Book Description
The last Tsaritsa of Russia, Alexandra Feodorovna, was murdered with her family on the night of 16-17 July 1918 by agents acting on behalf of the revolutionary Bolshevik government. The recently declassified 1918 diary of Alexandra-published here for the first time in its entirety-provides something no other account could do: a glimpse of the Tsaritsa`s thoughts and activities from 1 January 1918 until the night of her death. The introduction by Robert Massie places Alexandra in the historical context of the Revolution, her marriage to Nicholas, and the tragic events that encompassed her, her family, and her nation.
Customer Reviews:
what i think.......2002-06-20
Alix's diary is a most important document,
it reveals her , but in a very different way to say
how her letters do.in her diary, it is of chief importance
to note the things she leaves out, and how laconic the
text itself is.this tells as much about her at the time
than had she written pages about her feelings and experiences.
This is an extremely important book, the last page is
agonising - the "ex-Tsarina" has written in a fine and clear
hand "July 17th" - but the page is blank. We have to read
what Alexandra didnt write - between the lines.her last
diary reveals her final states of mind, her humaness, her fear,
in those last terrible words, in the entry for July 16th.
Alix has written her own memorial here, and it is a just tribute.
Final Record Invaluable to Romanov Enthusiasts.......2000-01-26
It is ironic that, being the most private of persons, many of the last Tsarinia's most intimate thoughts are now available in several books, including this recently declassified diary of her final days. However, readers who search out this book are probably sympathetic, and will find her daily entries of interest and sometimes moving. Alexandra wasn't writing a best-selling novel -- simply a daily account of the tedium of their imprisonment, and how she, her family, and attendants passed the time -- but for those interested in Alix, her husband, and children, this book is a valuable link to their final days. The introduction, essay by Jonathan Brent, and other sections are all appropriate accompaniment. It will be interesting to see if excerpts from the children's diaries also are eventually published; several books compiled and edited by Russian archivists already have quoted from some of those diaries.
If you are interested in the last tsar and his family, I invite you to contact me at whitcombj@juno.com.
Fascinating but only for the true fanatic.......1999-07-04
As many reviewers have said, the very monotony of Aleksandra's last diary gives it an eerie significance. However, beyond that, there is little to recommend it. Entries, spaced one to a page, mostly consist of a single brief paragraph, and the content is boring-- notes on the weather, her health, the health of her children. "Sat for 10. m[inutes] on the balkony [sic]." It is a very short book, and a very quick read. Only for the true Romanov fanatic (of which I am one), I'm afraid. Aleksandra's letters and the letters & diaries of the others who shared her captivity are far more interesting.
Chilling monotony.......1998-01-07
Tsaritsa Alexandra had no idea, of course, that this was her last diary or that anyone besides herself would ever read it. Since we know the ultimate fate of this unhappy woman the banality and monotony of the last few months of her life have an unintentional sense of tragedy. How sad, for example, that she took the time to note the birthdays of various royal connections, people she would never see again and who in some cases (such as George V of England) had abandoned her and her family to their fate. A brief but compulsive read
Amazon.com
It's easy now to indulge in nostalgia about the era of the Romanovs, and the sheer lushness of this gorgeous book is enough to encourage the indulgence. Even the text, highly readable and informative, is a little rose-tinted in places, but perhaps the authors can hardly be blamed when the gentlemanly cruelties of the old regime look so innocent next to the quintessentially totalitarian 20th-century hell that replaced them. (Nowhere was the true nature of the new "people's" dispensation revealed more vividly than in the lurid, incompetent savagery with which Nicholas II and his family were dispatched, a story reconstructed in considerable detail here.) In any case, despite a touch of sentimentality, this is a fine short history of how the Romanov dynasty ended, artfully disguised as a coffee-table book. If you merely flip through the pictures (Ekaterinburg, Tsarkoe Selo, the Cathedral of Peter and Paul at St. Petersburg, shining like a gold dagger in the snow), you will ache to travel to Russia. If you read the text, you will learn a surprising amount about the world of an almost comically ineffectual man with whom the Fates amused themselves by placing him at a key turning point in modern history. Heartless autocrat that he was, you may even end up feeling sorry for him: the cure was so much worse than the disease. --Richard Farr
Book Description
It's easy now to indulge in nostalgia about the era of the Romanovs, and the sheer lushness of this gorgeous book is enough to encourage the indulgence. Even the text, highly readable and informative, is a little rose-tinted in places, but perhaps the authors can hardly be blamed when the gentlemanly cruelties of the old regime look so innocent next to the quintessentially totalitarian 20th-century hell that replaced them. (Nowhere was the true nature of the new "people's" dispensation revealed more vividly than in the lurid, incompetent savagery with which Nicholas II and his family were dispatched, a story reconstructed in considerable detail here.)In any case, despite a touch of sentimentality, this is a fine short history of how the Romanov dynasty ended, artfully disguised as a coffee-table book. If you merely flip through the pictures (Ekaterinburg, Tsarkoe Selo, the Cathedral of Peter and Paul at St. Petersburg, shining like a gold dagger in the snow), you will ache to travel to Russia. If you read the text, you will learn a surprising amount about the world of an almost comically ineffectual man with whom the Fates amused themselves by placing him at a key turning point in modern history. Heartless autocrat that he was, you may even end up feeling sorry for him: the cure was so much worse than the disease. --Richard Farr
Customer Reviews:
Spectacular!.......2007-05-26
This book contains absolutely beautiful photographs of Tsar Nicholas and his family. Although it is not in hardcover, it makes a wonderful coffee table book. It is the best book I have found containing photographs of that era in Russian history. It makes a great gift.
An Intimate Family Portrait.......2007-05-12
Tsar: The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra is probably the only coffee table book that I have ever read cover to cover. It is so full of portraits depicting the the royal family in their most intimate moments, including a rare photo of the Tsars royal posterior while skinny dipping off of the royal yacht, that one can't help feeling that this is a look into one family's private scrapbook. Rich in detail, the text takes you from Nicholas and Alexandra's first meeting through their marriage, the raising of their five children, the influence of Rasputin and the spell he held over the Tsarina, the revolution, and ultimately thier horrid demise. This book is a richly detailed chronical of one family's way of life and sadly, their end.
A Glimps into a Lost World.......2006-11-10
Having just returned from St. Petersburg Russia I was looking for a book just like this one. This is a book which provides a lovely history of the family which ruled Russia for over 300 years and whose fall was as dramatic as that of the Bourbons in France. This book is well documented with many beautiful photos which will transport the reader to an age that is no more. You get a good idea for what life was once like for the Russian aristocrats, and their Czar. From Balls, to dinners, to Czar Nicholi's families' death you see the photographic evidence and a well written account within the pages of this book. Not only is it a well written book, but also a nice addition to your coffee table. I find myself thumbing through it constantly just to admire the photographs. I highly recommend it.
Lost world of the last Tzar.......2006-11-05
Sumptuously illustrated with absorbing and informative text. Highly recommended in all respects.
Beautiful and Haunting veiw of a lost family and their world.......2006-08-27
The story of the Nicholas and Alexandra and their family is told through photographs and text. Many of the photographs are from the personal photo albums that each of the family members kept themselves. These photo's, along with diary entries and letter excerpts, allows us a peek into what was apparently a very close and loving family. This book does a wonderful job of allowing us to see, not only this close, loving family, but the complex world they lived in. It clearly show us a ruling family who while worshiped, is kept isolated from the people they ruled, and how this, along with many other things, brought about their tragic end.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves history, especially personal histories.
Average customer rating:
- George R. R. Martin couldn't have done better...
- Tragedy nonpareil; sad and poignant
- Fantastic History Lesson
- An excellent book
- Endures for its Excellence
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Nicholas and Alexandra
Robert K. Massie
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
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ASIN: 0345438310
Release Date: 2000-02-01 |
Customer Reviews:
George R. R. Martin couldn't have done better..........2007-08-21
This is not a "history book" so if you're seeking a remedy for insomnia, try somewhere else. You won't find dry, soulless lists of dates and facts or be patronized with tedious analyses of cause and effect. Nor will you be handed summary value judgments regarding each individual's contribution to history.
You will instead be taken into the confidence of the Romanovs and hear their story as it would be told by a dear friend of the family. Massie, himself the father of a hemophiliac, writes with a touching sympathy toward Tsar Nicholas, Empress Alexandra, and their son, Alexis, who suffered from hemophilia all of his tragically short life. Ample quotations from personal letters and diaries portray each character with the sort of intimacy and detail one expects in a well-written, character-driven novel.
The book is paced in a manor that keeps the interest of the reader. Dramatic events like the beer riot at Nicholas's coronation or the assassination of Rasputin are described in clear, stark detail that makes them memorable enough to be retold by the reader. Historical events tangential to the Romanov story, like the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, are told quickly but thoroughly. The story is kept firmly in historical context without being drowned out by historical events.
Massie shows a movie director's ability to choose vivid, emotional images. I can almost see the hazy, orange cast to the scenes of little Alexis in his soldier's uniform charming all of the officers into joining in his games. I can imagine Alexandra reaching a pale, thin hand out of a train window. She accepts a proffered cornflower from one of her captors as the train begins to move, taking the disgraced family to Siberia. My mental movie screen fades to black before showing the bleak, dilapidated house that would be the family's prison.
The beauty of this book, however, is its unique presentation of the people involved. Nicholas and Alexandra come to life as undeniably good, and yet tragically flawed, human beings. More surprisingly, their family and its difficulties are entirely relatable. Nicholas's struggle to choose between his own judgment, his uncles' advice, his Mother's urgings, and his wife's effusively expressed opinions makes him a sympathetic "everyman" despite his wealth and power. And no author could create a character more colorful than Alexandra. Her blind acceptance of Rasputin's self-described holiness and her incessant meddling in politics make her an unwitting villain in the story. However, one can only admire her sincere faith and devotion to country and family. Unwilling to sit in luxury while Russia was at war, she and her daughters became nurses, braving the filth and stench to help the wounded men. The reader cannot help but sympathize with her, despite feeling a measure of contempt at her naiveté.
The main antagonist of the story is the infamous Rasputin. As I read about this rough, unwashed peasant and his rise to power, I frequently checked the spine of the book to verify that I was indeed reading a work of "nonfiction". Everything about the man, from his mysteriously hypnotic gaze to his inexplicable power over the Empress, belongs in the realm of fantasy fiction. His ability to ease the suffering of little Alexis can be explained by hypnotism, a psychological phenomenon that is much more understood today than it was when the book was written. However, the spell he cast over Alexandra and many of the other nobles defies reason. The passages about Rasputin, all rigorously documented, add a touch of surrealism to this drama that will fascinate those of us who delight in the unexplained.
The chief weakness of this work is its all-too-brief treatment of Lenin, the ultimate nemesis of Tsarism and of the Romanov family. It can certainly be argued that the life of Lenin belongs in a different book. However, Massie's brief passages about Lenin were so well written and intriguing that I wished there were more. If Rasputin is a fairy-tale black mage, Lenin is a comic book supervillian- brilliant, ruthless, and bitter. Moreover, Nicholas and Lenin provide for the perfect juxtaposition. It is quite easy to feel affection for the Tsar who loved his country more than his crown and his family more still. At the same time, Nicholas's neurotic unwillingness to assert himself and spectacularly poor judgment make him an object of pity. Lenin, in contrast, is cold and clever. One cannot help but admire his Machiavellian machinations while detesting him personally.
This entirely true story is more entertaining than many works of historical fiction. Whether you are a fan of drama, intrigue, war, fantasy, history, or romance, you will find something to keep you turning the pages. It is unusual to find a book that could be recommended to so broad an audience.
Tragedy nonpareil; sad and poignant.......2007-06-14
Massie's biography of Tsar Nicholas ,wife Alexandra was an engrossing read.
Opulence.pomp,paegentry of Romanovs andRussian aristocracy undoubtedly stunning,spectacular.
Author has been able to narrate this brilliantly.Being frippery,snobbish,ruling class had no inhibition in exhibiting their wealth.However their hedonism aroused the ire of masses who lived in abject poverty.Consequently, plebeians succumbed to the charm of Communism.
Nicholas proved incapable of reversing changes which was about to engulf his vast empire.By sharing power with the masses, author says, Tsar could have stopped revolution on its tracks.However this entails dilution of his authority.Tsar doggedly resisted change.But you cannot expect people wielding absolute power to relinquish authority voluntarily.
This is law of nature.Nicholas case, circumstances of life corrupted him.He came under the baneful influence of Siberian mystic Rasputin. Despite this drawback Russia's last Tsar was good-humored,decent, mild-mannered.He was loyal,affectionate toward his family.He lavished care and attention to his only son ,young Tsarevich,a haemophiliac.
Last days of Romanov family spent under terrible agony particularly so for Tsarina.Constantly harassed,intimidated by the Bolsheviks ,with all hopes of escape from Russia failing ,it must have been an intensely frustrating and painful life.
Why was destiny so cruel to the last of Romanovs?This will always remain a mystery.
Family perished in the hands of Bolsheviks at Ekaterinburg. What a gruesome end. For a long time ,Bolsheviks concealed this crime. Finally, Boris Yeltsin had the courage to acknowledge Soviet Union's guilt.I got the impression what happened in Russia[revolution,violence which succeded] stemmed from the disease of young Tsarevich.Had he been healthy, there would have been no Rasputin and revolution.
Profiles of people like Kerensky , Rasputin , Lenin were interesting.Also the section on Russo- Japanese war.Curious to know more about Siberian mystic Rasputin . From where did he acquire supernatural powers? Did he go Himalayas or Tibet where we still have sages possessing mystical powers.unfortunately author does not satisfactorily address this point.
This book a must reading for history buffs.
Fantastic History Lesson.......2007-06-13
I loved this book. It was well-written, interesting, and a real page-turner. I have recommended it to many of my friends. I didn't know I could be so interested in Russian history. This book has it all, intrigue, love, tragedy. I enjoyed it immensely.
An excellent book.......2007-06-03
I have read this book many times and love it more every time I read it. Massie captures the times of Nicholas and Alexandra wonderfully. Massie captures Nicholas's and Alexandra's personalities and temperments wonderfully. Nicholas did not have the capability to rule over Russia and made huge mistakes. It did not help that some of these bad descisions were egged on by Alexandra. You feel Alexandra's grief over Alexei's hemophilia. She mourned it even more because this was their only son and heir. This was kept secret from the Russian people and most of the court and was disasterous. Massie gives a sympathetic light to the last tsar and tsarina, but doesn't leave out what went wrong.
Endures for its Excellence.......2007-06-01
That this book, over 35 years old, continues to be read is a tribute to its writer. The book is still read for a reason - its excellence. It had been on my "to read list" for years, and a long trip with several layovers finally prompted me to do it. It was stunning and long flights the layovers passed quickly.
Despite the lack of access to materials, people and places inside the then USSR, Massie unearths significant original sources. His tremendous writing skills weave all this detail into the narrative... and what a sweeping narrative it is!
Massie shows how the personalities of the Emperor and Empress and how their only son's fate as a hemophilic set the stage for not only their personal tragedy, but the tragedy of the Russian nation. Massie writes in a way that makes you care.
This book was an enormous undertaking, and a labor of love. Massie says in the introduction that his also having a hemophilic son spurred this interest in the Tzar and Tzarina, caring for and protecting their son as best they knew how. Unfortunately for them, their protectiveness of the heir and the autocracy they felt he should have, blinded them.
It was Alexander II's theory that for the monarchy to be preserved, it had to share it's power. Unfortunately his son, Alexander III, who succeeded him, felt that his father's reforms led to his ultimate assassination. Alexander III's death left his son with an extreme autocratic model of government which Nicholas II felt he had to preserve for his own son. Massie demonstrates how the personality of Nicholas, and its synergy with the reserve and monarchial dedication of Alexandra prevented any consideration of change and resulted in the ultimate end of the monarchy.
Customer Reviews:
Less than it seemed........2006-03-16
A nice little book, over-priced in my opinion, with little that was new for the Romanov fan. It seemed to offer new insights and pictures, but on the whole nothing really worth the asking price.
Amazon.com
"Unless you heed the voices of those who know the state in which Russia finds herself ... the result will be utter despair." Thus was Tsar Nicholas II advised in 1913, to no avail. The decent but pathetic and none too brilliant monarch was brutally murdered in the summer of 1918, along with his nervous wife, Alexandra (who had fallen under the spell of the wild-eyed peasant monk Rasputin), and their five children. On the cover of this ambitious--and completely successful--book is a formal portrait of the ethereally beautiful royal family, in delicate finery and pearls; on the back, a shot of their mass grave, a bleak field in the middle of nowhere. As the catalog of a huge exhibition drawn from the State Hermitage Museum and the State Archive of the Russian Federation, this book is filled with color plates of the sumptuous trappings of court life in turn-of-the-century Russia: jeweled Fabergé eggs, coronation paintings, Russian icons, satin ball gowns, soldiers' uniforms, crowns, and other treasures. But the soul of the book is the archival material: royal-family photos, political documents, telegrams, letters between Nicholas and Alexandra, locks of royal baby hair, and grisly eye-witness accounts of the Romanoffs' murders, as told by those who did the deed. More than 100 curators, historians, and art historians have created this lengthy, comprehensive book detailing the beginnings of what Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the State Hermitage Museum, calls "the tragedy of 20th-century Russia." Yet it reads like a fatal thriller, one with opulence, evil, and error at its core. --Peggy Moorman
Customer Reviews:
Window looking into the luxurious Romanov world..........2004-10-05
For those who love reading about the Romanov's, Nicholas and Alexandra: The Last Imperial Family of Tsarist Russia is one of the most beautiful and thrilling books available. This book was originally compiled as the exhibition catalog for the prestigious Nicholas and Alexandra Exhibit put on by the Broughton Company in Wilmington, Delaware. This 408 page tabletop book, is filled with incredible photos (most in color) of the close to 700 imperial items that were on display from the State Hermitage Museum and the State Archive of the Russian Federation.
Nicholas and Alexandra contains fabulous paintings, letters, gowns, diaries, photos, icons, Faberge' eggs, frames, jewelry, dishes, sculptures, flags, uniforms, military decorations, weapons, porcelain, toys, and gifts given to the royal family. It also includes a reproduction of Nicholas' library in the Winter Palace, as well as Tsarina Alexandra's grand piano, the throne from the Winter Palace and the coronation carriage originally designed for Empress Catherine II . The paintings of the royal wedding and Nicholas' coronation are especially impressive, while photos of items from their murder will leave you with a lump in your throat.
While this book is short on giving any kind of in-depth history about the Romanov family, it goes a long way in showing just how they lived. It's amazing to look at the dresses and uniforms and to realize that for positions larger than life, the Tsar and Tsarina were actually very small people. Nicholas was a rather short man at approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall. More than anything, you get a glimpse of the tragedy of their fates and the things they gave up because of Nicholas' misguided leadership. No wonder this story still haunts us--even after 87 years.
You should have it too.......2003-05-02
First time I saw this book, I wasn't very interested. But I bought it anyway because it was on sale, and I like to have everything Romanov. But as it turned out, it grew on me like a fungus. Now it is one of my treasures, I look through it often, it is so full of pictures of artifacts you won't see in any other Romanov book and it thus gives color to a world that is otherwise in black and white. Pictures of the members of the extended family were also fascinating and also got me interested in them, though NAOTMAA are still my favorites. What a pity I didn't get to see the exhibition, but this book is I think as close as you'll ever get to the real thing, unless you get the chance to see the palaces.
Museum Type Quality Book.......2002-11-07
This book was a wonderful glimps into a time and place that no longer exist. Full of personal photos, notes to each other, and other momentos of the Last imperial family with translations of the words of the notes, and plenty of full color plates.
Opening this book was almost like stepping into a museum dedicated to the last tsar of Russia and his family. Another great addition to any personal library.
Beautiful tribute to a world long-gone.......2002-01-21
If you know nothing of Nicholas and Alexandra, this is not the book to buy. However, if the Romanovs already captivate you, you will be captivated by this book. The work catalogs many of the imperial family's possessions. The color photographs are stunning; I was particularly moved by the photo of the tsarevich's teddy bear. Such an intimate glimpse makes these people all too "real" (and, hence, their merciless slaughter all the more appalling). The book features the Romonov's ornate palaces, family and studio photographs, clothing, and much more. For the price, one cannot find a better photographic chronicle of the last Romanovs.
a treasure trove of documents and personal items..........2001-11-01
...this thing is FULL of photographs...OTMA's childhood drawings, court gowns, letters, diaries...a wonderful opportunity to get 'close' to the Romanovs and the tumultuous times in which they lived and died.
Book Description
The compelling and poignant story of the arrest, captivity, and execution of the last tsar of Russia and his family during the revolution of 1917-1918 has been recounted-and romanticized-for decades. Now a new book explores the full range of events and reveals the thoughts, perceptions, and judgments of the individuals involved-Nicholas and Alexandra, their children, and the men who guarded and eventually killed them.
Customer Reviews:
A Very Good Book.......2006-05-02
This is one of the better books concerning the final days of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. A "must" for anyone who collects books on the Romanovs.
Lacking Actual Causes of the Fall of the Dynasty.......2006-02-26
I suppose most who read this are looking for information about the Ramanovs...however, I was writing an essay about Rasputin's influence on the last Russian dynastic family and its fall, and the authors fail to mention much of his affects on their decisions--only briefly are Alexandra's ideas, changed with the encounter of Rasputin, looked at. Thus, the authors don't seem to look for all substantial reasons of the fall of the Ramanovs, and the piece is not as worth while as it could have been.
An incredible work.......2004-01-08
It is difficult to express the debt of gratitude that it owed to the authors of this book. For all too long an America scholar should have cast a critical eye on the Soviet files regarding the story the Soviet regime wanted the world to believe. A healthy dose of realism and - if you read between the lines - skepticism was echoed in the writing and analysis. Steinberg scrutunized his findings with a view to the historical record he would leave behind.
He has accomplished a much needed task for those of us who value scholarship not sensationalism. And the effort is a much needed addition to any Romanov library. My edition has so many dog-earred pages and has been so used that the spine is lovingly weakened from use.
I shall buy another.
HORRID READ!.......2002-02-01
This book is absolutely horrible. The photos are mislabeled (Olga and Maria as Alexandra?!) and there's nothing new and interesting. I don't think it deserves even one star.
A huge disappointment........2001-09-08
This book is a good example of why the average American knows nothing or next to nothing about the forty to fifty million people who were murdered by the Soviet regime. A book about the last tsar and his family should be the perfect opportunity to familiarize the general reader with the basic facts about the Soviet terror. After all, the murder of Nicholas II, his wife, five children, their family doctor and three servants, was but an opening salvo in the mass terror perpetrated against the general population by the Communist regime under both Lenin and Stalin. But you would never guess that, reading this book. While the author Mark Steinberg dwells with excrutiating detail on the personal and political failings of Nicholas and Alexandra, which contributed to the downfall of their dynasty, he neglects to put their murders into any larger historical context. Everything ends in 1918. In fact, in 1918 the terror was just beginning, and it would make the murders in Ekaterinburg look like a mere dress rehearsal (which, in a sense, they were).
Steinberg has much to say about the public's tendency to "romanticize" the Romanovs, but he doesn't offer any new insights into the underlying reasons for our continuing fascination with the family. Nevertheless, by publishing this book he himself profited from that fascination. Books about the Romanovs were extremely popular when this particular one came out. Perhaps the rush to publish and cash in on popular demand explains the overall poor quality of the translation of key documents (which unfortunately do not retain the flavor of the original Russian), as well as the many factual errors in this book. In the photograph section alone, there are three glaring mistakes: two of Nicholas' daughters, Olga and Marie, are misidentified as Alexandra in two separate photographs (is it really that hard to distinguish between teenaged girls and their middle-aged mother?); in yet another photograph, all of the imperial children are misidentified with the sole exception of the only boy, Alexey. Furthermore, it is simply not true that most of the documents in this book had not been published previously in the West. Most of them had already appeared in other books, and in better translations, too.
Steinberg's so-called "objectivity" really amounts to no more than moral relativism and superficial historical analysis. People who want to read an in-depth, objective, and thoughtful account of the Russian Revolution should read Orlando Figes' excellent history, A People's Tragedy; people who want an in-depth account of the murders and the events leading up to them should read Robert K. Massie's The Romanovs: The Final Chapter or Edward Radzinsky's admittedly very subjective biography of Nicholas II (where, in fact, most of the documents pertaining to the murders were originally published). Personal accounts of the family are available in dozens of contemporary memoirs. Sergei Mironenko's Nicholas and Alexandra: A Lifelong Passion, is a far more inclusive collection of excerpts from the family's personal letters and diaries (including the children's); the translations are very well done and the book as a whole is quite simply excellent.
Unfortunately, a large amount of historical material from Russian archives still awaits translation into English. For example, there are several accounts of the murders by perpetrators and other firsthand witnesses which have been published in Russia but which, for whatever reason, Steinberg chose not to include here.
Finally, I would suggest that one of the reasons some of us "romanticize" (remember?) the last Romanovs is that they have come to symbolize the millions of (mainly anonymous) victims of the Soviet regime. Of the eleven people murdered in the Ipatiev House by the Bolsheviks on the night of July 16-17, 1918, only two, Nicholas and Alexandra, had ever held any political power. The remaining nine people were all, by any definition, complete innocents: four girls (Olga, 22 years old; Tatiana, 21; Marie, 19; Anastasia, 17); their brother, Alexey, not yet 14 years old; the family physician, Eugene Botkin; the cook Kharitonov, the valet Trupp, and the maid Anna Demidova. There is a symbolic power in remembering these victims, for persons of both sexes and of every age, class, and profession would be murdered by the Soviet state in the next forty years. Interestingly, Steinberg doesn't provide us with any photographs of the murdered servants. Apparently, he's as much of a romantic snob as the rest of us.
Book Description
These letters, most of which are published here for the first time, offer an intimate look at some of the most momentous events of the early 1900s, including Russia's participation in World War I and the fall of the Romanov dynasty in the Bolshevik revolution. Among the correspondents are Alexandra's beloved but domineering grandmother, Queen Victoria of England, and Nicholas' cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. Most poignant, though, are the letters and diaries of the last Tsar and Tsarina, which stand as eloquent expressions of one of the great love affairs of this century.
A Lifelong Passion begins in 1884 with the couple's first childhood meeting and chronicles their intense courtship and first joyful years of marriage. The Romanovs' happiness was not to last, however, as they were quickly overtaken by the forces of war and revolution. The discovery that their only son and heir Alexei was stricken with hemophilia opened the family to the formidable and perhaps malign influence of the monk Rasputin, whose gory death at the hands of two Grand Dukes is here recounted by one of the murderers. Though unshaken in their love for one another, Nicholas and Alexandra could not hold their country together, and their story ends with a chilling account of their assassination by the Bolshevik revolutionaries.
Customer Reviews:
This Romanov Source-Book is utterly Indespensible.......2007-02-15
I own this book, and several others centred on the lives of the Nicholas
Romanov family. In my opinion, a person's collection of primary-research volumes should begin with this book. For indeed, this book is not simply letters, notes, or personal reflections by the late Tsar Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra. It is a revelation. Many people to this day mistakenly believe that Nicholas and his sickly wife were vile and cruel people. An honest look into this book will undoubtedly change the opinions of all except the most virulent anti-Romanovs. Not only will the reader discover that Nicholas was actually a kind and benevolent leader, despite his youth, lack of training and inabilities to effectively cohere a nation spanning 11 timezones, they will discover that he was a fun, winsome, and charming person. Still, Tsar Nicholas could not effectively hold Russia together and Revolution came in the guise of V. I. Lenin and Josef Stalin's monstrously vicious and deadly regime. In all candour, the job of running Russia has remained almost insuperable in the 88.5 years since the assassination of the Imperial family.
Additionally, what the reader will discover from this book is that Tsar Nicholas was a warm and loving father to his 4 girls and 1 son, as well as an untiring devoted husband to his wife. To illustrate this, their eldest daughter Olga declined a Royal marriage proposal in order to keep the family close together as World War 1 loomed upon the scene.
What about the Objectivity of this book?
To use ACADEMIC terminology, this book has both ETICS and EMICS ( or the Outside viewpoint, and the Inside viewpoint), for there are letters, reflections and correspondence from the chldren of the family, Olga, Tatiana, Marie, the famous Anastasia, and her nearly as famous hemophiliac brother, Aleksey, as well as relatives such as KR and GrandDuchess Olga.
To add to all of this, there are others outside the family who render their candid reflections and evaluations of the Imperial family, people such as other family relatives, members of the British General staff, King George V of England, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and many others.
Lastly, from the emics viewpoint [inside perspective], the reader will discover that the old Bolshevik fabricaion that the Niki Romanov family were lasy, and cruel, and rolling in endless wealth was simply that: a blatant lie. The truth is that the Romanovs were compelled by STATE Customs to maintain SOME vestiges of Royal look and appearances. Do be aware that the monthly allowance of the Imperial children was only about 9 Am dollars/5 British pounds sterling in 2006 money! The children had to wear their clothes until the garments were either worn out or were outgrown. Add to this, the children had to make their own rooms and take care of their own domestic needs. And they had to keep busy, as well as study their school homework as assiduously as possible.
Read about the love and devotion between the parents and their children and also get a perspective from the minds of the children themselves. They were simply wonderful children, sometimes humorous and even rollicking, but always sincere and admirable. This book is what academicians call Sine Qua Non---absolutely indespensible. And it is FUN to read. The reader also will find that all of the letters, memoirs, and correspondence are in Chronological order. It is an absolute JOY to read and it is sheer revelation for those who are willing to be honest casual readers or honest scholars. The BEST!
The Romanovs revealed...........2006-07-26
I enjoyed this beautiful and haunting volume as a compilation of letters and diary entries of the Imperial family of Russia. The passion of Niocholas and Alexandra is revealed in all of its grandeur. One glimpses the troubled marriage and love affair of the Tsar's sister, Grand Duchess Xenia, as well as the struggles of conscience of Nicholas' cousin, KR. This book is an excellent supplement for someone already familiar with the family's tragic story, and adds a whole new dimension of comprehension.
Intimate Look At Last Romanovs........2006-06-06
If you want to REALLY get to know the Romanovs, this book is for you! It contains the letters and diaries of Tsar Nicholas II and his family, which gives readers a personal glimps at this amazing family who lost their lives on July 17, 1918. It also contains the memiors of those who knew them well.
A Lifelong Passion - LOVED IT!!!.......2005-10-30
This is the best Romanov book I have ever read!!! It gives you all of Nicholas and Alexandra's letters and I can understand now how much in love they really were. It begins with their first meeting, when Alexandra was 12 and Nicholas 16, and ends with their execution. I loved it but it just makes me sad thinking about two people who were very much in love, were executed. I highly recommend this book to all Romanov fans!
I absolutely loved this book.......2005-08-10
The story of the Romanov FAMILY is what matters here - & it's put together so well that you can't help but keep reading. Rather than just giving the reader a bunch of historical facts, the author includes letters not only between Nicholas & Alexandra, but also those of the extended family throughout their reign. I was constantly amazed by the insight (or lack thereof) of the entire family. The juxtaposition of the letters between family members & the reports submitted by those who deposed the family was excellent & provided for a very well-rounded inside look at what was actually happening during Nicholas' reign.
Average customer rating:
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A Lifelong Passion
Manufacturer: Weidenfeld & Nicholson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0297815202 |
Book Description
In their own words - the lives of the Last Tsar and Tsarina of Russia from theirPrivate correspondence.
Average customer rating:
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Nicholas & Alexandra: The Last Imperial Family of Tsarist Russia
Booth-Clibborn Editions
Manufacturer: Booth-Clibborn Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1861540388 |
Customer Reviews:
Not bad, but not particularly remarkable, either.......2000-08-04
"A Gathered Radiance" is a slim book, less than 130 pages. It relies entirely on published sources, almost to a fault: entire paragraphs at a time are quoted from one book or another. Most frustratingly, only a few books are quoted this way, and they are the commonly-used first-hand sources: the books of Pierre Gilliard, Sophie Buxhoeveden (only her biography of Alexandra: her other two books were not consulted), Lili Dehn, J. C. Trewin (quoting Sydney Gibbs) and Ian Vorres (quoting Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna). Occasionally she quotes Sir George Buchanan, and a few other sources are consulted once or twice. But that's about it. The author has a few interesting insights, but mostly she just quotes. And quotes and quotes. On the other hand, you could say that at LEAST she quotes, allowing you to choose the merits of the quoted material yourself, rather than relying on her analysis. But that is not much to say for a book.
To sum it up, "A Gathered Radiance" is mostly a factual overview of Alexandra's life (with lots of quoting!), and the religious content (the author is billed on the cover as Nun Nectaria McLees) is fairly negligible: an introduction titled "Alexandra Romanov and Christian Monarchy" (which was actually sort of interesting) and an Afterword about Alexandra's canonization. Quite frankly, there are better biographies of Alexandra out there; this one doesn't have much to offer that can't be found elsewhere.
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