Scan barcode
linneamo's review
3.0
genre: nonfiction
age recommended: 12+
notes:
opinions:
This was clearly well-research and well organized. It made Russian history interesting and easy to understand and I loved the incorporation of the subjects' actual words in the text...however I disliked the "behind the palace gates" sections. Yes it provides an added dimension to the reader's view of the time period and it probably has educators drooling but I felt like it made things too busy and took away from the flow of the 'story'. I loved that photographs were included. T
age recommended: 12+
notes:
opinions:
This was clearly well-research and well organized. It made Russian history interesting and easy to understand and I loved the incorporation of the subjects' actual words in the text...however I disliked the "behind the palace gates" sections. Yes it provides an added dimension to the reader's view of the time period and it probably has educators drooling but I felt like it made things too busy and took away from the flow of the 'story'. I loved that photographs were included. T
spacetoread's review
4.0
YA history of the Last Romanovs. Highly readable, heartbreaking all around. Don’t expect an entirely through retelling of these tumultuous years of Russian history, but I still found it was a solid overview that relied heavily on primary sources.
smili76's review
4.0
Do you love history? Have you wondered about the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in the 1910s? Did you ever find yourself captivated by the possibility that Anastasia was alive?
Well, this book could be for you.
It's a YA version of events that happened to the Romanov family, from the time Nicholas rose to power until the family's demise.
It's 100% a cautionary tale. You're going to read about ruthless rulers, con artists, and power hungry "yes" men. Keep in mind that the characters are REAL people and the entire narrative is TRUE.
I got sucked in and read this one pretty quickly. It has some great pictures, too.
Well, this book could be for you.
It's a YA version of events that happened to the Romanov family, from the time Nicholas rose to power until the family's demise.
It's 100% a cautionary tale. You're going to read about ruthless rulers, con artists, and power hungry "yes" men. Keep in mind that the characters are REAL people and the entire narrative is TRUE.
I got sucked in and read this one pretty quickly. It has some great pictures, too.
erine's review
5.0
Historical tragedy at its finest. Fleming does a wonderful job portraying the naive and simple privilege of the Romanov family against the privations of the Russian people. The perfect storm of aristocratic incompetence mixed with world events is fascinating.
A must-read for teens who remember the animated Anastasia and were fascinated by the Romanov family.
A must-read for teens who remember the animated Anastasia and were fascinated by the Romanov family.
epearly's review
5.0
Absolutely fantastic! I'm a huge history buff, and this family has always intrigued me. Almost everyone knows the legend of Anastasia escaping her death, but not much more. Miss. Fleming has done incredibly thorough research to bring the story of the Romanov's downfall to such an intimate and personal level, everything from the first meeting of Nicholas and Alexandra to the discovery of their bodies is covered. And the story isn't one-sided, either; accounts from peasants, commoners, and communists are peppered throughout the story so the reader understands why revolution occurred in the first place. The first-hand accounts of the Romanov family and the pictures make the story very real, although it honestly felt sometimes that I was reading a Shakespearean tragedy. Highly, highly recommend to anyone hesitant to read non-fiction or history!
tiedyedude's review
4.0
A comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and accessible history of the last of the Romanov dynasty and imperial Russia (though the reign of Putin does not go unmentioned). If anything, it was maybe overly sympathetic to a very violent tsar.
alaynamurphy's review
Incredibly entertaining for a book concerning history. Had a hard time putting the book down. Loved the comparison of the splendor the Romanovs experienced versus the peasant’s lives. Made for a human understanding of how everything unravelled.