Against the monumental canvas of seventeenth - and eighteenth-century Europe and Russia unfolds the magnificent story of Peter the Great, crowned co-tsar at the age of ten. Robert K.Massie delves deep into die life of this captivating historical figure, chronicling the pivotal events that shaped a boy into a legend, including his "incognito" navels in Europe… his unquenchable curiosity about Western ways… his obsession with the sea and establishment of the stupendous Russian navy… his creation of an unbeatable army... the construction of St. Petersburg on swampland... his transformation of Russia... and his relationships with those he loved most: Catherine, the robust yet gentle peasant, his loving mistress, wife, and successor: and Menshikov. the charming, bold, unscrupulous prince who rose to wealth and power through Peter's friendship. Impetuous and stubborn, generous and cruel, lender and unforgiving, a man of enormous energy and complexity. Peter the Great is brought fully to...