Take a photo of a barcode or cover
237 reviews for:
Nicolau e Alexandra: O relato clássico da queda da dinastia Romanov
Robert K. Massie, Angela Lobo de Andrade
4.28 AVERAGE
237 reviews for:
Nicolau e Alexandra: O relato clássico da queda da dinastia Romanov
Robert K. Massie, Angela Lobo de Andrade
4.28 AVERAGE
You know a history book is written well when the writer can place hope in you that the ending will be happy, even though you already know how it ends. Through this book I felt all kinds of emotions-- joy at the love between the couple, anger at the Empress for trusting Rasputin, and of course despair and sadness at the murder of the family. The thing I find most amazing of all is how the people didn't know-- and how, once the people did know, how they trusted their government after being lied to for so long. This book makes me want to read even more about the Romanovs, especially this family in particular. Even though I know the end, I keep reading in hopes that there is some happiness to be found in this tragedy.
Nicholas amd Alexandra is an incredible book. Amazingly, the book rarely drags on, and the whole story is handled like just that - a story. Not a series of facts.
The personalities of the title couple are the main focus, but the major players in the political drama that unfolds are also given a psychoanalysis, to the point where I felt like I knew how the everyone would react to given events. Lenin, Rasputin, Kerensky, Grand Duke Nicholas, Youssoupov, and many others are given a full and fair run down. Their actions are analyzed and used as evidence for their motives, it is all done very scientifically and very unbiased.
Where the book really shines for me is its coverage of 5 main things: the story and impact of Alexis' hemophilia, the life and impact of Rasputin, the onset of World War I, the building tide of revolution leading and resulting in Nicholas' abdication, and the assassination in Yekaterinburg. I could spend hours talking about any of these, as I have been bestowed with awe inspiring detail and I feel I really understand the roots of each of these conflicts. Not an easy thing to say of any historical nonfiction.
Besides these, the background of all of the events is handled beautifully. The early lives of Nicholas and Alexandra, the story of Nicholas' coronation, the 1905 revolution and the creation of the Duma, the relationship between Nicholas and the Kaiser William of Germany. Each and more integral to the events that unfold, so thr reader never feels confused why something was occurring.
Massie does such an excellent job answer the whys of this story that I have no problem giving the book 5 stars.
The personalities of the title couple are the main focus, but the major players in the political drama that unfolds are also given a psychoanalysis, to the point where I felt like I knew how the everyone would react to given events. Lenin, Rasputin, Kerensky, Grand Duke Nicholas, Youssoupov, and many others are given a full and fair run down. Their actions are analyzed and used as evidence for their motives, it is all done very scientifically and very unbiased.
Where the book really shines for me is its coverage of 5 main things: the story and impact of Alexis' hemophilia, the life and impact of Rasputin, the onset of World War I, the building tide of revolution leading and resulting in Nicholas' abdication, and the assassination in Yekaterinburg. I could spend hours talking about any of these, as I have been bestowed with awe inspiring detail and I feel I really understand the roots of each of these conflicts. Not an easy thing to say of any historical nonfiction.
Besides these, the background of all of the events is handled beautifully. The early lives of Nicholas and Alexandra, the story of Nicholas' coronation, the 1905 revolution and the creation of the Duma, the relationship between Nicholas and the Kaiser William of Germany. Each and more integral to the events that unfold, so thr reader never feels confused why something was occurring.
Massie does such an excellent job answer the whys of this story that I have no problem giving the book 5 stars.
Nicholas and Alexandra, the last of the Romanovs. World War I, Lenin and the Revolution. The boy with hemophilia, whose illness brought the most peculiar of men into the Imperial Court, Rasputin.
This biography presents a clear picture of Russia during the end of the Romanov empire. Massie delves into politics, war, culture, religion, family and illness without bogging down into mind-numbing textbook recitation of facts. History at it's finest. The story is uniquely Russian, both bizarre and tragic.
This biography presents a clear picture of Russia during the end of the Romanov empire. Massie delves into politics, war, culture, religion, family and illness without bogging down into mind-numbing textbook recitation of facts. History at it's finest. The story is uniquely Russian, both bizarre and tragic.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
This is a long nonfiction book that I mainly read in tandem with fiction books. The four-star rating is entirely because I did skim some sections that didn't capture my interest; the military maneuvers during The Great War, the succession of Minister's occurring at the same time (under the influence of Rasputin). But, these did play a part in the tragic unfolding of the Tsar's life and the lives of his family members. Massie is an excellent writer who provides an in-depth and unapologetic exploration of the lives and characters of Nicholas and Alexandra.
Things I learned from this book:
1 Nicholas and Alexandra truly loved each other, and were soulmates in every way. Which could be unfortunately rare in the marriages of royal family members.
2 Nicholas' life as a son, brother, husband, father, and friend was amazing. He truly thought of the comfort and care of those he cared about before he even began to think of himself.
3 Nicholas was better suited to have been a professor, or a religious leader. He was not suited to be Tsar of the vast nation of Russia. (This is based on my limited knowledge).
4 When the Great War broke out, he left his family and palace to be Commander in Chief at the military headquarters.
5 This, unfortunately, left governmental decisions in the hands of Rasputin through his influence on Alexandra. Nicholas was not enamored of Rasputin, at all.
6 After abdicating in the face of the Revolution, Nicholas’ main concern was keeping his family safe, and keeping them together.
7 Correspondence with those who tried to plan escapes for the Imperial family while they were imprisoned showed that Nicholas was insistent that the safety of their servants be made a priority.
8 The Romanovs were a family who loved each other.
I learned so much reading this book. There are two sides to every story. Certainly, they were not perfect. Their actions had an effect on the country they ruled over. Their fate was tragic. But, as a family, they have my respect. They were truly devoted to each other.
Things I learned from this book:
1 Nicholas and Alexandra truly loved each other, and were soulmates in every way. Which could be unfortunately rare in the marriages of royal family members.
2 Nicholas' life as a son, brother, husband, father, and friend was amazing. He truly thought of the comfort and care of those he cared about before he even began to think of himself.
3 Nicholas was better suited to have been a professor, or a religious leader. He was not suited to be Tsar of the vast nation of Russia. (This is based on my limited knowledge).
4 When the Great War broke out, he left his family and palace to be Commander in Chief at the military headquarters.
5 This, unfortunately, left governmental decisions in the hands of Rasputin through his influence on Alexandra. Nicholas was not enamored of Rasputin, at all.
6 After abdicating in the face of the Revolution, Nicholas’ main concern was keeping his family safe, and keeping them together.
7 Correspondence with those who tried to plan escapes for the Imperial family while they were imprisoned showed that Nicholas was insistent that the safety of their servants be made a priority.
8 The Romanovs were a family who loved each other.
I learned so much reading this book. There are two sides to every story. Certainly, they were not perfect. Their actions had an effect on the country they ruled over. Their fate was tragic. But, as a family, they have my respect. They were truly devoted to each other.
I loved this book. I think I read it shortly after it came out in the late 1960s before the Romanovs' graves had been discovered.
This book is amazing!!!!! As someone who loves reading about history, The Romanovs, and just royalty in general I highly recommend this book. Such a romantic and tragic story.
excellent book if you have any interest in Russian history.
Lovely and beautiful... Brought the Romanovs to life in a very readable history. It's maybe a bit sympathetic in places, but it doesn't ever feel inappropriate. These people were put through awful things - and it was barely 100 years ago! The description of the actual murders is visceral, and then describing the childrens' tutor Pierre Galliard in his search for their remains (insisting that no one would have killed the children), was absolutely heartbreaking.
It's definitely clear why the story is so legendary and mysterious. Definitely the turning point of the old world into the new...
It's definitely clear why the story is so legendary and mysterious. Definitely the turning point of the old world into the new...
“It is one of the supreme ironies of history that the blessed birth of an only son should have proved the mortal blow. Even as the saluting cannons boomed and the flags waved, Fate had prepared a terrible story. Along with the lost battles and sunken ships, the bombs, the revolutionaries and their plots, the strikes and revolts, Imperial Russia was toppled by a tiny defect in the body of a little boy.”
I can think of only a few writers who can craft a narrative as well as what Robert Massie accomplished in his 1967 biography of the last Tsar of Russia. From the very first page I was hooked by his writing style and ability to zero in on the details of a family while also zooming out to show the national and global consequences of seemingly insignificant events.
Of course, Massie benefits from his subject being one of the most surprising, captivating, head-shaking stories in all of history.
The Romanovs had been ruling Russia for hundreds of years; when Alexander III died unexpectedly in 1894, his son Nicholas II took the throne. He married Princess Alexandra of Germany, one of Queen Victoria’s favorite granddaughters. They had four girls before producing an heir to the throne in Alexis. The happy parents were quick to discover, however, that Alexis suffered from hemophilia — in which the blood does not clot properly. In the early 20th century, it was a devastating and deadly diagnosis; a nose bleed or a sprained ankle could kill him.
And then the fabled Rasputin came along — the ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing. Part holy man, part philanderer, he seduced Alexandra (not literally, contrary to some popular belief) into believing he was the only man who could help her son. Eventually, though, his voice became too loud in Russian affairs, especially in the midst of WWI and the coinciding rise in socialism/communism in greater Russia.
I’m required by my own self-imposed writing limitations to skip some important steps, but ultimately, Lenin’s regime massacred the entire family and the Romanov’s centuries-long reign came to a swift and brutal end.
When you combine a story as intensely dramatic as that with Massie’s ability to just write the hell out of it, you get a book — and characters — that will stick with you for ages. I can’t wait to read Massie’s other Russian histories. This is truly an all-time great biography.
I can think of only a few writers who can craft a narrative as well as what Robert Massie accomplished in his 1967 biography of the last Tsar of Russia. From the very first page I was hooked by his writing style and ability to zero in on the details of a family while also zooming out to show the national and global consequences of seemingly insignificant events.
Of course, Massie benefits from his subject being one of the most surprising, captivating, head-shaking stories in all of history.
The Romanovs had been ruling Russia for hundreds of years; when Alexander III died unexpectedly in 1894, his son Nicholas II took the throne. He married Princess Alexandra of Germany, one of Queen Victoria’s favorite granddaughters. They had four girls before producing an heir to the throne in Alexis. The happy parents were quick to discover, however, that Alexis suffered from hemophilia — in which the blood does not clot properly. In the early 20th century, it was a devastating and deadly diagnosis; a nose bleed or a sprained ankle could kill him.
And then the fabled Rasputin came along — the ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing. Part holy man, part philanderer, he seduced Alexandra (not literally, contrary to some popular belief) into believing he was the only man who could help her son. Eventually, though, his voice became too loud in Russian affairs, especially in the midst of WWI and the coinciding rise in socialism/communism in greater Russia.
I’m required by my own self-imposed writing limitations to skip some important steps, but ultimately, Lenin’s regime massacred the entire family and the Romanov’s centuries-long reign came to a swift and brutal end.
When you combine a story as intensely dramatic as that with Massie’s ability to just write the hell out of it, you get a book — and characters — that will stick with you for ages. I can’t wait to read Massie’s other Russian histories. This is truly an all-time great biography.