Frederick II the Only One

This thematic biography of the Prussian king Frederick II the Great offers a multi-layered portrait of his Janus-faced personality. On one hand, a cultivated student of Parisian philosophy, a cold intellectual, a talented writer, an enthusiastic flautist, a capable commander, and a war hero; on the other, a barbaric Prussian enforcer, a misanthropic despot, and a Machiavellian who turned Prussia into a respected European great power in the 18th century. The book delves into his character, sexuality, lineage, and family, including the conflict with his despotic father that culminated in a dramatic escape. It describes his relationships with his siblings, relatives, friends, and courtiers, as well as his campaigns from the Silesian Wars through the Seven Years' War to the 'Potato War'. It unravels the diplomacy and strategic negotiations with European powers, his reforms, his management of the economy and state administration, his architectural visions, and his health, habits, and diet. The final chapter traces the transformations of his image and the birth of a legend, whose portrait and buildings in Potsdam are iconic images of modern-day Germany.