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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.
tomstbr's review against another edition
5.0
The history of the Romanovs in all its gory (no, seriously, it's super gory) detail. Brilliant story telling ability combined with fascinating insights into how Russia developed as an autocracy (and how this trend continues today). Made me want to read a history on Stalin and more literature from Russia (the book touches on some of the Great writers from Russia and how the politics affected them). It navigates the fine balance between facts and fun perfectly.
carmenx9's review against another edition
3.0
It only took me half a year! Mostly engaging and very detailed. I might have to think about this one a bit more. Seemed somewhat simplistic on the view of Russian politics as a whole but that may have been its tight focus on its main ruling family
amybraunauthor's review
5.0
Talk about drama! I've always found Russian history to be extremely interesting and was looking forward to reading about its legacy, trying to see if it really was as chaotic and wild as everyone claimed. The answer? Yes, yes it is.
This was perfect for someone like me who basically came in blind and didn't know how the lineage worked. It got a little confusing at times because there were so many similar or identical names, but the listing of the "cast" definitely helped. The level of detail was amazing and the author clearly has a love for this chapter of history.
It's hard for me to pick a favourite era of this behemoth of a book, though I definitely took a lot of inspiration for Tsar Nicolas II's reign. It was amazing to watch the slow rise and downfall of the Romanov family, and is a piece of brutal history. It's constructed like a mammoth modern fantasy novel and I learned more than I could have ever hoped. I don't usually read modern history, but I am so glad I sat down and plowed through this one, even if it was brutal and unforgiving. A must read if you're looking for a biography in the format of an epic novel.
This was perfect for someone like me who basically came in blind and didn't know how the lineage worked. It got a little confusing at times because there were so many similar or identical names, but the listing of the "cast" definitely helped. The level of detail was amazing and the author clearly has a love for this chapter of history.
It's hard for me to pick a favourite era of this behemoth of a book, though I definitely took a lot of inspiration for Tsar Nicolas II's reign. It was amazing to watch the slow rise and downfall of the Romanov family, and is a piece of brutal history. It's constructed like a mammoth modern fantasy novel and I learned more than I could have ever hoped. I don't usually read modern history, but I am so glad I sat down and plowed through this one, even if it was brutal and unforgiving. A must read if you're looking for a biography in the format of an epic novel.
persikan_05's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child death, Genocide, Murder, Pedophilia, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Xenophobia, Blood, Body horror, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Rape
_catherine_samaroo_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
albon's review against another edition
4.0
2019 review:
It's slightly mind-blowing to think that all the history in this book is real. I read The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones at the same time as I read this, and let me just say that the Romanovs make the rulers of Westeros seem kind, sane, and very sensible. I would say this is a must-read if you want to learn about The Romanovs and their impact in Russian history, and if you're a person like me who wants to learn everything at once. It's probably easier to learn about the individual members of the family by reading specific biographies about them, but I'm sure this is the best way to fully dive into the insanity of the family.
It's slightly mind-blowing to think that all the history in this book is real. I read The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones at the same time as I read this, and let me just say that the Romanovs make the rulers of Westeros seem kind, sane, and very sensible. I would say this is a must-read if you want to learn about The Romanovs and their impact in Russian history, and if you're a person like me who wants to learn everything at once. It's probably easier to learn about the individual members of the family by reading specific biographies about them, but I'm sure this is the best way to fully dive into the insanity of the family.