Part I. The sufferings and greatness of Frederick -- The inheritance -- The breaking of Frederick -- The making of Frederick -- The making of Frederick (part two) -- The masterful servant of the state -- Culture -- Part II. War and peace -- Peace and war, 1745-1756 -- The Seven Years War : the first three campaigns -- The Seven Years War : disaster and survival -- The Seven Years War : why Frederick won -- A long peace, a short war and double diplomacy -- Part III. On the home front -- Public and nation -- Light and dark on the home front -- Country and town -- At court and at home -- Conclusion: Death and transfiguration

A portrait of the contradictory ruler who helped elevate Prussia to a first-rate power in the eighteenth century explores such topics as his military accomplishments, his long relationship with Voltaire, and his embrace of Enlightenment philosophies