More than a conventional biography of Catherine the Great, this is a full history of her rule and use of power. Viewing Russian culture and politics through the prism of Catherine's life and reign, Simon Dixon shows how Catherine conceived of and wielded her power, and how she represented it to her subjects. To what extent was her rule consensual and how far did it depend on force? As Simon Dixon answers these questions he sheds new light on the Enlightenment, the power of the monarch and the role of the great individual in history.