Reviews
Nicholas and Alexandra: The Classic Account of the Fall of the Romanov Dynasty by Robert K. Massie
untitledlullaby's review
4.0
I think this would be better if I was more interested in Rasputin and russias history. I enjoyed the bit about the Tsar and his life but didn’t care much for rasputins bits, hemophilia, World War One bits or the revolutionary’s. I enjoyed the epilogue and found it quite funny one turned into a champagne salesman and another a janitor in New York. But this took me forever to read a hundred pages and often I would get bored that I would want to check my phone. Also the way he would describe rasputins exploits irked me
rebeccatc's review
5.0
While most biographies tend to be a bit dry and boring, this story of the Last Tsar of Russia and his family is a real page-turner. I was left with not only a better understanding of the causes leading to the communist revolution, but also felt that I knew the Romanovs as individuals. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in Russian history.
dlanciault's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
I’ve wanted for years to find the time to read this masterful work by Robert Massie. It did not disappoint. Well-researched and supported by numerous contemporaneous documents, but written so well that the narrative flows without being booked down in overly academic or clinical minutiae. Highly recommended for fans of biographical histories.
deniqd's review against another edition
2.0
Although an interesting real story, there were too many details for everything and it made a slow and boring read.
rachelb36's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
The animated film Anastasia got the entire story wrong, sadly. The writers didn't even try for accuracy, apparently - very sad to me, because I really liked that movie.
Massie details the true story here, and though I normally don't like history texts, I liked this one. His writing is very readable, and I learned a lot. (Particularly about the events leading up to the war; and about Rasputin and how he came to be involved with the Imperial family. I didn't even know that Nicholas and Alexandra had a son, let alone that he suffered from hemophilia.)
At over 500 pages, though, it was still far too long for me. I felt that 50-100 pages could have easily been omitted by paring down unnecessary details of persons not central to the story.
Also, I was quite appalled when Massie at one point described Rasputin as having "good-natured aggression" right after stating that he would grab women and "start undoing buttons" without any kind of preamble or permission. Rasputin was accused of attempted rape many times, and it is not okay to write this violence off. There is no such thing as "good-natured" sexual assault or harassment.
The animated film Anastasia got the entire story wrong, sadly. The writers didn't even try for accuracy, apparently - very sad to me, because I really liked that movie.
Massie details the true story here, and though I normally don't like history texts, I liked this one. His writing is very readable, and I learned a lot. (Particularly about the events leading up to the war; and about Rasputin and how he came to be involved with the Imperial family. I didn't even know that Nicholas and Alexandra had a son, let alone that he suffered from hemophilia.)
At over 500 pages, though, it was still far too long for me. I felt that 50-100 pages could have easily been omitted by paring down unnecessary details of persons not central to the story.
Also, I was quite appalled when Massie at one point described Rasputin as having "good-natured aggression" right after stating that he would grab women and "start undoing buttons" without any kind of preamble or permission. Rasputin was accused of attempted rape many times, and it is not okay to write this violence off. There is no such thing as "good-natured" sexual assault or harassment.
skelleybean's review
5.0
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.
lukewhitestone's review
5.0
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.
binstonbirchill's review against another edition
5.0
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.