Description
Book SynopsisAlexander 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...
Trade ReviewThis 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.
* Slavic Review *
This is a well-researched, comprehensive and balanced biography of Alexander I.
* Canadian-American Slavic Studies *
Marie-Pierre Rey has written a new biography of Tsar Alexander I that should become the standard work in any language.
* The Journal of Modern History *
This 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.
* Choice *
Rey 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.
* Booklist *
Alexander'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.
* London Review of Books *
