Ivan IV the Terrible was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547, then Tsar of All the Russias until his death in 1584. He transformed Russia from a medieval state into an empire, though at immense cost to its people, and its broader, long-term economy. He was described as intelligent and devout, yet given to rages and prone to episodic outbreaks of mental instability that increased with his age. In one such outburst, he killed his son and heir Ivan Ivanovich, which left his younger son, pious but politically ineffectual, to inherit the throne. Discover the life and struggles of this influential ruler through this precise, clear and thorough presentation.