S. Tsvetkov’s book “Charles XII” is a fascinating historical story about the famous Swedish king, whose entire life was spent in continuous military campaigns and battles. Of particular interest to the Russian reader are the pages devoted to the Battle of Narva, the invasion of the Swedish army into Russia, and the Battle of Poltava. The author not only gives excellent comparative characteristics of the two monarchs - Peter I and Charles XII, but also shows a full-scale political map of Europe at that time. Among the characters in the book are the Polish King Augustus, the Turkish Pasha Akhmet, the Ukrainian Hetman Mazepa, the famous commanders the Duke of Marlborough, Prince Eugene of Savoy, and the Swedish military leaders Levenhaupt and Rönskiöld. A broad description of the life and customs of the population of European countries at the beginning of the 18th century is given.