"History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 02" by Thomas Carlyle is a biographical volume published in 1858. This second installment of Carlyle's monumental six-volume work chronicles the early life and times of Frederick the Great of Prussia. Born from thirteen years of painstaking research, including tours of German battlefields and archives, Carlyle's history transforms dusty facts into vivid narrative. This volume brings readers to 1740 and the death of Frederick's father, setting the stage for the young prince's transformation into one of history's most formidable military and political leaders. (This is an automatically generated summary.)