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237 reviews for:
Nicholas and Alexandra: The Classic Account of the Fall of the Romanov Dynasty
Robert K. Massie
4.28 AVERAGE
237 reviews for:
Nicholas and Alexandra: The Classic Account of the Fall of the Romanov Dynasty
Robert K. Massie
4.28 AVERAGE
informative
slow-paced
I'm really glad I finally read a bio of Nicholas and Alexandra, although I'm conflicted over parts of this one.
It's interesting that it comes from an author whose initial motivation is that his own son had haemophilia, and he wanted to see how it had been approached throughout history. I do worry that this means he overemphasises the role of Rasputin, who was powerful after all only because of the disease, although Kerensky himself said that "Without Rasputin, there could have been no Lenin" (and it's also inspired me finally to get that bio of Kerensky, which I really, really hope is good). I as also uncomfortable with the way that Massie seemed to assume that he knew how Alexandra was feeling with regard to her son and his disease; I go a bit leery at the assumption that mothers react the same way, or that you can draw conclusions about emotions etc.
Nonetheless, I do feel that I have a better insight into the lives of the royals, and into their attitudes and motivations. If nothing else Massie provides an interesting perspective on the Duma and how the Tsar interacted with them, and on how Nicholas and Alexandra themselves interacted. I knew nothing, really, of Nicholas' relationship with his father (who was apparently a bully) and with his various royal cousins (Wilhelm gave advice via telegram for a few years!). Perhaps the most profound suggestion is that Nicholas would have been an excellent English king, had he been raised in that sort of constitutional environment - says a lot about his character, I think, or at least Massie's interpretation of it. There is a lot of Rasputin, as I guess is only to be expected, and while Massie clearly has no time for the Siberian I think he does a fairly thorough job of exploring Rasputin's role and attitudes and the way he influenced people. Hard to clear away the garbage (both positive and negative) around such a figure.
Overall, a good exploration of the period and the people.
It's interesting that it comes from an author whose initial motivation is that his own son had haemophilia, and he wanted to see how it had been approached throughout history. I do worry that this means he overemphasises the role of Rasputin, who was powerful after all only because of the disease, although Kerensky himself said that "Without Rasputin, there could have been no Lenin" (and it's also inspired me finally to get that bio of Kerensky, which I really, really hope is good). I as also uncomfortable with the way that Massie seemed to assume that he knew how Alexandra was feeling with regard to her son and his disease; I go a bit leery at the assumption that mothers react the same way, or that you can draw conclusions about emotions etc.
Nonetheless, I do feel that I have a better insight into the lives of the royals, and into their attitudes and motivations. If nothing else Massie provides an interesting perspective on the Duma and how the Tsar interacted with them, and on how Nicholas and Alexandra themselves interacted. I knew nothing, really, of Nicholas' relationship with his father (who was apparently a bully) and with his various royal cousins (Wilhelm gave advice via telegram for a few years!). Perhaps the most profound suggestion is that Nicholas would have been an excellent English king, had he been raised in that sort of constitutional environment - says a lot about his character, I think, or at least Massie's interpretation of it. There is a lot of Rasputin, as I guess is only to be expected, and while Massie clearly has no time for the Siberian I think he does a fairly thorough job of exploring Rasputin's role and attitudes and the way he influenced people. Hard to clear away the garbage (both positive and negative) around such a figure.
Overall, a good exploration of the period and the people.
Massie's own spin on this story, as the father of a hemophiliac, adds an extra resonance to the history of the Romanovs, allowing us insight into the desperation of the tsar and tsarina to help their son at all costs.
One of my all-time favorite books. Though it's been years since I've read this book, the emotional impact it had on me remains. The concept of taking an historic subject, and humanizing it - explaining the world-changing decisions that were made, based on a child's illness, was an eye-opener for me. Highly recommended; don't be surprised if reading this triggers more research into this royal family, Rasputin, and Russian history.
Well written and interesting. Got a bit bogged down by the huge cast of characters. Rasputin was a freaky dude and can almost single-handedly be held responsible for the downfall of the Russian monarchy.
informative
slow-paced
Well-written--I read it again after I finished the last page. I had always been curious about the story of the last Tsar and his family. The author did an exceptional job of conveying the days of the Romanov family from its rise to its tragic end. His descriptions of Alexi's hemophilia haunt me even today, weeks after I put this book down. Well-researched; I appreciated the photographs.
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Definitely indulged in the “lost glamour and glitter” of the Romanovs, but really enjoyable read. Always get sad at the murders.