Everyone's heard of Frederick the Great, but how many of us really know that much about his life? Blanning helps to illuminate the world of Frederick's German court, breathing life into his famous palaces and giving much-needed context to his reign. Recommended.

It took me a while to get through this (rather dense) book, but I learned a great deal about a significant historical figure that I previously knew very little about. It painted a picture of what it was like at that time, and I would read more by this author.

Too much purple prose and meandering thought. Otherwise this could have been quite enjoyable if it had been cut in half.