[ysbel]

Hello, another interesting read, this time with the cousins as young adults.

First let me say that I was again a bit annoyed by the total focus on the 3 cousins this time it seems to the lack of everyone else in the story.

For example, only upon Eddy's death do we find how close the two brothers were and how distraught Georgie was upon his death. So close the brothers were that George named his eldest son Edward after his older brother. Yet the influence of that relationship on the outlook of young Georgie was not considered that important to the author even though Eddy with his effeminate dandyism and lack of concentration bore uncanny resemblances to his cousin Willy. (And for one, this reader would have been very intrigued to read how Georgie was close to one effeminate dandy brother and had an aversion to the cousin.)

Another example is when the author claims that Alexandra appeared half-German half-English in Russia despite the fact that earlier in the book she stressed how totally English Alix was. Comparing Alix to Minnie, the author noted that Minnie had endeavoured to pick up as many Russian traits and manners as possible but no where earlier in the book had the author tried to explain exactly how Minnie adopted more Russian traits. All I got from the book was that Minnie was a clever conversationalist who had extreme ease at talking with any one regardless of the position or occasion. It would have been indeed very interesting to read how Minnie had indeed achieved this Russification because if so, then that would have explained more fully how deep the shock was when her daughter in law took the throne.

The author also puts forth some contradictions without seemingly trying to explain them. Like when Bertie writes that Nicky is so well loved and of such a good countenance that if he adopted a liberal policy, he would be a great ruler however later in the same chapter we see that he wrote that Nicky was 'weak as water'. Granted that Bertie opined both but it would be helpful if the author tried to explain a bit more how these two opinions could come from the same person. In fact, I think unlike with Willy and George, the author gives the reader scant evidence of Nicky's later weak behavior until she writes about his rise to the throne. I again feel that Nicky is the author's least favorite cousin.

OK with that vent finished, that having been said, I found it amazing how Vicky for the second time overrode German doctors, this time when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. She brought in an English doctor who said the growth was benign. As a result Fritz did not have the surgery only to have the English doctor change his diagnosis to the same one the Germans had earlier but by then it was too late and Fritz died. First with Willy's birth and now with Fritz' death, Vicky's hand hovered over them.

I also saw a lot of similarities between Willy and his mother Vicky despite their distaste for one another. I think Willy was quite brilliant like his mother and like Vicky, he appears to not have the ability to keep his opinions to himself. He knew that George and Nicky didn't trust him but he carried on giving them advice on this and that much in the same way I imagine his mother Vicky was telling the Prussians what was wrong with them and wondering why they didn't listen. And he like his mother probably made himself easier to take advantage of. He seems to have inherited 100% her lack of social intelligence.

I don't have enough of a knowledge of 19th century German history to judge the politics of the day but despite the rest of Europe's hatred for Bismarck, dismissing Bismarck appeared to be Willy's big mistake. Bismarck appears to be rather Machiavellian - willing to use force and fear to get what he wants but not inclined to use force if he doesnt' have to. I thought it was interesting that when Bismarck resigned there was real mourning in Germany which sounds surprising if his policies were indeed as oppressive to the common man as he was. I wonder if the common people in those small German duchies actually resented the Prussian takeover less than their overlords. Bismarck and Sasha seemed to be two men of the same minds but different countries.

The chapters actually ended with Nicky taking the throne and the way the author describes his ascession, one cannot imagine a more incompetent ruler ever. Surprising that one gets a greater foreboding with Nicky at this stage than Willy.