Nicholas and Alexandra

Rating:
Summary: a treasure trove of documents and personal items...
Review: ...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.

Rating:
Summary: You should have it too
Review: 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.

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Summary: Window looking into the luxurious Romanov world...
Review: 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.


Rating:
Summary: Beautiful tribute to a world long-gone
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful tribute to a world long-gone
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: poignant and exquisite details of a vanished world
Review: This book is one of my treasures, and a must for anyone wishing to know more about the lost world of Tsar Nicholas and Alexandra. From menus of the coronation supper to artifacts found after the murders at Ekaterinburg, the life of the last Imperial family is presented in rich and poignant detail. The notes are also extremely well written, adding to the pleasure of this book.

Rating:
Summary: A great place to start if you want to learn abou Nicholas.
Review: This book provides a lush pictoral history of the last tsar of Russia and his family. Little known objects that belonged to the Romonov's and their private letters and pictures make their world come alive like no other book.

Rating:
Summary: You should have it too
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Museum Type Quality Book
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Utter lack of respect and decency
Review: When I hauled this huge & heavy tome home, sat before a roaring fire with a cup of tea, I suddenly remembered the fragile, jewel-encrusted old lady who lived in the apartment next to us, over-looking the rooftops of Little Venice in London. Nicholas & Alexandra opens at the entrance to The State Hermitage Museum with larger than life statues holding up the foyer roof; a beautiful start to a tour of a once-upon-a-time world of court portraitists, illustrators & painters. This is an extraordinary collection of memorabilia, haunting because their owners are all gone now & impressive because it is a measure of a nation's brilliant artisans & wealth.