Histoire de Charles XII vs Lives: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Early works to 1800, Biography & Memoir, History

Cover of Histoire de Charles XII

Histoire de Charles XII Voltaire · 1731 ★★★★☆ 3.9 293 pages · ≈ 5 h 26 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of Lives

Lives Plutarch · 1564 ★★★★☆ 3.9 732 pages · ≈ 13 h 33 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 3.9 — either is a safe pick by score.
Histoire de Charles XII is the quicker read — about 5 hours vs 13 for Lives.

Side by side