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Secondary sourceBook1914

The Life of Catherine the Great of Russia

E. A. Brayley Hodgetts · 1914

A 1914 English-language biography of Catherine the Great by E. A. Brayley Hodgetts.

This English biography studies Catherine's life and reign, aiming to give a balanced popular account of her character.

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The Life of Catherine the Great of RussiaPDF · 388 pages
E. A. Brayley Hodgetts, The Life of Catherine the Great of Russia. New York: Brentano's, 1914. Digitized scan, Internet Archive.

About this source

What it is

This biography of Catherine the Great was written by E. A. Brayley Hodgetts and published in 1914 in New York, with sixteen illustrations. The scanned book is available as a digitized text.

Why it matters

The author describes his aim as giving a 'dispassionate' popular account of Catherine's life and character, noting that earlier biographies had not achieved this. The book reflects early twentieth-century attempts to reassess Catherine's reign and reputation.

Look closer

  • Why does the author claim his account is more balanced than earlier ones?
  • What might be gained or lost in a 'popular' biography compared to an academic study?
  • How might illustrations included in the book shape a reader's impression of Catherine?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Catherine the Great on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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