This compelling biography is the first to encompass the entire life of Ivan the Terrible and to view him in the context of his own time. Notorious for a policy of unrestrained terror--and for killing his own son--his reign was devastating for Russia and her people. The book illuminates the reign and the politics, as well as Ivan's marriages and disordered personality. "[A] significant biography of the 16th-century Russian czar. . . . Likely to become the definitive work on Ivan for some time. "--Publishers Weekly(starred review) "Almost every page of [de Madariaga's] magnificent biography is illuminated by the wisdom gained by its author from a lifetime of learning and reflection about the place of Russia in the wider world. "-- Orlando Figes,New York Review of Books "[The book ends with] a masterfully written conclusion both insightful and strangely moving. . . . De Madariaga addresses knowledgeable readers, but the beautiful prose of this great book will tempt all others. Highly recommended. "--Choice "A colossal achievement of magisterial scholarship" - Simon Sebag Montefiore