Research Catalog

Title

Selected letters / Catherine the Great ; translated with an introduction and notes by Andrew Kahn and Kelsey Rubin-Detlev.

Author

Catherine II, Empress of Russia, 1729-1796

Publication

• Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2018.
• ©2018

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Kahn, Andrew
• Rubin-Detlev, Kelsey

Description

xl, 434 pages; 20 pages.

Summary

"Catherine the Great's letters present a vivid picture of Russia in a momentous age. They also offer a unique account of her personal development and intimate life, her strategic acumen as a diplomat and military commander, and her political skills at the Russian court and in handling foreign monarchs. Born a German princess, Catherine married into the Russian royal family and came to the throne after a coup. As absolute ruler for 34 years she presided over the expansion of the Russian empire, legislated actively to reform the country in keeping with the principles of the Enlightenment, actively promoted the arts and sciences, and in her correspondence engaged with the most renowned minds in Europe, among them Diderot and Voltaire. Her letters are her literary masterpiece, written to a wide circle of associates and friends, not least her most celebrated lover and ally, Potemkin. Combining her wit, charm, and quick eye for detail, they entertain and tell the gripping story of a self-made woman and legendary ruler. This edition of the letters offers a taste of Catherine's entire writing career, with biographies of Catherine's addressees, a thorough overview of her reign and an analysis of Catherine's literary skill as a letter-writer. Organized chronologically and thematically into six periods, each section also features an introduction to the domestic, personal, and foreign policy contexts out of which her letters emerge"--Provided by publisher.

Series Statement

Oxford world's classics

Uniform Title

• Correspondence. Selections
• Oxford world's classics.

Alternative Title

Correspondence.

Subject

• Catherine II, Empress of Russia, 1729-1796
• Empresses > Russia > Correspondence
• Empresses
• Russia

Genre/Form

Records and correspondence.

Note

• "Catherine's letters are written in French, Russian, and German"--Page xxxi.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (pages xxxiv-xxxvi).

Call Number

JFD 18-3659

ISBN

• 0198736460
• 9780198736462

OCLC

1016051976

Author

Catherine II, Empress of Russia, 1729-1796, author.

Title

Selected letters / Catherine the Great ; translated with an introduction and notes by Andrew Kahn and Kelsey Rubin-Detlev.

Publisher

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2018.

Copyright Date

©2018

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Oxford world's classics

Oxford world's classics.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (pages xxxiv-xxxvi).

Added Author

Kahn, Andrew, translator, editor.

Rubin-Detlev, Kelsey, translator, editor.

Research Call Number

JFD 18-3659