Peter the Great (1996) by William Marshall is a very direct and objective book about the life and legacy of one of the greatest Russian monarchs, Peter I Romanov. Besides the central text, the book also contains a small forward and preface, numerous documents and maps, and a glossary, which are all very effective in further explaining the issues. Marshall uses Peter's reign to examine the causes of the recent demise of the U.S.S.R. and the continuing threats to the unity of the present Russian Federation itself. He also believes that many of the political problems and cultural confrontatio…
