Ivan the Terrible: First Tsar of Russia

by Isabel de Madariaga

Book Overview

The definitive biography of Ivan the Terrible, setting the Tsar's infamous cruelty within the context of 16th-century Russia "[A] magnificent biography . . . illuminated by the wisdom gained by its... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300097573
• ISBN13: 9780300097573
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 484 Pages
• Weight: 1.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 6.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

An Excellent, Comprehensive History of 16th Century Russia

This work is a thorough history of Russia during the mid-16th century. The author presents a balanced view of the source material, emphasizing what is known, why it is known, and what is not known, about a critical formative period of Russia. That said, it is not a book for a beginner. It presupposes an understanding of Russian history and institutions, as well as some knowledge of the Russian language. One addition that would have been helpful would have been a set of "family trees" for the main princely and boyar families. The numerous Bel'skys, Shuiskys, not to mention the ubiquitous Iur'ev-Zakhar'ins (the later Romanovs) become very confusing. In addition, the author frequently refers to individuals by their initials, where the full name and patronymic would have been helpful.

Easy to read--very informative and interesting

I decided to read more about Ivan the IV after reading the Domostroi. At first I was skeptical, seeing the reviews on this site... but after reading a page in the book store I thought I would be capable of understanding the prose. Aside from a few Russian words I didn't understand (although the context was fairly clear nonetheless), I didn't have a problem following the text: I will admit to breaking out the ol' dictionary a number of times, but that's no reason to not read a book. There are a lot of names tossed around, but rarely is a name discussed that is without 1) a prior description earlier in the text, and/or 2) a context in the discussion itself to help you appreciate the relevance of the person. I also chose Madariaga's because every other book was reviewed as being inadequate academically speaking.

Definitely not Lite Reading

Engaging and comprehensive history of Russian Tsar Ivan IV (Terrible). The prose is very dense, and at times the information flow feels almost overwhelming - sometimes making me feel as if I should be taking notes :-) Scholarly and well done work about an extremely intriging individual and period in Russia. For a general audience, perhaps a more narrative prose style would be more accessible -- but an excellent work.

A Worthwhile, Comprehensive Account of the Life of Ivan IV

De Madariaga presents the reader with an intriguing interpretation of the life of Ivan IV. The material found in this book isn't going to turn the historical community on its head (there is no new archival research here), but this is nevertheless a very thoroughly researched undertaking. The author does an admirable job of trying to establish the facts surrounding an individual who not only lived in a time when written records were generally scarce, but who actively attempted to obscure the truth and rewrite history in the Chronicles. What the reader is left with is what is generally a balanced assessment of Ivan IV. This is, to say the least, quite an accomplishment, given the centuries of exaggerations, lies, and ideological embellishment, that stretches from the contemporary European propaganda to Russian Imperial historians to their Soviet successors. Thus, we not only see the man who arrests, tortures, kills and destroys, but a person intensely devoted to the Orthodox faith (as insanely paradoxical as they come). Moreover, what de Madariaga continually does is remind the reader of the context of Ivan's world and his peers; in many ways, despite what period writings may say or our modern value systems may despise, Ivan fit in quite well with the rulers of his day. Nevertheless, as is most evident in the concluding chapter, de Madariaga is not an Ivan apologist. Ultimately, she finds Ivan to have been a disaster in every sense of the word. He may have significantly expanded Russian lands, but at the price of the wholesale destruction of his original dominion. By the time he died, he had driven the economy into the ground, absolutely obliterated a once thriving agricultural sector, dealt a heavy blow to the aristocracy, killed the only viable heir to the throne, achieved nothing in the diplomatic arena (except to alienate all those around him), and made a significant dent in the Russian population (and this is to only speak of the material aspect of the population, to say nothing of the hideous moral aspects). And to this end, de Madariaga justly credits him with the responsibility for the ensuing years of turmoil experienced in the Time of Troubles. De Madariaga succeeds in producing a piece that is certainly academic in its demeanor, but for the most part, accessible to the lay reader. The language can get a bit dry (and obscure: tergiversation? contumely? quondam?) and there are occasions where the book drags a bit, but ultimately its worth reading. A few final minor gripes. There are points where de Madariaga goes a bit off course. On a few occasions, she addresses the literacy, or lack thereof, of Ivan. Her argument is, and I am not overly simplifying this: other scholars can't prove that he was illiterate, and learning to read isn't really that hard, so we should assume he was literate! The fact of the matter is, there is no way of telling; this however is irrelevant in the broader picture. Simply stating that his literacy is in quest

Count Dracula and Ivan the Terrible - Evil Twins?

There are some people that you can read about again and again: Henry VIII; Mary, Queen of Scots; Elizabeth I; Richard III; Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart. Ivan the Terrible is one of these fascinating characters. Author Isabel de Madariaga has written an energetic new biography of Ivan IV. All your favorite Ivan stories are here: how he snapped after the death of his first wife, how he created the group that evolved into the KGB, how he killed his own son. But wait, there's more! De Madariaga raises a question I haven't read anywhere else - that Ivan may have been influenced by the tale of Vlad Tepes Dracul, a Wallachian ruler who inspired the tale of Dracula. She details how Ivan very likely was familiar with the story. In fact, she finds evidence that Ivan would have read (or had heard - we don't actually know if he was literate) a version of Vlad the Impaler that excused his cruelty as being for the sake of his subjects. In any case, Ivan certainly was terrible, although he was called that not for his behavior, but for his position as ruler of all of Russia. "Terrible" in this case meant "awe-inspiring" rather than cruel. As it happened though, the name fits no matter how you look at it.