Call number
BIO NICHOLAS
Collection
Series
Publication
Atheneum (1967), 613 pages
Description
More than a quarter of a century after it was first published in hardcover comes a never-before-issued trade paperback edition of the classic Nicholas and Alexandra. Featuring a new introduction by its Pulitzer Prize -- winning author, this powerful work sweeps us back to the extraordinary world of Imperial Russia to tell the story of the Romanovs' lives: Nicholas's political naivete, Alexandra's obsession with the corrupt mystic Rasputin, and little Alexis's brave struggle with hemophilia. Against a lavish backdrop of luxury and intrigue, Robert K. Massie unfolds a powerful drama of passion and history -- the story of a doomed empire and the death-marked royals who watched it crumble.
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member Whisper1
I read many books regarding Russia. I'm fascinated by this incredible country. Published in 1967, Nicolas and Alexandra by Robert Massie seems to be the definitive book by which others are measured regarding this subject.
Massie is an incredible writer. His images are crisp and clear. The reader can
I felt like an observer, peering into the large windows of the palace as I watched the shimmer of the jewels and felt the texture of the jewel-laden gowns of the aristocratic women as they swirled around the golden dance floor, arms on the handsome Russian soldiers. Then, I was transported to the hovels of the Russian pheasants and felt the abject poverty and hopelessness.
Massie paints a lovely and tragic portrait of the couple, so in love and so doomed. Never wanting a leadership position, Nicholas was a terrible manager. Better at wearing a military costume than actually strategically planning a war or leading his people, this inept Tsar didn't have a clue how to rule.
Massie's major point is that had it not been for the agony of Alexi's hemophilia, had it not been for the desperation of Alexandra which led her to the mad monk Rasputin, the downfall of the Romanov's would never have occurred.
Throughout 532 pages, Massie enthralls the reader with the history and life of the vast country of Russia. Brilliant, poignant, never boring, this is a must read for anyone interested in Russian history.
Massie is an incredible writer. His images are crisp and clear. The reader can
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feel the icy cold winds of Siberia, can almost taste the delicacies served at the grand balls held in the Winter Palace and can also have a sense of silently watching the Royal family in their daily lives as the clock ticks toward the inevitability of their death. I felt like an observer, peering into the large windows of the palace as I watched the shimmer of the jewels and felt the texture of the jewel-laden gowns of the aristocratic women as they swirled around the golden dance floor, arms on the handsome Russian soldiers. Then, I was transported to the hovels of the Russian pheasants and felt the abject poverty and hopelessness.
Massie paints a lovely and tragic portrait of the couple, so in love and so doomed. Never wanting a leadership position, Nicholas was a terrible manager. Better at wearing a military costume than actually strategically planning a war or leading his people, this inept Tsar didn't have a clue how to rule.
Massie's major point is that had it not been for the agony of Alexi's hemophilia, had it not been for the desperation of Alexandra which led her to the mad monk Rasputin, the downfall of the Romanov's would never have occurred.
Throughout 532 pages, Massie enthralls the reader with the history and life of the vast country of Russia. Brilliant, poignant, never boring, this is a must read for anyone interested in Russian history.
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LibraryThing member ValSmith
My edition of this book was published in 1967. I have read it at least three times, and found it a fairly detailed look at the reign of Nicholas II (1894), his relationship with his wife Alexandra, their relationship with Rasputin, their struggle with the heir Alexis' hemophilia, and their fall and
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execution by the Bolsheviks in 1918. A sad account, often angering the reader for the seemingly rigidity and inability to lead by the Tsar. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
The title signals this is a dual biography. Yes, one set against the backdrop of the last decades of Imperial Russia and the Russian Revolution, but more intimate portrait of a couple than a book that deals with impersonal historical forces, though I think it gives enough of the context to make the
He starts by painting the vast landscape of Russia, and he paints it and the court with vivid colors in the way of a fine novelist but with the insights of historian. This is not a short book by any means, over 500 pages. But not one page drags. He writes of the couple with tremendous sympathy and Nicholas comes across as a decent man, a good husband and father who was a dreadful Tsar. By the end of Part Three that ends with his abdication, I'd come to the conclusion Nicholas is Exhibit A in the case against monarchy in anything but a purely ceremonial role. I've heard of a recent book that actually tries to argue for monarchy over republics. The author contends that a monarch has a personal stake in the fate of a country that cuts across politics and that a dynastic vision means a longview rather than short-term perspective. Well, they have a personal stake in keeping power, true, but the roll of the genetic dice doesn't often mean a competent leader, let alone a gifted one in a monarch. If the Romanovs' tale ended with them stripped of their throne and in exile say in England, I'd have said that was a deserved and satisfactory fate. But of course that's not how it ended. Massie makes you feel the full weight of the personal and national tragedy. Forty-five years have passed since its publication, and I'm sure with the end of Soviet Russia a goldmine of information about the Romanovs has opened up--but this classic account of two lives has stayed in print for decades for good reason.
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destruction of the dynasty understandable. In the introduction Massie quoted Kerensky, the last Russian Prime Minister before the Bolsheviks took over, as saying, "Without Rasputin, there could have been no Lenin." Masse further notes that without Tsarevich Alexis' hemophilia, Rasputin would have never become a confident of a Tsar Nicholas and Empress Alexandra desperate to heal their child and heir. Massie himself became interested in the last Czar when his own son was diagnosed with hemophilia. He wrote this account in 1967 in the middle of the cold war, when Nicholas and Alexandria had been swallowed up in a memory hole. He brings Nicholas and Alexandra and their lavish lifestyle to life. He starts by painting the vast landscape of Russia, and he paints it and the court with vivid colors in the way of a fine novelist but with the insights of historian. This is not a short book by any means, over 500 pages. But not one page drags. He writes of the couple with tremendous sympathy and Nicholas comes across as a decent man, a good husband and father who was a dreadful Tsar. By the end of Part Three that ends with his abdication, I'd come to the conclusion Nicholas is Exhibit A in the case against monarchy in anything but a purely ceremonial role. I've heard of a recent book that actually tries to argue for monarchy over republics. The author contends that a monarch has a personal stake in the fate of a country that cuts across politics and that a dynastic vision means a longview rather than short-term perspective. Well, they have a personal stake in keeping power, true, but the roll of the genetic dice doesn't often mean a competent leader, let alone a gifted one in a monarch. If the Romanovs' tale ended with them stripped of their throne and in exile say in England, I'd have said that was a deserved and satisfactory fate. But of course that's not how it ended. Massie makes you feel the full weight of the personal and national tragedy. Forty-five years have passed since its publication, and I'm sure with the end of Soviet Russia a goldmine of information about the Romanovs has opened up--but this classic account of two lives has stayed in print for decades for good reason.
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LibraryThing member tloeffler
On July 16, 1918, Nicholas Romanov, former Tsar of Russia, his wife Alexandra, and their 5 children were shot to death in a basement in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Robert K. Massie takes this story, and turns it into a fascinating account of the lives of Nicholas and Alexandra, showing all the different
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perspectives of the monarchy and the fall of the monarchy. As a twist, Massie incorporates the hemophilia of young Alexis, their son, and its contribution to their fall (via the intrusion of Gregory Rasputin into their lives). For 530 pages, this book kept me enthralled. Massie did an excellent job of tracing the history of Russia from the late 1800s to 1918, not making conclusions, but offering reasonable suggestions how the Romanovs ended up as they were. The book is heavily footnoted, but the footnotes only list the source of the information. The pertinent information is in the text, and there was no necessity to keep a separate bookmark in the footnotes pages. In addition to a great biography, Massie also provides details of Russia's entry into World War I and several of the battles. Highly recommended if you are interested in this period of history. Show Less
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
Very readable history. I knew nothing about this volatile period of Russia's history so all of it was very interesting. I was reminded once again how great tragedies are usually the result of someone's continuing poor choice. Alexandra was blinded to the reality of her situation because of fear for
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her child and it cost her everything. Show Less
LibraryThing member HadriantheBlind
A novelistic account of the decline and fall of the last Tzar and his family. Symbols of a world gone by. A perfect storm of events conspire to bring them down, and you feel quite sympathetic for the Tsar and his family, as they appear to be another set of victims.
LibraryThing member MerryMary
A fascinating study of a doomed royal family. Nicholas meant well, but was totally out of his depth, and out of step with his times. The role of Rasputin is examined at length. The author's own experiences with hemophilia in his family lends an empathy to his story.
LibraryThing member maryreinert
Fascinating and well-researched story of the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas, and his wife Alexandra and their children. I first read this book approximately 40 years ago and loved it and find it even more fascinating now. The Tsar is presented as a kind, but totally confused and out of touch
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monarch. WWI truly brought out the huge gap between the European monarchs and the people of their countries and this was especially true in Russia. Many of the historical characters such as Rasputin are presented as real people and not just one-sided historical figures. Show Less
LibraryThing member AlexTheHunn
Massie wrote this biography as an outgrowth of his research into hemophilia. Although enjoyable to read, Massie became too enamored of his subjects. He fails to present a well-rounded account of them in terms that the revolutionaries would recognize. He focuses on their victimization with little
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hint that they brought about their own downfall. Show Less
LibraryThing member wildbill
I am sure these people were kind to children and there is no doubt that they loved each other very much. They were too stupid to be the rulers of Russia at the time they lived in. Their lack of ability contributed to the fall of the Romanov dynasty and the deaths of millions of people. They were so
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stupid that they would not follow good advice that could have ameliorated the situation. They tried as hard as they could but they did not have the right stuff. They made things worse than they had to be for their people, their families and ultimately the rest of the world. Imagine George W. Bush as the king of America and you can get the idea. It was very sad for everyone. Show Less
LibraryThing member Clara53
A monumental work. Utterly compelling and thorough. Apart from an objective and well researched account of the last Russian tsar Nicholas Romanov and his family and including the facts of the beginning of the Romanov dynasty, Robert K. Massie skillfully imparts clarity to a number of historical
--
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events of the period, not the least of which are the freakish circumstances of history (such as Rasputin's influence on the royal family) that produced grave consequences for Russia. Quite a few outstanding revelations for me. A excellent book.--
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LibraryThing member aelizabethj
God, this wrecked me. Just as in Catherine the Great, Massie is an absolute wizard. How he manages to keep sense of names and dates and then translate that into something that never feels boring or dense is beyond me. An absolute masterpiece. Even in knowing what the end result was, I still
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couldn't help but be so shocked with how everything played out. Every member of the Imperial family is so lovingly fleshed out, especially Alexis, that the gruesome murders at the end felt like a death in the family. Brilliant and heart wrenching. Love. 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member anitatally
Fabulously detailed biography of this tragic family.
LibraryThing member teckelvik
I was given this book by a family friend when I was in junior high school. It was an amazing experience - probably my first experience of being completely swept into another world by a non-fiction book.
Nicholas and Alexandra emerge as sympathetic and flawed characters, trapped in a deeply unjust
This is a wonderful, highly recommended book.
Nicholas and Alexandra emerge as sympathetic and flawed characters, trapped in a deeply unjust
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and disfunctional system. The strength of this book is the Massies' (plural - Suzanne Massie was the uncredited co-author) deep research into the world of late Imperial Russia. The book covers the poverty, the sweep of the Siberian steppe, the elegance and glamor of St. Petersburg and Moscow, as well as the very human story of love and devotion between the title characters.This is a wonderful, highly recommended book.
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LibraryThing member aajay
My favorite Romanov book. The tragedy of a ruler fatally unfit for rule is borne out not only by Nicholas II and Louis XVI but unfortunately by USA's current leader. All three share the fatal flaws of stunted intellects embellished by arrogance, stubborness and misguided advisors. For Nicholas and
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Louis it was decades of misrule and fecklessnes by their forbears that led to their inevitable end. Our leader has orchestrated his debacle in less than ten years. Show Less
LibraryThing member ddelmoni
For me, this is the best telling of the Romanov family. I've read it more than once, over 20 years, and still find Massie's narrative to be reviting and his history flawless.
I find it interesting that now -- older, wise and the mother of 2 -- I'm much more forgiving and far more understanding of
I find it interesting that now -- older, wise and the mother of 2 -- I'm much more forgiving and far more understanding of
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the main characters, than I was in my 20's. I also understand we saddle our own "baggage" on others, even characters we're simply reading about. Show Less
LibraryThing member Schmerguls
1021 Nicholas and Alexandra, by Robert K. Massie (read 6 Sep 1969) This is not an overly-scholarly book, which I found extremely absorbing, and a perfect book in many ways. The book is pro-Tsar. but I feel sure it does not slant facts--just looks at them from a different angle. But no one can read
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the book without being depressed by the events of Ekaterinberg. Nicholas was born May 18, 1868, and was shot July 16, 1918. A vary ordinary man who led an extraordinary life, and had a tremendous influence on his country. Alexandra was born at Darmstadt, a few miles from the river Rhine, on June 6, 1872, the daughter of Alice, the third of Queen Victoria's children. She too, and their five children, died at Ekaterinberg. Show Less
LibraryThing member iayork
Suicide of a Dynasty: Robert Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra" is a biographical study centered on the lives of the last Tsar and Tsarina of Russia. Massie's portrayal of the last ruling Romanavs is like many other works on the subject in that it is poignant, dramatic, and vibrant; but never dull.
Nearly all works of the period agree that Tsar Nicholas II was not the blood-drenched despot the Bolshevik revolutionaries claimed him to be, and although he may not have been as benevolent as his contemporary Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary, he at least lacked the bellicose nature of his German counterpart (and early advisor), Wilhelm II. Massie's account demonstrates how Nicholas II was ill-prepared to ascend the throne in after Alexander III, but unlike the contention of other historians, Massie makes a reasonable case in defending the intelligence of the fallen autocrat.
Massie's account of Nicholas and Alexandra does not absolve the couple from their failure to prevent the collapse of the reign and ultimately their country, but it does partially excuse their inflexibility and fatalism on the serious of misfortunes that continued to plague Nicholas from the very day of his coronation; when hundred of Russian peasants were stampeded to death in a overzealous crowd on Khodynka Meadow. Yet, no Romanov apologist can ignore the detrimental influences on Nicholas's reign, including his wife Alexandra, a German Kaiser, and especially a corrupt starets. That such an array of persons from various strata of society could at times impose their will on a man raised to be an autocrat was a tarnish on Nicholas' character.
Despite his habit of being easily swayed at times, Nicholas is not one-dimensional in Massie's account. It is noted how Nicholas ignored the advice of able ministers and most of all; remained unyielding to grant the masses of his subjects the representation and constitution they desired--until it was too late. Even Massie can be counted among the historians who muse whether the Romanov dynasty might have survived had the Tsar been more accommadating to the popular demands of his people--or if war had not erupted in the manner it did in 1914.
Although Massie's work is very thorough, it only briefly touches the clandestine operations of the Tsarist police state in rooting out revolutionaries and assassins from its masses prior to 1917. Indeed, other works (e.g. Edmond Taylor's "The Fall of the Dynasties") are careful to point out that Tsarist police included a host of known double agents whose loyalties were perpetually in doubt. While Massie makes note of that insecurity in his account of Prime Minister Peter Stolypin's assassination in 1911 by a Tsarist agent, he fails to explain how widespread the problem actually was. Indeed, Taylor describes as monarchy's slide to collapse as a "suicide", not because they were unable to stop that slide, but rather because they were unwilling.
Just as it is difficult to excuse the corrupt system of Tsarist counter-revolutionary activity, historians are also unable to justify the Russia's policy in WWI of placing the needs of France above that of her own. The disaster at Tannenburg early in the war is described in detail by Massie, and is correctly portrayed as a premature offensive launched by Russia (with the support of Nicholas) to rescue its beleagured ally from the German onslaught through northern France. Indeed, even after his abdication and arrest, Massie notes how Nicholas pleaded with Kerensky to continue to support the Russia's allies in the war effort--a mission with which the Provisional Government leader would complete in the summer of 1917 with disastrous consequences. Although Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra" does not outright label the monarchy as a principle agent of its own destruction, his book nevertheless provides a strong case to the conclusion that the last rulers (and their ministers) of the Romanov dynasty practiced an inexplicable policy of self-immolation.
It is perhaps this mystery--or lunacy--of the Romanovs that continues to fascinate so many readers 90 years after their unglorious deaths in their Siberian imprisonment. Undoubtedly, the story of the last Romanovs will continue to perplex students of history for decades to come, and Robert Massie's work will will remain the foremost account of the twilight of Imperial Russia.
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However, Massie's work stands out above other works on the subject for its thorough account of the lives of the imperial couple and most of all, its sympathetic portrayal of them. Nearly all works of the period agree that Tsar Nicholas II was not the blood-drenched despot the Bolshevik revolutionaries claimed him to be, and although he may not have been as benevolent as his contemporary Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary, he at least lacked the bellicose nature of his German counterpart (and early advisor), Wilhelm II. Massie's account demonstrates how Nicholas II was ill-prepared to ascend the throne in after Alexander III, but unlike the contention of other historians, Massie makes a reasonable case in defending the intelligence of the fallen autocrat.
Massie's account of Nicholas and Alexandra does not absolve the couple from their failure to prevent the collapse of the reign and ultimately their country, but it does partially excuse their inflexibility and fatalism on the serious of misfortunes that continued to plague Nicholas from the very day of his coronation; when hundred of Russian peasants were stampeded to death in a overzealous crowd on Khodynka Meadow. Yet, no Romanov apologist can ignore the detrimental influences on Nicholas's reign, including his wife Alexandra, a German Kaiser, and especially a corrupt starets. That such an array of persons from various strata of society could at times impose their will on a man raised to be an autocrat was a tarnish on Nicholas' character.
Despite his habit of being easily swayed at times, Nicholas is not one-dimensional in Massie's account. It is noted how Nicholas ignored the advice of able ministers and most of all; remained unyielding to grant the masses of his subjects the representation and constitution they desired--until it was too late. Even Massie can be counted among the historians who muse whether the Romanov dynasty might have survived had the Tsar been more accommadating to the popular demands of his people--or if war had not erupted in the manner it did in 1914.
Although Massie's work is very thorough, it only briefly touches the clandestine operations of the Tsarist police state in rooting out revolutionaries and assassins from its masses prior to 1917. Indeed, other works (e.g. Edmond Taylor's "The Fall of the Dynasties") are careful to point out that Tsarist police included a host of known double agents whose loyalties were perpetually in doubt. While Massie makes note of that insecurity in his account of Prime Minister Peter Stolypin's assassination in 1911 by a Tsarist agent, he fails to explain how widespread the problem actually was. Indeed, Taylor describes as monarchy's slide to collapse as a "suicide", not because they were unable to stop that slide, but rather because they were unwilling.
Just as it is difficult to excuse the corrupt system of Tsarist counter-revolutionary activity, historians are also unable to justify the Russia's policy in WWI of placing the needs of France above that of her own. The disaster at Tannenburg early in the war is described in detail by Massie, and is correctly portrayed as a premature offensive launched by Russia (with the support of Nicholas) to rescue its beleagured ally from the German onslaught through northern France. Indeed, even after his abdication and arrest, Massie notes how Nicholas pleaded with Kerensky to continue to support the Russia's allies in the war effort--a mission with which the Provisional Government leader would complete in the summer of 1917 with disastrous consequences. Although Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra" does not outright label the monarchy as a principle agent of its own destruction, his book nevertheless provides a strong case to the conclusion that the last rulers (and their ministers) of the Romanov dynasty practiced an inexplicable policy of self-immolation.
It is perhaps this mystery--or lunacy--of the Romanovs that continues to fascinate so many readers 90 years after their unglorious deaths in their Siberian imprisonment. Undoubtedly, the story of the last Romanovs will continue to perplex students of history for decades to come, and Robert Massie's work will will remain the foremost account of the twilight of Imperial Russia.
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LibraryThing member NellieMc
The iconic Russian biography written by a master. The irony of Nicholas and Alexandra, which Massie so beautifully captures, is that they had a loving marriage marred by the anxiety of a chronically ill child. If they hadn't happened to have been Russia's rulers at the turn of the 20th century,
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they would still have been interesting, but not tragic, people. What made them tragic is that their weaknesses, esp. Alexandra's for believing in the mysticism of one of the great frauds of our time—Rasputin—contributed to the tragedy that was World War I and helped push Russia into the communist era rather than in a more democratic evolution out of monarchy. And Massie really helps bring that out. Well worth a read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jmmott
This book is the book that initially spurred my interest into the Russian Revolution. The concept that a love match could go so amazingly wrong with regards to politics, and global conflict was a pretty amazing look into dynastic marriages and imperial politics.
LibraryThing member Jeff_Duncan_FL
Have read this book multiple times and always find it fascinating.
LibraryThing member stacy_chambers
There's a photograph of Tsar Nicholas II—the last in the set of photographs in the book—sitting on a tree stump, looking thin and rather haggard. By the time the photograph was taken, he had abdicated the throne and was now a prisoner along with his family. Despite the ill treatment his family
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was already enduring, his whole face still bears the kindness for which he was renowned. This picture said almost as much to me as the terrific book Massie wrote (that whole picture is worth a thousand word thing, I guess). Perhaps had Nicholas ruled at a different time in Russia, history would look upon him more favorably. Alas, he ruled before and during World War I, a bloody time when a less soft-hearted leader would have been more effective. But Nicholas had many things against him, starting with the ill luck of having a hemophiliac son. Show Less
LibraryThing member MarkBeronte
In this commanding book, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Robert K. Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of Imperial Russia to tell the story of the Romanovs’ lives: Nicholas’s political naïveté, Alexandra’s obsession with the corrupt mystic Rasputin, and little Alexis’s
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brave struggle with hemophilia. Against a lavish backdrop of luxury and intrigue, Massie unfolds a powerful drama of passion and history—the story of a doomed empire and the death-marked royals who watched it crumble. Show Less
LibraryThing member 5hrdrive
Fascinating account on an immense historical drama that shaped the 20th century. Russian history that reads like a fairy-tale, written by the master.
LibraryThing member setnahkt
This comes from the Russian history reading program; it’s been in one of the “to read” stacks for a long time but finally worked its way to the top. The original publication date was 1967; however the only really new information that’s come to light since then is DNA confirmation that
Massie has written several excellent books about Russian and WWI history; this was his first and was inspired by his son’s struggle with hemophilia. The motif is: no Rasputin without hemophilia; no Lenin without Rasputin. The lives of Nicolas Romanov and Alix of Hesse would have fit the classic fairy-tale plot; handsome prince of the world’s largest country maries obscure but beautiful princess from tiny German principality; after he attains the throne their lives are a whirl of balls and receptions and royal progresses and State visits – until the birth of a son, after four daughters. When the Tsarevitch Alexis was bruised, the bump didn’t heal; instead it developed an increasing large hematoma, eventually twisting the affected limb as blood pressure forced it to bend; sometimes the joint damage was permanent. The condition was known, but there was no cure for it (there still isn’t for sure, although gene therapy looks very promising). The Tsaritsa turned to religion when medicine failed, and eventually found a mystic who could heal (but not cure) her son, Gregory Rasputin. I’ve done a review of a book on Rasputin by Alex de Jonge; de Jonge was a believer in Rasputin’s miraculous powers. Massie is not, but concedes that there is plenty of evidence of Rasputin turning up at the Tsarevitch’s bedside when doctors had given up hope – and the Tsarevitch stopped bleeding. With his own experience with his son. Massie argues that what mattered was that the Tsaritsa and the Tsarevitch believed in Rasputin – and that the calming effect of his presence relaxed both and bleeding stopped in the calmer sickroom atmosphere. Don’t know – possibly.
Before the rise of Rasputin, the Tsar and Alexandra come across as decent sorts. When the Russian army adopted a new soldiers’ kit, Nicholas tried it out by going on a ten-mile march in the Crimea; the Tsaritsa and all four daughters served as nurses during the Great War. Their recovered personal letters (often in English; Alexandra was more fluent in that then Russian and Nicholas was more fluent than in German) show a loving couple even after years of marriage (they shared a bed, something very few royalty did). Alexandra, though, became more and more obstreperous as her son didn’t improve. Ironically it was her, the foreigner, who was vehemently opposed to Nicholas ceding some power to the Duma after the 1905 defeat by the Japanese; although before then she had stayed out of politics she now began interfering more and more – and Nicholas acquiesced. Eventually Alexandra was deposing ministers and generals – always based on their attitude toward The Man of God. Rasputin’s assassination came a little too late; by then the Russian populace had come to believe that Alexandra was a German agent actively working toward a Russian defeat (ironically, Alexandra kept a picture of Marie Antoinette in her boudoir).
Nicholas comes across as amiable but clueless – believing until his abdication that the Russian people loved him in their hearts. Pictures of him in Soviet captivity show a haggard man who had apparently aged in months (visitors made the same comment). The restrictions on the Tsar and family were gradually tightened as they were moved from one prison to another. There was a mysterious event when one of the commissars – Vasily Yakolev – put the family on a train heading east, ostensibly to a more secure site but just possibly as an escape attempt (Yakolev later defected to the Whites), but the train was turned back to Yekaterinburg by Soviet railway workers and a few weeks later that was that.
Extensive references; nice photographs of the participants and adequate maps. Massie has a more recent book on the final identification of the Romanov remains – I’ll have to track it down.
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remains found in the woods near Yekaterinburg were, in fact, those of Tsar Nicholas II, the Tsaritsa Alexandra, the Tsarevitch Alexis, the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia, three retainers, a maid, and pet spaniel. It is, or course, a sad story; during XSSR times the name of Nicholas had been blackened as a bloodthirsty tyrant and when author Robert Massie was writing the view in the West was probably only moderately more restrained.Massie has written several excellent books about Russian and WWI history; this was his first and was inspired by his son’s struggle with hemophilia. The motif is: no Rasputin without hemophilia; no Lenin without Rasputin. The lives of Nicolas Romanov and Alix of Hesse would have fit the classic fairy-tale plot; handsome prince of the world’s largest country maries obscure but beautiful princess from tiny German principality; after he attains the throne their lives are a whirl of balls and receptions and royal progresses and State visits – until the birth of a son, after four daughters. When the Tsarevitch Alexis was bruised, the bump didn’t heal; instead it developed an increasing large hematoma, eventually twisting the affected limb as blood pressure forced it to bend; sometimes the joint damage was permanent. The condition was known, but there was no cure for it (there still isn’t for sure, although gene therapy looks very promising). The Tsaritsa turned to religion when medicine failed, and eventually found a mystic who could heal (but not cure) her son, Gregory Rasputin. I’ve done a review of a book on Rasputin by Alex de Jonge; de Jonge was a believer in Rasputin’s miraculous powers. Massie is not, but concedes that there is plenty of evidence of Rasputin turning up at the Tsarevitch’s bedside when doctors had given up hope – and the Tsarevitch stopped bleeding. With his own experience with his son. Massie argues that what mattered was that the Tsaritsa and the Tsarevitch believed in Rasputin – and that the calming effect of his presence relaxed both and bleeding stopped in the calmer sickroom atmosphere. Don’t know – possibly.
Before the rise of Rasputin, the Tsar and Alexandra come across as decent sorts. When the Russian army adopted a new soldiers’ kit, Nicholas tried it out by going on a ten-mile march in the Crimea; the Tsaritsa and all four daughters served as nurses during the Great War. Their recovered personal letters (often in English; Alexandra was more fluent in that then Russian and Nicholas was more fluent than in German) show a loving couple even after years of marriage (they shared a bed, something very few royalty did). Alexandra, though, became more and more obstreperous as her son didn’t improve. Ironically it was her, the foreigner, who was vehemently opposed to Nicholas ceding some power to the Duma after the 1905 defeat by the Japanese; although before then she had stayed out of politics she now began interfering more and more – and Nicholas acquiesced. Eventually Alexandra was deposing ministers and generals – always based on their attitude toward The Man of God. Rasputin’s assassination came a little too late; by then the Russian populace had come to believe that Alexandra was a German agent actively working toward a Russian defeat (ironically, Alexandra kept a picture of Marie Antoinette in her boudoir).
Nicholas comes across as amiable but clueless – believing until his abdication that the Russian people loved him in their hearts. Pictures of him in Soviet captivity show a haggard man who had apparently aged in months (visitors made the same comment). The restrictions on the Tsar and family were gradually tightened as they were moved from one prison to another. There was a mysterious event when one of the commissars – Vasily Yakolev – put the family on a train heading east, ostensibly to a more secure site but just possibly as an escape attempt (Yakolev later defected to the Whites), but the train was turned back to Yekaterinburg by Soviet railway workers and a few weeks later that was that.
Extensive references; nice photographs of the participants and adequate maps. Massie has a more recent book on the final identification of the Romanov remains – I’ll have to track it down.
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Awards
Notable Books List (1967)
ALA Outstanding Books for the College Bound (Biography — 1999)
Pages
613