his father. In this magisterial biography, Marie-Pierre Rey illuminates the complex forces that shaped Alexander''s tumultuous reign and sheds brilliant new light on the handsome ruler known to his people as the Sphinx.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite an early and ambitious commitment to sweeping political reforms, Alexander saw his liberal aspirations overwhelmed by civil unrest in his own country and by costly confrontations with Napoleon, which culminated in the French invasion of Russia and the burning of Moscow in 1812. Eventually, Alexander turned back Napoleon''s forces and entered Paris a victor two years later, but by then he had already grown weary of military glory. As the years passed, the tsar who defeated Napoleon would become increasingly preoccupied with his own spiritual salvation, an obsessi\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis magisterial study of Alexander I rests on meticulous archival research and scholarly reading in multiple languages. This work will be a definitive study of Alexander I and the political history of his era.\u003c\/p\u003e * Slavic Review *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a well-researched, comprehensive and balanced biography of Alexander I.\u003c\/p\u003e * Canadian-American Slavic Studies *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarie-Pierre Rey has written a new biography of Tsar Alexander I that should become the standard work in any language.\u003c\/p\u003e * The Journal of Modern History *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book does not dispel the mystery—an impossible task—but it is the most detailed biography available in English, and Rey makes extensive use of direct quotation to provide a revealing portrayal of an assertive, convinced reformer on the throne. Highly recommended.\u003c\/p\u003e * Choice *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eRey has written a detailed yet highly readable biography of a man whose character remains elusive and controversial. This is a well-done biography that is appropriate for general readers interested in European history.\u003c\/p\u003e * Booklist *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlexander's great strength was the same as his fatal flaw: unbound by filial piety or consistent ideological conviction, he considered himself to be elect, the beneficiary of inspiration denied to other men. It is a truism that hubris of this kind leads reliably to disaster. What makes Rey's book so poignant and vital is the way she shows what else it can produce.\u003c\/p\u003e * London Review of Books *","brand":"Cornell University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49406421533015,"sku":"9780875804668","price":31.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780875804668.jpg?v=1730495741","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/alexander-i-9780875804668","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}