Romanovs

Rating:
Summary: The Romanovs....... come home
Review: Robert Massie wrote the book Nicholas and Alexandra years before the fall of the Soviet Union. Now that he has had access to more information, he continues the story to it's end. Since this is an area of history that has always fascinated me, I was anxious to read this book. It seems as if it had to have happened much longer than the short span of time that has passed since the Romanov family was executed. They lived in an unreal world, isolated from the events surrounding them.

Massie does another excellent job of writing what could be a very dry, detail oriented book so that it is enjoyable to read, and leaves no stone unturned.

Rating:
Summary: The Romanovs....... come home
Review: Robert Massie wrote the book Nicholas and Alexandra years before the fall of the Soviet Union. Now that he has had access to more information, he continues the story to it's end. Since this is an area of history that has always fascinated me, I was anxious to read this book. It seems as if it had to have happened much longer than the short span of time that has passed since the Romanov family was executed. They lived in an unreal world, isolated from the events surrounding them.

Massie does another excellent job of writing what could be a very dry, detail oriented book so that it is enjoyable to read, and leaves no stone unturned.

Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: The first part was boring with the DNA and blah, blah (maybe because I was 11) but the Anna Anderson part, Imposters and Survivors was cool. It took a lot of work for RKM to interview the real royalty and piece everything together. The pictures were great. But whose missing? I know Alexei (Alexis) is missing (he was burned) but Tatiana, Marie, or Anastasia. Now they're saying Marie is missing...Nicholas and Alexandra was much better, but describing the deaths in the two books was different.

Rating:
Summary: The perfect companion to _Nicholas and Alexandra_
Review: The recovery of the Romanovs' remains was bedeviled by political infighting on every level. Churches, governments, and scientists turned what should have been a solemn homecoming into a backdrop for petty internecine fights. Massie cuts through all this petty bickering and provides the reader with a clear, concise account of the recovery of the bones and their eventual interment.

Those who enjoyed _Nicholas and Alexandra_ will find this book the perfect companion, but I recommend this book to anyone interested in Russian history, politics, or religion.

Rating:
Summary: Robert K. Massie's books are the best
Review: The Romanovs: The Final Chapter is an excellent book. It is written in great detail and begins with the death of the last Imperial family of Russia. I recommend reading Nicholas & Alexandra and then this if you are just begining to learn and read about them. Nicholas & Alexandra begins a little bit before Nicholas II took the throne and continues with their personal and political lives. The Romanovs: The Final Chapter provides scientific evidence to back up what you are reading. It is a detailed look at the death of the Romanovs, the finding of their bodys in the 70s, the refinding of their bodys in 1991, and the famous Anna Anderson theory. It doesn't provide an explantion to who Anna Anderson really was, but it provides facts to make your own conclusion (mine - Anna Anderson is not the Grand Duchess Anastasia). The Romanovs: The Final Chapter & Nicholand and Alexandra are seriously the two best books to read about the Romanovs. Also, the movie (based on the book) Nicholas and Alexandra is a wonderful movie. I recommend all of these for anyone who is new at learning of the last Imperial family, or who has read tons of books and wants more information.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, informative and very complete.
Review: There are no other historical figures that have captured my attention as the last Tsar and Tsarina of Russia have. To me, they are really tragic figures as both were thrown into a political office they were not prepared for and did not even enjoy. Yet in the midst of this, their family values and the love between Nicholas and Alexandra and their children has really been made evident. My heart breaks for the family and I have a really great admiration for them. While I was already aware of the details of the family's death, Massie's book really shed some light as to the developments that occured once their bodies were found. It is an interesting and informative piece of work that obviously had alot of research invested in it. It was interesting to learn about the whole process of testing the bones for authenticity and to learn of all the different parties and political twists involved. What I have found a little bit tedious, however, was the chapters detailing the court case on the release of Anna Anderson's tissues. However, I guess in order to give a full picture, all the information was needed. It is definitely a book anyone with even the slightest interest in the Romanov's or even the mystery surrounding their murders should read. By Tamara Williams, [e-mail].c

Rating:
Summary: Love the vast information
Review: This audio is like a good mystery with all the interesting facts and figures. Massie travels all avenues. O'Keefe pronounces the Russian cities and names superbly, great job all around.

Rating:
Summary: The truth revealed
Review: This book appealed to the forensic scientist in me. Rober K Massie had already written one marvelous book on the Romanov's and this book is the epilogue. After 7 decades, the truth is revealed. There is maybe still a little tiny bit of room for conspiracy theories to run amok in, but...

The first half of the book details the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Romanov's and then the startling truth revealed in the dying years of someone who KNEW what really happened that fateful night in Ekaterinburg. Interesting also, is the current Russian governments reluctance to put this issue to rest, preferring to the last to believe that the Romanov's did not perish at Ekaterinburg rather than admit to destroying the Russian empire. The second half of the book is about the many people who claimed to be surviving Romanov's of the Ekaterinburg disaster. It takes skill to deceive people for 7 decades! Probably not as exhilerating as the first half of the book, but interesting nontheless.

I loved this book for wrapping up a tragic tale spanning nearly 1 century. Maybe some people won't like that, but I for one am glad that this great tragedy has been revealed for all that it is and documented as best and sympathetically as one can. Thank you Mr. Massie!

Rating:
Summary: Alot of information
Review: This book contains alot of information about the fate of the Romanov family and their companions. There are documents from Russian archives, eyewitness accounts and more. It is sometimes difficult reading, but well worth the effort.

Rating:
Summary: Informative and thorough, but contentious
Review: This book has a lot going for it: the portrait of the Romanov family's last days is touching, and the account of their execution is factual and truly horrific. (As the author of "Nicholas and Alexandra," Massie clearly wears his heart on his sleeve, but the story is appalling enough on its own merits: Nicholas may have been arrogant, stubborn, and a political idiot, but his family certainly didn't deserve a brutal death.) The author's exposition of how the bones were found and identified is thorough and clear, if a bit dry, and his explanation of "Anna Anderson" and her history is authoritative and convincing. He's also very good at explaining how DNA typing works.
On the other hand, when he describes the disputes over who was entitled to examine the bones and do the DNA work on them, the author becomes partisan. I felt that his attack on DNA expert Mary-Claire King was highly unfair: it's evident that she realized that the situation was t! urning into Dueling DNA Analysts and didn't want her employees wasting their time on it, so accusing her of failing to keep promises she never made is petty and mean-spirited. The author's spitefulness in this section mars what is otherwise a balanced, objective account of the discovery and identification of the bones. With this reservation, I'd recommend the book as a thorough and convincing description of how the Romanov bones were found and identified, and essential reading for anyone who is curious about the issues raised by their recent burial.