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spaces_and_solaces's review against another edition
3.0
It is no small feat to write about a dynasty that was in power for over 300 years, the last imperial dynasty to rule Russia, but Simon Sebag Montefiore does a great job!
Romanovs came to power first in 1613 and ruled until 1917 when the Bolshevik revolution toppled the monarchy and ended their rule. The remaining Tsar along with his family was later executed by the Bolshevik troops led by Vladimir Lenin, though some did manage to escape.
Montefiore’s account of the dynasty in this book gives more of a broad historical picture of the country rather than the details, along with some compelling accounts of events with great historical significance. He has divided the chapters in 3 parts – The Rise, Apogee & the Decline with each chapters introducing the main characters, places, etc., so it is fairly easy to keep it all straight together.
At its core, this book is about the intimate lives of the Tsar’s & Tsarina’s depicting the mayhem, court intrigue, murders, betrayals, and general drama of their everyday life from Peter the Great to Nicholas II.
Though the history nerd in me was screaming for more details, this book does some justice to the rendition of wars, treaties, battles & campaigns.
Montefiore’s writing is colorful & gripping revealing the ruthless power & an unbound ambition of the Romanovs. A well-researched book and greatly recommended if you are interested in Russian History.
Romanovs came to power first in 1613 and ruled until 1917 when the Bolshevik revolution toppled the monarchy and ended their rule. The remaining Tsar along with his family was later executed by the Bolshevik troops led by Vladimir Lenin, though some did manage to escape.
Montefiore’s account of the dynasty in this book gives more of a broad historical picture of the country rather than the details, along with some compelling accounts of events with great historical significance. He has divided the chapters in 3 parts – The Rise, Apogee & the Decline with each chapters introducing the main characters, places, etc., so it is fairly easy to keep it all straight together.
At its core, this book is about the intimate lives of the Tsar’s & Tsarina’s depicting the mayhem, court intrigue, murders, betrayals, and general drama of their everyday life from Peter the Great to Nicholas II.
Though the history nerd in me was screaming for more details, this book does some justice to the rendition of wars, treaties, battles & campaigns.
Montefiore’s writing is colorful & gripping revealing the ruthless power & an unbound ambition of the Romanovs. A well-researched book and greatly recommended if you are interested in Russian History.
jendilemma's review against another edition
3.0
Whew. This book took me FOREVER but I made myself finish it and i'm glad i did. It was really well researched, in-depth, insightful and at times funny, but it was also sometimes by its very nature mundane with details and difficult to slog through. That doesn't mean it was bad - just not an easy read and not my favorite - but like i said, I learned a lot and I'm glad i read it one time in my life.
vasilevnicole's review against another edition
4.0
only took me like six years to finally finish this
viko12's review against another edition
3.0
Algo pesado, muy bien investigado. Fueron más los desatinos de esta familia de autocratas con pocas mentes brillantes como Pedro y Catalina.
candacesiegle_greedyreader's review against another edition
4.0
SImon Sebag Montrfiore has written several unforgettable novels about early soviet Russia ("Sashenka" is unforgettable) and he now takes on the history of the Romanov dynasty, whose rule lead up to the Russian Revolution.
The Russian archives are freshly open, and Montefiore gets in and digs. The new information adds dept and humanizes the dynasty, which is one of the longest-ruling in history
It's a giant book, but what else would you expect for a history of a family that played large upon the world stage for so long? And if anyone is going to make it readable, it's probably this writer.
I recommend dipping in and .exploring one or two Romanovs at a time. You will come back, but this way you'll be able to absorb one piece at a time, giving this complete and remarkable history its due.
!!Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader
The Russian archives are freshly open, and Montefiore gets in and digs. The new information adds dept and humanizes the dynasty, which is one of the longest-ruling in history
It's a giant book, but what else would you expect for a history of a family that played large upon the world stage for so long? And if anyone is going to make it readable, it's probably this writer.
I recommend dipping in and .exploring one or two Romanovs at a time. You will come back, but this way you'll be able to absorb one piece at a time, giving this complete and remarkable history its due.
!!Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader
kanejim57's review against another edition
4.0
Richly written, well documented, and informative. This book was not just about three hundred years of Russian history. It is also about Russia today and the deeply rooted reality of the bent, if you will, toward the continued existence of the single strong ruler a century after the demise of the Romanov dynasty.
chadwika's review against another edition
5.0
The author does an incredible job weaving together accounts, filling each section with fascinating details and quotes while maintaining a breakneck speed through history. I really, really enjoyed it.