scipio_africanus's review
4.0
The third book by Helen rappaport that I've read. This has to be one of the most infuriating events in history. Really just gets me down. It's a very scholarly and interesting account of the various plans that were developed to save the Romanovs, yet unfortunately were never carried out.
readeatretreat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.25
camiclarkbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Helen Rappaport’s book, “The Race to Save the Romanovs: The Truth Behind the Secret Plans to Rescue the Russian Imperial Family,” details the various attempts of European powers to save the Romanovs from the Bolsheviks.
When one thinks of the Romanov family, one thinks of their murder in 1918. That is what has received the most attention over the years. Little attention has been paid to the plots to save the family. Over the century, King George V, King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, has almost exclusively shouldered the blame for not saving the Romanovs. Yet George V was not the only person that failed the Romanovs, whether because they feared political ramifications in their own countries or the enormous logistical challenges of rescuing the six Romanovs and their loyal staff they refused to abandon.
Rappaport crafted a gripping story of the different plots by other European powers, monarchists loyal to the imperial family, and their relatives to try to save the family from the Bolsheviks. The book is heartbreaking, for despite the many plans and tireless efforts of several people, it was not enough.
In “The Race to Save the Romanovs,” Rappaport shares details from a number of primary sources, many of which had been lost in archives or kept from the public to preserve the reputation of monarchs that failed to save their relatives from murder. She utilized information from never-before-seen sources in the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, and Spain to write the most current secondary source on the last days of the Romanov family.
Not only is the book well researched, it is also well written. Rappaport maintains a conversational tone throughout the book, which makes it way more accessible to readers who might have an interest in learning more about the history of the Romanovs but might find most nonfictions books to be intimidating. All of the information and Rappaport’s interpretation and theories are laid out clearly and not in the stuffy, borderline elitist ways many historians utilize.
“The Race to Save the Romanovs” is a well written and well researched book on the final days of the Romanov family. It utilizes both newly uncovered and well known primary sources to reveal the different plots that had been proposed to save the family from their Bolsheviks and how all of those plans ultimately never came to fruition. You can tell throughout the book that Rappaport has a tremendous passion for the subject and is excited to share the information with her readers, which makes it a book you don’t want to put down—high praise for a nonfiction book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, and Violence
alex_hev's review
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.0
A really deep dive into the dynamics of the royal families of Europe during the first world war. I had previously read Queen Victoria's Matchmaking which got into the closeness of all these families because they were all related, but that book largely ended prior to the war, so this picked up from there nicely. It's also interesting to get a glimpse inside Russia during this period, which seems chaotic at best.
As far as the question of saving the Romanov family, there probably was more the royal families of Europe could have done but it really doesn't look like the Bolsheviks were going to let them leave (and the family largely didn't want to leave anyway). I agree with the author that early on (before abdication) there was an opportunity to send the children out of the country at least but at that point Alexandra wasn't going to break up the family. It's unfortunate but it just doesn't seem like saving the family was ever going to be successful.
As far as the question of saving the Romanov family, there probably was more the royal families of Europe could have done but it really doesn't look like the Bolsheviks were going to let them leave (and the family largely didn't want to leave anyway). I agree with the author that early on (before abdication) there was an opportunity to send the children out of the country at least but at that point Alexandra wasn't going to break up the family. It's unfortunate but it just doesn't seem like saving the family was ever going to be successful.