The Romance of an Empress: Catherine II of Russia

The first volume of the classic history by Russia's greatest 19th century historian. It follows the Eastern Slavs, the Viking princes and the rise and fall of Kievan Rus, the foundation of everything that came after.

V. O. Kluchevsky

A full biography of the first tsar of Russia, from his troubled childhood to the terror of the Oprichnina and the conquest of Kazan. A vivid portrait of Muscovy in the 16th century.

Kazimierz Waliszewski

The story of the Romanov dynasty's first century, from the election of Michael in 1613 to the reign of Peter the Great. It shows how Muscovy turned into the modern Russian state.

R. Nisbet Bain

A classic biography of the tsar who built St. Petersburg and dragged Russia toward Europe. It covers his travels, his wars with Sweden, his reforms and his private life.

Kazimierz Waliszewski

Collected essays on how the Russian tsars presented their power, from Muscovite ceremonies and coronations to the image of the last Romanovs. A leading historian of the monarchy shows how ritual and symbol held the empire together.

Richard Wortman