Fearful Majesty: The Life and Reign of Ivan the Terrible

Ivan The Terrible: The Name Evokes The Legend Of A Cruel And Dangerously Insane Tyrant. Fearful Majesty Explores That Legend And Exposes The Man, His Nature, And His Time. Benson Bobrick Has Written The Most Complete And Vivid Account To Date Of Russia Under Its First World-class Leader--book Jacket. Part One: Muscovy -- The Death Of Vasily Iii -- The Realm Of Muscovy -- Interregnum -- The Education Of Tsar -- Tsar Ivan Iv -- The Glinskys -- The Chosen Council -- The First Wave Of Reforms -- Part Two: Empire -- Military Affairs -- Kazan -- The Crisis Of 1553 -- Vassian Toporkov Versus Maksim The Greek -- Art And Heresy -- On To Astrakhan -- A Hammer For Lapland -- A Thousand Kingdoms We Will Seek From Far -- Hanseatic Merchants And Red Cross Knights -- The Second Wave Of Reforms -- To Subdue And Conquere His Enemies -- The Collapse Of Livonia -- Turning Point -- Sacrifices To Cronus -- Part Three: Schism -- Satan's Band -- English Interlude -- The Zemsky Sobor Of 1566 -- The Tsar At Chress With Elizabeth And Erik -- Conspiracies -- The Martyr's Crown -- The Great Messenger -- Muscovy's Neighbors Regroup -- The Sack Of Novgorod -- Faith And Works -- The Evil Empire -- A Fearfull Reveng And Spectacle To Al Generacions -- The Battle Of Molodi -- A Medley Of Monarchs -- The Enthronement Of Simeon Bekbulatovich -- Part Four: Demise -- Stefan Batory -- Polotsk And Veliky Luki -- Missio Moscovitica -- Pskov -- Recall To Memory Constantine -- Tsar And Jesuit Debate The Faith -- Aftermath -- Sir Jerome Bowes -- The Conquest Of Siberia -- Endgame. Benson Bobrick. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. [353]-364. Ivan the Terrible -- the name evokes the legend of a cruel and dangerously insane tyrant. Fearful Majesty explores that legend and exposes the man, his nature, and his time. This acclaimed biography of one of Russia's most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan's reign. Ivan IV oversaw huge conquests of neighboring lands, the creation of a national church, and Russia's emergence as a world power. Arrogant, handsome, a gifted orator and theologian, Ivan was well educated but cruel, profoundly egotistical yet cowardly, scarred by childhood terrors. He was also the Russian ruler whose policies first cast Russia in the role of "Evil Empire" to the West. Throughout his reign, Ivan's unbalanced genius erupted in a tyranny so violent that it threatened to destroy his bloodline, his court, his church, his country. - Publisher. Traces the life of the sixteenth century Russian czar, describes the historical background of his reign, and discusses his indirect influence on modern East-West relations