In the context of European culture, Voltaire is an indisputable figure. Everyone knows him, but few read him. But in vain. The joy of meeting an intelligent author with a brilliant style cannot be replaced by any references about him in encyclopedic dictionaries.

This book is a novelized biography of the famous commander, “hero” of Poltava, the Swedish king Charles XII and his lucky rival Peter I. The story of the confrontation between the two greatest monarchs of Europe at the beginning of the 18th century, told by Voltaire, captivates not only with its tragedy, but also with its excellent stylistic merits. It was this book that brought Voltaire all-European fame in his time.