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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Read this book this weekend. Quite interesting, but a lot of names! I thought the chapters had great titles and were good divided. I must say the sympathies in this book tend to go one way, the way of feeling sorry for Tsar Nicholas. After reading the book I also was of the opinion that it was all the Tsarina's fault that all went wrong. But I'm also aware that a lot of things might also be someone's character or impression from other people (the Tsarina's haughtiness for example) and that this isn't something easily changed. But I do think that Tsar Nicholas must have done more wrong than we get to know (as if he was just an innocent bystander.) Things that he might have done wrong are so swiftly mentioned that it is easily to read over it and never really notice it. Or maybe the top of the Communist party was just pure evil. I guess I'll just have to read more books on the subject. What also is my impression that a lot of things you read are the impressions of the writer and might not necessarily be the truth, and as it is probably impossible, or near impossible, to ever find out (nothing ever documented, lead figures already dead) I guess we'll never know.Anyway, that doesn't mean that I don't think the shooting of the Tsar and his family is wrong, so wrong (also the way in how poorly it was done, was just horrible, gruesome and must have been terrifying.)
Always wanted to learn more about this family and how it ended so violently one night. Questions will always surround their story, but this for me, cleared some things up a little time line wise. But I only give it three stars because of it being a very dense read with all the information but I also knew going in it would be that way.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
I've always found the Romanovs fascinating but I had the hardest time reading this book. A few chapters I got through quickly but most of it was textbookish. Filled with lots of good information though.
Some of the middle chapters were boring to me - they seemed scattered and strayed from the actual point of the book, which is to tell the heartbreaking story of the Romanov family's last two weeks alive. Chapter 15, the chapter that describes in gory, horrific detail the way in which the family was murdered, was so disturbing that I had to stop reading and collect myself before I continued. Overall, I found this to be a well-written, interesting book with a horribly tragic end.
I did not expect the level of detail in the chapter on the actual deaths of the family. Much more disturbing than I'd anticipated. However, the whole story was riveting and well-written. It's recounted with a generous amount of creative license, but it makes the book an easy read.
Haunting, compelling, and horrifically brutal!!!! Ahhhhh!
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“Yurovsky, having finished reading the decree, pulled out his Colt, stepped forward and shot the Tsar at point-blank range in the chest. Ermakov, Kudrin and Medvedev, not to be outdone and wanting their moment of personal revenge and glory too, immediately took aim and fired at Nicholas as well… But at least Nicholas was spared the sight of seeing what happened to his wife and family”.
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“Yurovsky, having finished reading the decree, pulled out his Colt, stepped forward and shot the Tsar at point-blank range in the chest. Ermakov, Kudrin and Medvedev, not to be outdone and wanting their moment of personal revenge and glory too, immediately took aim and fired at Nicholas as well… But at least Nicholas was spared the sight of seeing what happened to his wife and family”.
Fascinating book about a tragic story. This book only focuses on the last few weeks of the family, there isn't a lot of back history. The Tsar was strongly disliked by many Russians at that time and it only skims the surface as to why. It gets a bit bogged down with a lot of government names at times but it doesn't deter from the story. In the end the author doesn't shy away from the gruesome details of this family's last horrific moments. It's a shame one of the other royal families of Europe weren't able to save them, at least the children. Very well researched and written book.