Customer Reviews
Change of title - By: Virginia Rounding, 12 Sep 2007 
Readers should be aware that this is not a new book about Catherine the Great & Potemkin, but a reissue of the book previously called 'Potemkin: Prince of Princes'. It's a very good book about Potemkin, & previously had a picture of Potemkin on the cover. The repackaging can, I am sure, have nothing to do with the appearance of my book on Catherine the Greatin paperback a couple of months prior to this reissue (in 2007, not 2004, by the way).
A fascinating subject and a great read - By: , 09 Nov 2001 
Potemkin is nowadays mostly knownin the expression "Potemkin village", describing achievements that are basically a sham.
In reality Potemkin was a fascinating character responsible for a great number of very real achievements. Very Russianin a lot of ways, he was on the other hand way ahead of his time - & very un-Russian -in his treatment of common soldiers & labourers. Simon Sebag Montefiore has managed to write an eminently readable book on this man, his complex relationship with his Empress & his very eventful life. I will gladly forgive his slight tendency to try & find a deep meaning or strategic reasoning behind almost any of Potemkin's acts: he probably was a true Russianin doing a lot of things just for the hell of it. Beautifully illustrated as well as well written, this book is very hard to put down. And since the author has had the good sense of starting the book with the last chapter - Potemkin's death - you are saved the trouble of searching through the last chapters for an advance peek on the subject. Well worth all of it's 5 stars!
What a guy! - By: plana@valles.com, 14 Aug 2001 Grigory Potemkin. I knew the name, but not the man. I had heard of Potemkin Villages but not Potemkin's towns & cities. I too could not put the book down & have ordered four more for friends. I wasin St. Petersberg with this bookin my hand & found it hard to believe that no one wanted to talk about him or Catherine the Great for that matter. He was nothing & she was a nymphomaniac. I am now reading Vincent Cronin's biography of Catherine & fallingin love with her as I did with himin this book. They don't make them like that anymore though I'm not sure whether that is good or bad. It has been a priveledge to read this book, & I would like to thank the author for making the enormous effort of bringing this man to life.
Excellent - By: , 21 Jul 2001 The proper title of this book is "Potemkin, prince of princes" & as such you will find it elsewherein Amazon's catalogue; together with a extensive description & the rave reviews it fully deserves
Compelling reading - By: , 07 Jul 2001 Despite the fact that this is not exactly the flimsiest of booklets, you will be sorely tempted to read this bookin one go. Mr Sebag has made a fine effortin giving a much-maligned man his rightful placein history; even if he has indeed a slight tendency to find a solid stategic reasoning behind almost every one of Potemkin's actions. The necessity of re-establishing Potemkin's rolein Russia's development is made self-evident by one of the other reviewers firmly maintaining that Potemkin workedin a "Guards'restaurant". His old regiment buddies would find this typical of the too low esteem he has been heldin over the centuries.
