Peter the Great
A seasoned biographer, Wilson presents the remarkable personality who oriented Russia toward the West, with lasting historical—and not completely resolved—consequences. Simultaneously developing Peter I’s character and providing a narrative of his life, Wilson depicts traits such as restless curiosity and a markedly despotic streak within events such as his European tour of 1697–98 and his suppression of any perceived disloyalty. Suggesting Peter’s political ruthlessness originated in the contested circumstances of his ascension to the throne, Wilson reminds readers that the achievements that underlie his appellation of “the Great”—territorial expansion, creation of St. Petersburg, and a spate of government and social reform modeled on Western practice—flowed from the autocratic power Peter wielded. However impressed subsequent generations have been, the human price of Peter’s ventures was huge, especially in his war with Charles XII of Sweden. Yet the Great Northern War’s victorious outcome inducted Russia into Europe’s international politics, one of many examples of Peter the Great’s long-lasting legacy. Wilson’s portrait is a fine introduction to the man and his reign. --Gilbert Taylor