The definitive biography of the legendary autocrat whose enlightened rule transformed the map
of Europe and changed the course of history Few figures loom as large in European history as
Frederick the Great. When he inherited the Prussian crown in 1740 he ruled over a kingdom of
scattered territories a minor Germanic backwater. By the end of his reign the much larger and
consolidated Prussia ranked among the continent's great powers. In this magisterial biography
award-winning historian Tim Blanning gives us an intimate in-depth portrait of a king who
dominated the political military and cultural life of Europe half a century before Napoleon.
A brilliant ambitious sometimes ruthless monarch Frederick was a man of immense
contradictions. 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. Frederick's terrifying father
instilled in him a stern military discipline that would make the future king one of the most
fearsome battlefield commanders of his day while deriding as effeminate his son's passion for
modern ideas and fine art. Frederick driven to surpass his father's legacy challenged the
dominant German-speaking powers including Saxony Bavaria and the Habsburg Monarchy. It was
an audacious foreign policy gambit one at which Frederick against the expectations of his
rivals succeeded. In examining Frederick's private life Blanning also carefully considers the
long-debated question of Frederick's sexuality finding evidence that Frederick lavished gifts
on his male friends and maintained homosexual relationships throughout his life while limiting
contact with his estranged unloved queen to visits that were few and far between. The story of
one man's life and the complete political and cultural transformation of a nation Tim
Blanning's sweeping biography takes readers inside the mind of the monarch giving us a fresh
understanding of Frederick the Great's remarkable reign. Praise for Frederick the Great Writing
Frederick's biography . . . requires a diverse set of skills: expertise in eighteenth-century
diplomatic and military history including the intricacies of the Holy Roman Empire a
familiarity with the music architecture and intellectual traditions of Northern Europe and
not least a profound sense of human psychology the better to grasp the makeup of this complex
and tormented man. Fortunately Tim Blanning . . . has all of these skills in abundance.-The
Wall Street Journal At once scholarly and highly readable . . . [Blanning] has given us a
superb portrait of an enlightened despot equally at home on the battlefield and in the opera
house both utterly ruthless and culturally refined.-Commentary Blanning in clear thinking and
prose investigates all aspects of Frederick's personality and reign. . . . The last word on
this significant king for years to come.-Booklist (starred review) Masterly . . . Blanning
brilliantly brings to life one of the most complex characters of modern European history.-The
Telegraph (five stars) A supremely nuanced account . . . This biography finds [Blanning] at the
height of his powers.-Literary Review
