Leni Zumas's writing crackles. Her books are sharp, bleak, funny, and possibly dangerous. When her collection of short stories, Farewell Navigator,...
Continue »
The reader who has a prior knowledge of the Romanov captivity in Siberia will fully appreciate this gripping retelling of their final days. Building upon the seminal works of Massie and King, Helen Rappaport has produced a suspenseful and riveting account of the imprisonment of the Imperial family and their horrific end at the hands of the Bolsheviks in July, 1918.
Prospective readers of this book may wish to know beforehand that each chapter leading up to the murders, chronicles one day in the lives of the Imperial family in the Ipatiev house in Ekaterinburg,Siberia where they endured a suffocating captivity. Running parallel, in these chapters, is a thorough description of events happening on the outside, both in Ekaterinburg and beyond, that will determine their tragic fate. Also, every chapter in the first half of the book ,contains a penetrating psychological portrait of one or more of the participants in this historical drama. These strands, which are crafted to work together in every chapter, not only build suspense but give the reader a comprehensive view of the political and historical context as well as a complete knowledge of the individuals involved.
Rappaport correctly emphasizes the crucial role of the family's Orthodox Christian faith in sustaining them during their final days, resisting all temptations to enter the realm of hagiography;she maintains a clear-eyed and judiciously objective view of all the parties in this historical episode.
The thorough and graphic description of the murders and what happened afterwards clears up many misconceptions that have endured over the years. Readers may find this account more horrific than they had imagined.
The author did not include chapter footnotes which would have been appreciated by this reader. This is a well-written and meticulously accurate account of the final days of the Imperial family.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(10 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
Catrine Clay offers a captivating view of a period of European history by interweaving the biographies of three royal cousins: George V (Georgie), Kaiser Wilhelm II(Willy), and Tsar Nicholas II(Nicky). The author analyzes in detail the points at which their lives intersected, providing a broad and unique perspective of the momentous events prior to and during World War I.
The historical narrative contains many episodes in which fateful decisions were made by the cousins and their parents before them that had immense consequences for the course of European history. One of these compelling moments is the tragic friendship between Georgie and Nicky. The look-alike cousins developed a strong personal bond which was put to the test in 1917, when safe-refuge in England for the ousted Tsar Nicholas and his family was seriously considered by the British government. As Clay shows, George V used his influence as King to prevent his cousin Nicholas from entering the country because he feared that the anti-German and anti-monarchical sentiment in Britain at the time would mean the end of his throne. The Russian Tsarina was of German descent thus any association with her posed a serious risk to the British monarchy because of the hysterical anti-German feeling throughout the British Empire at this time. The King's family name was changed to Windsor replacing the German Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. "Fond as cousin Georgie was of cousin Nicky, his own throne came first." (p.341). And Clay reminds us that the full extent of the British monarch's key role in shutting the door on his Russian cousin remained a state secret for 65 years! As everyone knows the Tsar and his family were murdered in 1918. Clay goes so far as to write that "(Georgie's) own small portion of the blame appears not to have crossed his mind."(p.345). I find this comment interesting because in the made for TV movie produced by Catrine Clay and the BBC ,which dealt with one of George's children, entitled "The Lost Prince", the guilt felt by the British monarch after hearing of the murder of his cousin and family, provides the poignant dramatic moment in the movie. Perhaps a certain degree of dramatic license was allowed here.
The easy-flowing writing style contributes to a fascinating page-turning historical narrative. The author's ability to insert just the right quote from the primary sources she researched, lets the reader hear the authentic voices of the participants in this historical drama which spans the years 1850-1918.Highly recommended by this reader and history buff.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Anastasia's diary reveals in a brilliant fashion the Anastasia of history. Almost everything in it actually happened which makes it a true story in a fictionalized format. The reader learns about Anastasia's thoughts and feelings concerning the people and events in her life when war and revolution engulf Russia and lead to catastrophic events for the Romanov dynasty. You will meet and learn about Anastasia's three older sisters who are less known in history than the tsar's youngest and most mischievous daughter.
The limitations imposed by the diary format mean that events occurring outside the palace will necessariy be presented from the point of view of a young grand-duchess who lived a sheltered life. For this reason, it might be a good idea for the young reader to read the historical note appended at the end of the book before reading the diary entries in order to build perspective.
All in all this is a very good read and should stimulate further interest in historical topics for young female readers. Like many of the authors in the Royal Diaries, this author not only writes extremely well, but has done her research and has the gift of bringing history to life. Highly recommended .
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(4 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.
Don't Miss
Customer Comments
Bob Motut has commented on (3) products.
The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg by Helen Rappaport
Bob Motut , March 6, 2009
The reader who has a prior knowledge of the Romanov captivity in Siberia will fully appreciate this gripping retelling of their final days. Building upon the seminal works of Massie and King, Helen Rappaport has produced a suspenseful and riveting account of the imprisonment of the Imperial family and their horrific end at the hands of the Bolsheviks in July, 1918.Prospective readers of this book may wish to know beforehand that each chapter leading up to the murders, chronicles one day in the lives of the Imperial family in the Ipatiev house in Ekaterinburg,Siberia where they endured a suffocating captivity. Running parallel, in these chapters, is a thorough description of events happening on the outside, both in Ekaterinburg and beyond, that will determine their tragic fate. Also, every chapter in the first half of the book ,contains a penetrating psychological portrait of one or more of the participants in this historical drama. These strands, which are crafted to work together in every chapter, not only build suspense but give the reader a comprehensive view of the political and historical context as well as a complete knowledge of the individuals involved.
Rappaport correctly emphasizes the crucial role of the family's Orthodox Christian faith in sustaining them during their final days, resisting all temptations to enter the realm of hagiography;she maintains a clear-eyed and judiciously objective view of all the parties in this historical episode.
The thorough and graphic description of the murders and what happened afterwards clears up many misconceptions that have endured over the years. Readers may find this account more horrific than they had imagined.
The author did not include chapter footnotes which would have been appreciated by this reader. This is a well-written and meticulously accurate account of the final days of the Imperial family.
(10 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
King, Kaiser, Tsar: Three Royal Cousins Who Led the World to War by Catrine Clay
Bob Motut , November 18, 2007
Catrine Clay offers a captivating view of a period of European history by interweaving the biographies of three royal cousins: George V (Georgie), Kaiser Wilhelm II(Willy), and Tsar Nicholas II(Nicky). The author analyzes in detail the points at which their lives intersected, providing a broad and unique perspective of the momentous events prior to and during World War I.The historical narrative contains many episodes in which fateful decisions were made by the cousins and their parents before them that had immense consequences for the course of European history. One of these compelling moments is the tragic friendship between Georgie and Nicky. The look-alike cousins developed a strong personal bond which was put to the test in 1917, when safe-refuge in England for the ousted Tsar Nicholas and his family was seriously considered by the British government. As Clay shows, George V used his influence as King to prevent his cousin Nicholas from entering the country because he feared that the anti-German and anti-monarchical sentiment in Britain at the time would mean the end of his throne. The Russian Tsarina was of German descent thus any association with her posed a serious risk to the British monarchy because of the hysterical anti-German feeling throughout the British Empire at this time. The King's family name was changed to Windsor replacing the German Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. "Fond as cousin Georgie was of cousin Nicky, his own throne came first." (p.341). And Clay reminds us that the full extent of the British monarch's key role in shutting the door on his Russian cousin remained a state secret for 65 years! As everyone knows the Tsar and his family were murdered in 1918. Clay goes so far as to write that "(Georgie's) own small portion of the blame appears not to have crossed his mind."(p.345). I find this comment interesting because in the made for TV movie produced by Catrine Clay and the BBC ,which dealt with one of George's children, entitled "The Lost Prince", the guilt felt by the British monarch after hearing of the murder of his cousin and family, provides the poignant dramatic moment in the movie. Perhaps a certain degree of dramatic license was allowed here.
The easy-flowing writing style contributes to a fascinating page-turning historical narrative. The author's ability to insert just the right quote from the primary sources she researched, lets the reader hear the authentic voices of the participants in this historical drama which spans the years 1850-1918.Highly recommended by this reader and history buff.
(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess (Royal Diaries) by Carolyn Meyer
Bob Motut, August 27, 2007
Anastasia's diary reveals in a brilliant fashion the Anastasia of history. Almost everything in it actually happened which makes it a true story in a fictionalized format. The reader learns about Anastasia's thoughts and feelings concerning the people and events in her life when war and revolution engulf Russia and lead to catastrophic events for the Romanov dynasty. You will meet and learn about Anastasia's three older sisters who are less known in history than the tsar's youngest and most mischievous daughter.The limitations imposed by the diary format mean that events occurring outside the palace will necessariy be presented from the point of view of a young grand-duchess who lived a sheltered life. For this reason, it might be a good idea for the young reader to read the historical note appended at the end of the book before reading the diary entries in order to build perspective.
All in all this is a very good read and should stimulate further interest in historical topics for young female readers. Like many of the authors in the Royal Diaries, this author not only writes extremely well, but has done her research and has the gift of bringing history to life. Highly recommended .
(4 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)