Tracing the monumental journey of an obscure German princess to one of the most influential rulers of Russian history, 'Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman' by Robert K. Massie is an expertly crafted biography that weaves together the public triumphs and personal tribulations of Empress Catherine II. This tome delves into her strategic rise to power, her elaborate political machinations, her cultivation of cultural development, and her unwavering navigation through social and political upheavals, including her encounters with the French Revolution. With exhaustive research and vivid storytelling, Massie resurrects Catherine the Great, detailing her romantic conquests, her intense liaison with General Potemkin, and her enduring legacy as a towering figure of the Enlightenment and Russian autocracy.