Charles XII and the Collapse of the Swedish Empire

This is a major work on the Great Northern War by Robert Nisbet Bain, a British historian and linguist. Why did Sweden become the dominant power in the Baltic under Charles XII? Why was Russia repeatedly defeated by the Swedish army? After ascending the throne, how did Peter the Great restore order, strengthen the military, and prepare for war? How did Charles XII lead the Swedish army from victory to victory during the Great Northern War? Faced with such promising prospects, what fatal mistake did he make that ruined his success at the final hurdle? Why did Charles XII never recover, losing his chance to restore Sweden to greatness? This book explores these questions in depth.