Beth google biography of frederick

This consummate conqueror was also an ardent patron of the arts who attracted painters, architects, musicians, playwrights, and intellectuals to his court. Like his fellow autocrat Catherine the Great of Russia, Frederick was captivated by the ideals of the Enlightenment—for many years he kept up lively correspondence with Voltaire and other leading thinkers of the age.

Yet, like Catherine, Frederick drew the line when it came to implementing Enlightenment principles that might curtail his royal authority. It was an audacious foreign policy gambit, one at which Frederick, against the expectations of his rivals, succeeded. Fortunately, Tim Blanning. The last word on this significant king, for years to come.

Blanning brilliantly brings to life one of the most complex characters of modern European history. This biography finds [Blanning] at the height of his powers. It is therefore important to remember that this a biography of the man, Frederick II, not a history of his reign. Decent primer on Frederick and his times, but no really in depth exploration of his policies or personality.

It is lavishly illustartated. David Nichols. Author 3 books 84 followers. An entertaining and edifying biography, skillfully combining political and military history with a wealth of amusing details about monarchical eccentricities. Did you know Frederick II's father collected giants, sometimes by kidnapping them from their homes? Now you do. My copy has gorgeous illustrations that are a plus for the book.

Mitford's style is story-like and enjoyable. Barb in Maryland.

Beth google biography of frederick: The book covers the major

Mitford recounts the life of Frederick II of Prussia, from cradle to grave, in an easy, breezy style which masks the serious research she did on her subject. This short book is a good introduction to Frederick's life. All of the high and low points are covered without "beth google biography of frederick" the reader in too much detail. She excels at bringing the large cast of characters to life, some with brief sketches, others with full portraits.

She is a very sympathetic biographer; she clearly liked and admired Frederick. One minor quibble kept this from being a 4 star read for me. Mitford assumes the beth google biography of frederick possesses a level of knowledge about the various personages of the age. She name drops with abandon, sure that the reader will know enough to fill in the blanks.

Well, she overestimated my knowledge level on numerous occasions. This work has appeared in various formats. I do advise that you track down the lavishly illustrated edition. I read the bare-bones paperback--no portraits, no maps. I spent a lot of time on Wikipedia looking for visuals to go with my print. Li esta biografia de Frederico, o Grande com interesse mas sem aquele entusiasmo arrebatador que as grandes obras nos suscitam.

As a boy and a young man he was not what most would consider alpha male material. He was artsy and effeminate and a bit of a disappointment. He famously attempted to run away from home where, along with the rest of his family, he was practically imprisoned by his troll of a father, Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg and King of Prussia.

What a father! Frederick William had a policy of kidnapping seven-foot-tall men from all over Europe and forcibly enrolling them in his Regiment of Giants. Frederick William also liked beating people with his cane, once nearly killing his son and heir. His chief joy in life seems to have been tormenting his bosom friend Grundling during their nightly drinking bouts, once toppling him out a tower window onto a frozen moat and once setting him on fire for laughs.

Somehow young Frederick survived to adulthood. When his father died and he was made king at age twenty-eight, Frederick went straight to work. The work of an eighteenth-century monarch in central Europe was first and foremost war — which it turns out Frederick had an unexpected gift for. He took advantage of political uncertainties in the Empire to wrest Silesia from Maria Theresa in a shockingly efficient manner.

Then, after a brief lull during which he met old J. Bach and introduced various land and legal reforms, Frederick was swept up with much of the Western world into what became known as The Seven Years War. Still, reading through the long list of engagements and the terrible death counts from all sides, I bristle. Habsburgs, Bourbons, Hanoverians, and Hohenzollerns amounted to something like one big extended family of scheming nobles playing a game of chess over the continent.

How preposterous that a million should die so Frederick can keep Silesia and Maria Theresa be humbled. But they loved him, Old Fritz. We can hardly blame the monarchs then but must conclude there is some black corner in the heart of man where Death is worshipped under the name of Glory. All it would take for such wars to come stillborn into history is a simple refusal to take part by those who would do the fighting, but it never happens that way.

Charles Puskas. This lively biography of a great and complex Prussian king, military genius, musician, and promoter of the artsis by a British novelist and biographer of aristocratic birth, Nancy Mitford, whose novel, The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate gave rare inside glimpses of upper class society in England. Much has been written on the diverse interests, pursuits, and ideologies of Nancy and her sisters e.

I especially enjoyed his interactions with Voltaire, his often surprising victories in battle despite the odds against him, his wisdom in leadership, his reforms after the seven years war. I also read it along with Frederick the Great by David Fraser : Frederick II, King of Prussia, was a legendary ruler, artistic patron, man of letters, lawgiver, and commander -- in David Fraser's words, "one of the most extraordinary men ever to sit on a throne or command an army".

He personally commanded his army in war after war with such supreme skill that he became acclaimed as the greatest soldier of his time. Avis Black. I enjoyed the book, but it's missing something that would give it more weight. Mitford's narrative skips along in a breezy, light-hearted fashion that's fun to read, but Frederick the Great happens to be a subject better examined with more depth and with more understanding of the dark side of his personality, his battles, and his era.

The great event of Frederick's life was the The Seven Years' War, which has been called a virtual 'World War' in its scope, with the participation of nearly all the great states, and it affected many lands most of the way around the globe. The war needs a different sort of author than Mitford, namely someone capable of enough drama, tragedy, and profundity so the reader can grasp the full impact of its devastation.

Para wanderer. A good, fun introduction - had to put it down a couple times because I was laughing too hard. It's slighly drier, less bitchy, more serious, and more sympathetic than Voltaire in Love but still an incredibly fast read that I was able to binge it in two days even in these days when I don't feel like reading much. Somewhat dated, which was to be expected since it was published in ; however, it more than does the job of piquing your interest.

Succinct and pacy tour through Frederick's 18th century. Sympathetic and even-handed, sharp and clear-eyed; an illustrated edition that could probably only be called 'lavish'. I have a bit of a passion for historical biographies and this one did not dissapoint. Nancy Mitford's writng style is fresh and engaging. She definitely brings to life some of the complexity of Frederik the Great and in the end brings you to the conclusion that he was a significant and noble ruler of his time.

I got interested in learning more about him while reading another biography of Napoleon. It is said that Napoleon gathered his generals and took them to Frederik's grave and remarked 'if he was still alive we would not be here'. That captured my imagination straight off. After reading Nancy Mitford's rendition of his life I believe it is not that Frederik was such a superb strategic leader of his troops, but rather one of a better kind: caring of the human soul, disciplined in life and purpose, and most importantly, a man who did not think himself supreme, but rather a man who believed in himself and followed his beliefs.

An unexpected bonus in this story was to learn more of the relationship between Frederik and Voltaire, and I believe Frederik comes out the better man. My only regret was to read how the British ambassodor maligned the reputation and integrity of Frederik. Being of British heritage myself I can understand how that came to be. Hitler — Nemesis.

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Beth google biography of frederick: Abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass was

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Beth google biography of frederick: The story of Frederick Douglass

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