Few have had a more profound impact on the world than Catherine the Great, empress of Russia. Powerful. Brilliant. Cunning. As the catalyst of the Russian enlightenment, Catherine thrust her adopted country onto the world stage with mettle and wit. This is her story as drawn from her own writings and diaries, scribed from the perspective of a German immigrant to a newly adopted country.

Catherine the Great has fascinated historians, strategists, and world leaders for centuries. Her story is an elaborate tapestry, woven of political and moral judgement, drawing on Socrates—or more precisely Voltaire or Diderot.

Catherine established her authority by intentionally creating a cult of personality, a tactic that she artfully employed throughout her life. From waging war on the Ottoman Empire, partitioning Poland, to annexing the Crimea, Catherine understood the importance of stagecraft, psychological warfare, and controlling the narrative in all her pursuits, large and small.

Context, perspective, and logic are integral to this telling of Catherine’s story. Learning her history helps us to know the past, understand the present, and imagine a better future. Catherine reminds us of the bright and persistent thread of humanity woven through the history of our world.