The Emperors and Empresses of Russia

Eleven biographical sketches written by Russian historians are notable as first efforts of the post-1985 period to reassess Imperial Russia's rulers. The work focuses on the human qualities of the emperors and empresses, and emphasizes nonideological scholarly investigation thus rehabilitating Russia's tsars as complex leaders instead of wooden, one dimensional "capitalists." The historical figures portrayed include: Peter I, Anna Ivanovna, Elizabeth I, Peter III, Catherine II, Paul I, Alexander I, Nicholas I, Alexander II, Alexander III, and Nicholas II. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR