Robert K. Massie
ロバート・キンロック・マッシー
Robert K. Massie
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1929-01-05 （Versailles, Kentucky, U.S.）
- Died
- 2019-12-02 （Irvington, New York, U.S.） age 90
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
Career
- Occupations
- Historian, Biographer, Journalist
- Active Years
- 1950-2019
- Affiliations
- Princeton University (taught), Tulane University (taught), The Authors Guild (served as president)
- Memberships
- The Authors Guild, American Academy of Achievement
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale University | American Studies | — | BA | 1946–1950 | United States |
| University of Oxford (Rhodes Scholar) | — | — | — | 1950s | United Kingdom |
Yale University
American Studies
Degree:
BA
Period:
1946–1950
Year of Graduation:
1950
Country:
United States
Undergraduate degree in American Studies
University of Oxford (Rhodes Scholar)
Period:
1950s
Year of Graduation:
1953
Country:
United Kingdom
Attended as a Rhodes Scholar; played on the Oxford University men's basketball team
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Rhodes Scholarship | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 1981 | Pulitzer Prize for Biography | Peter the Great: His Life and World | 伝記 | Pulitzer Prize Board | 受賞 |
| 1983 | Golden Plate Award | — | — | American Academy of Achievement | 受賞 |
| 2012 | Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction (inaugural) | Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman | ノンフィクション | — | 受賞 |
| 2012 | PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography | Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman | 伝記 | PEN America | 受賞 |
Rhodes Scholarship
1950
Result:
受賞
Pulitzer Prize for Biography
1981
Work:
Peter the Great: His Life and World
Category:
伝記
Organization:
Pulitzer Prize Board
Result:
受賞
Golden Plate Award
1983
Organization:
American Academy of Achievement
Result:
受賞
Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction (inaugural)
2012
Work:
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
Category:
ノンフィクション
Result:
受賞
PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography
2012
Work:
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
Category:
伝記
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Nicholas and Alexandra
1967 Biography/HistoryAn authoritative biography of Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra, examining their personal lives and the fall of Imperial Russia.
House of RomanovPower and familyHereditary illness (hemophilia)Revolution and decline
Adaptations
- [Film] Nicholas and Alexandra / Franklin J. Schaffner (1971)
Peter the Great: His Life and World
1980 Biography/HistoryA comprehensive biography of Peter the Great that chronicles his life and the modernization of Russia.
Reform and modernizationCentralization of powerInternational relations
Adaptations
- [Television (miniseries)] Peter the Great (1986)
The Romanovs: The Final Chapter
1995 HistoryPresents new findings (post-Cold War archival material and DNA analysis) about the fate of the Romanov family and related events.
Historical verificationScience and history (DNA)Reevaluation of records
Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War
1991 Military/Diplomatic historyAnalyzes Anglo-German naval competition in the early 20th century and its role in the outbreak of World War I.
Arms raceDiplomacy and policyCauses of World War I
Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea
2003 Military historyExamines naval warfare in World War I and how sea power influenced the war's outcome.
Naval historyStrategyTechnology and warfare
Journey
1975 Memoir/Health policyA personal account by Massie and his wife about parenting a child with hemophilia and comparisons of US and French healthcare.
FamilyHealth care systems comparisonDisability and society
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
2011 BiographyA biography of Catherine the Great that reconstructs her life, blending political power with private life.
Power and reformWomen in politicsRussian history
Bibliography
- Nicholas and Alexandra: An Intimate Account of the Last of the Romanovs and the Fall of Imperial Russia
- Journey
- Peter the Great: His Life and World
- Last Courts of Europe: Royal Family Album, 1860–1914
- Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War
- The Romanovs: The Final Chapter
- Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea
- Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
Adaptations
- Film 'Nicholas and Alexandra' (1971)
- Television miniseries 'Peter the Great' (1986)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Narrative, detail-oriented biographical styleScholarly grounding combined with readability for general audiences
- Recurring Motifs
- Human aspects of the Romanovs and monarchyConflict between power and familyHistorical reevaluation using scientific methods (e.g., DNA)Naval/military power and interstate competition (early 20th century)
Health
-
Alzheimer's disease2010年代後半〜2019年Progressive cognitive decline in later years; reported impact on activities and writing toward the end of life.
Legacy
Robert K. Massie is regarded as an influential popular and scholarly biographer of the Romanovs and Russian history. He won the Pulitzer Prize for 'Peter the Great' and several of his works were adapted for screen; his military and diplomatic histories are also well regarded.
Academic Societies
- The Authors Guild
- American Academy of Achievement
In Popular Culture
- His book on Nicholas II was the basis for the 1971 film adaptation
- Peter the Great was adapted into a 1986 TV miniseries that won Emmy Awards
Trivia
- One of the motivations for his interest in the Romanovs was that his son was born with hemophilia.
- Served in the U.S. Navy in the early 1950s as a nuclear targeting officer.
- Served as president of The Authors Guild from 1987 to 1991.
- Died in 2019 from complications of Alzheimer's disease.