Catherine The Great was born into a minor German royal family and had an extraordinary route to power. She marriedÌýthe heir to the Russian throne only to overthrow him in a coup that branded her both a usurper and an assassin. During her 34-year reign she transformed Russia into a modern state and great European power, developing her Enlightenment ideals through her correspondence with the greatest philosophers of the day. She also defied the conventions of female rule by openly consorting with 12 successive lovers, each younger than the last. Her private life became the subject of vicious satire, but she is still celebrated for her remarkable political and civic achievements. Jenni talks to the historian Simon Dixon, author of a new biography of Catherine The Great.
Catherine The Great, by Simon Dixon, is published by Profile Books, ISBN: 978 1 86197 722 9
