A review by emmaj_xo
The Romanovs: 1613-1918 by Simon Sebag Montefiore

informative medium-paced

4.0

An accessible and compulsively readable romp through 300 years of Russian Tsarist history. Its definitely dense with the sheer amount of material covered and often major events in history are breezed over in favour of covering family drama. But if it’s scandal you’re here for there’s certainly plenty of it. I appreciated that despite covering the details of the brutal murders, without trail and post-abdication, that ended their reign, it didn’t feel like they were being romanticised as has been the tendency of some writers. The insane antisemitism of and encouraged by Nicholas II and his predecessors - the blood libel and the pogroms is harrowing to read. A must-read as an introduction to Romanov history, and the extensive bibliography is a fantastic resource.