The Flight of the Romanovs: A Family Saga

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Summary: The Flight of the Romanovs: A Family Saga
Review: A masterpiece. Opening March 1, 1881 with the assination of Alexander II, and continuing relentlessly forward until the last Romanov joins him. A must in understanding the revolution, and its effects on the royals. Thankfully there is a family tree among the very first pages, or a reader could become hoplessly confused with so many similar names.

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Summary: Excellently written story of the last Romanovs
Review: An excellently written narrative of the saga of the last Romanovs - from the time of the next-to-last Tsar, through the Revolution, and up to the 1980s when the last imperial Romanovs died. It is a tale of glitter, sadness, imprisonment, torture, flight, unfulfilled expectations and squandered opportunities. The fact is that most of the imperial family didn't have a clue about the world outside their royal cocoon and were ill-prepared to understand the rapid sweep of events that led to the loss of their status, power, money and, for some, their lives.

The authors also make understandable the changing alliances of the various nations involved in World War I - enemies became allies and allies became enemies. The book made it possible for me to 'get a handle on' the confusion of forces competing for power during the Russian Revolution (no easy task!). This is a history buff's book, but one of the best on the topic I have read. Exceptionally well researched and footnoted

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Summary: The first detailed account of the surviving Romanovs.
Review: This book first gives you background on life before 1917 then sweeps you through the Revolution and finally lets you discover what life was like for the surviving Romanov's after the Revolution.

Nikolasha's exile in France where he was several times nearlly kidnapped by bolsheviks and was viewed by most as the family's true leader. Cyril and Ducky's self advertizement (appointing themselves sovereigns in exile and going so far as to handout titles to others) and eventual support of the rising Nazi Party. Maria Feodorova's bitter exile in Denmark where she fled after being sent away from Britain. Olga's life as a farmer's wife in Ontario. Xenia's days in a grace and favor house in Britain. Another cousin's life as a nun in Jerusalem. Dimitry's relationship with designer Coco Chanel (he helped inspire the famous perfume Chanel #5) and later failed marriage to an American heiress. His sister Marie's failure as a designer and ultimate success as a writer and public speaker. Prince Yusupov's callous self-aggrandizing behavior as he lived off the notoriety gained by murdering Rasputin. On the whole a worthy addition to the Romanov lovers library.

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Summary: This book made all of the pieces come together for me
Review: This is a lively, well-written and informative book on a subject not really well-covered in other works on the last days of the Russian Empire. Occasionally, the plethora of patronymics becomes confusing, but the authors have kindly listed everyone with family connections on a chart in the front. That's of great help to the reader. Anyone interested in early twentieth century Imperial Russian history will appreciate this book very much.

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Summary: A Fascinating Family
Review: This is an excellent book that goes well beyond so many of the others about the Romanovs. Here we learn fascinating things not just about those who became Czar, but also about those members of the family following Alexander III who did not. Especially interesting are the stories of who lived, who died, and who vanished following the fall of Nicholas II. This is must reading for anyone interested in the Romanovs.

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Summary: The Flight of Good Scholarship
Review: This is one of the few negative reviews I've written and I'm sorry to say I think this book is sorely lacking in historical discipline and style! Well, not everyone is a William Manchester. Had I not been so fascinated with the Romanovs, I would never have finished this book. For one thing, it is very negative toward the Romanovs, in many ways slamming them in thinly veiled ways. For example, Nikolasha is called great "for a Romanov". Nicholas II's sisters Xenia and Olga are invidiously compared because Xenia chose to stay under the protection of the British monarchs while Olga went on to live a rather wretched life in Canada. The authors feel Olga was more honest. In fact, this book even goes out of the way to slam Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth II of England. Most people who read a book like this are supportive of Royals and I think would find the author's tone a bit difficult. I agree that the family tree at the front of the book is very helpful. I also found that it enabled me to get clear about the three branches of the family with claimants to the throne. The authors end by heaping praise on a very peripheral member of the Romanov family who rode daredevil motorcycle for a living. Especially for historians, these two men are quite shallow in their presentation of historical material about the war, the revolution and more. There is a lot of attention devoted to the murder of Rasputin and I did find this helpful. All I can say about this book in general, though, is, "I don't get it and you shouldn't either!" Sorry for such a negative review.

Rating:
Summary: The Flight of Good Scholarship
Review: This is one of the few negative reviews I've written and I'm sorry to say I think this book is sorely lacking in historical discipline and style! Well, not everyone is a William Manchester. Had I not been so fascinated with the Romanovs, I would never have finished this book. For one thing, it is very negative toward the Romanovs, in many ways slamming them in thinly veiled ways. For example, Nikolasha is called great "for a Romanov". Nicholas II's sisters Xenia and Olga are invidiously compared because Xenia chose to stay under the protection of the British monarchs while Olga went on to live a rather wretched life in Canada. The authors feel Olga was more honest. In fact, this book even goes out of the way to slam Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth II of England. Most people who read a book like this are supportive of Royals and I think would find the author's tone a bit difficult. I agree that the family tree at the front of the book is very helpful. I also found that it enabled me to get clear about the three branches of the family with claimants to the throne. The authors end by heaping praise on a very peripheral member of the Romanov family who rode daredevil motorcycle for a living. Especially for historians, these two men are quite shallow in their presentation of historical material about the war, the revolution and more. There is a lot of attention devoted to the murder of Rasputin and I did find this helpful. All I can say about this book in general, though, is, "I don't get it and you shouldn't either!" Sorry for such a negative review.

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Summary: The Romanov's didn't all die with Nicholas & Alexandra
Review: While most people consider the story of the Romanov's ended in the basement of the Ipateiv house on July 17, 1918, this wonderful description of the flight and plight of other members of the Romanov family held my attention continously. Unfortantely, because of my lack of familiarity of the uncles, aunts, cousins, children, grandparents, etc., etc., I kept returning to the concise family tree. The authors show a wide variety of activities of these relatives before and after the revolution and convey how some were "hanger-ons" and lived the life of royalty, while others kept the dream alive of returning to a czarist Russia. But all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed learning of the after affects of being driven out of Russia.