• Catherine's letters provide an intimate history of the Russian state as well as a portrait of her character and qualities
• The edition includes a chronology of Catherine's life in parallel with major contemporary events, as well as a short biography
• A gazetteer provides accessible biographies of Catherine's addressees
• A bibliography gives guidance to readers, including students, who wish to pursue in greater depth aspects of Catherine's life, Enlightenment politics, literature (including epistolarity), and Russian history
• The Introduction gives a thorough and spirited overview of her reign and also an analysis of Catherine's literary skill as a letter-writer
• The book is organized chronologically and thematically into six periods. Each period features a separate brief introduction to the domestic, personal and foreign policy contexts out of which her letters emerge

   
'Your Majesty may find it extraordinary that I should answer with a shipment of fruit your letter of 6 August, in which you inform me that you are sending the plan for a treaty, and that of the 8 September, in which you are so good as to share with me equally important intelligence. Things big and small often come from the same source: my watermelons derive from the same principles as our planned alliance...' (To Frederick the Great)
  
Catherine the Great's letters present a vivid picture of Russia in a momentous age. They also offer a unique account of her personal development and intimate life, her strategic acumen as a diplomat and military commander, and her political skills at the Russian court and in handling foreign monarchs. Born a German princess, Catherine married into the Russian royal family and came to the throne after a coup. As absolute ruler for 34 years she presided over the expansion of the Russian empire, legislated actively to reform the country in keeping with the principles of the Enlightenment, actively promoted the arts and sciences, and in her correspondence engaged with the most renowned minds in Europe, among them Diderot and Voltaire. Her letters are her literary masterpiece, written to a wide circle of associates and friends, not least her most celebrated lover and ally, Potemkin. Combining her wit, charm, and quick eye for detail, they entertain and tell the griping story of a self-made woman and legendary ruler. 
  
This edition of the letters offers a taste of Catherine's entire writing career, with biographies of Catherine's addressees, a thorough overview of her reign and an analysis of Catherine's literary skill as a letter-writer. Organized chronologically and thematically into six periods, each section also features an introduction to the domestic, personal and foreign policy contexts out of which her letters emerge.