Romanovs and Russian History


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Since the Kitchen Boy was mentioned, the authors' new book called Rasputin's Daughter is now available. I read it and it was very interesting.

It is a fictionalized account of the oldest daughter of Rasputin and life in the Romanov court in about 1913- 1918.

Linda 85
 
What kind of book are you looking for? Do you just want information on Nicky and Alexandra? The book by Robert Massie "Nicholas and Alexandra" is a good one to start.

Then there are the bios on Nicky by Edvard Razinsky (Sp?) and Alex by Greg King. You could also try The Fate of the Romanovs by Greg King which goes into excruciating detail about their last days and how they died.

There is a really good book about Minnie, Nicky's mother called Little Mother of Russia by Coryne Hall (I think).

None of these are fiction but hopefully this will help you to start! Also, there is a new book coming out this month that you can check on at amazon, its by Greg King and I think its called "The Court of the last Tsar." Its a big picture book about the various palaces and fun stuff like that.

And I just remembered, if you want a picture book of the Romanovs, Prince Nicholas of Greece has a awesome!! book with family pictures. This one is really hard to find, I have found it on the Internet for thousands of dollars, which is a little much for me! I just wish the library would find its copy that it LOST.:mad:

Hopes this helps!;)
 
thanks Tenngirl, but i'm looking for a book with information, their lifes and pictures about OTMA and Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra.. ;)
 
To start, Nicholas and Alexandra by Massie, which covers the basics and is written as a romance novel but really isn't.

Anastasia's Album by Hugh Brewster which has many pictures mostly of OTMA, it's a children's book but a gem.

Nicholas and Alexandra: The Family Albums by Prince Michael of Greece is my all time favorite Romanov book, it's all RARE pictures and gives such a clear view into the IF's private lives. This book is out of print and pretty expensive. I got mine for just over $100 which is as cheap as it comes right now.

If you want to read about Anna Anderson, don't get the Lovell book, get the Kurth book. Lovell writes as if it's a given that she is Anastasia and Kurth explores the possibilities.

Another "book" I like is the Nicholas and Alexandra: The Last Imperial Family of Tsarist Russia exhibit catalogue. It's got lots of photos of their stuff and them and background on each. I learned a lot and it gave me a better idea of how they lived.

Fate of the Romanovs by King and Wilson is extremely good but it only covers from about 1914 and a lot of it deals with what happened after the executions. Still if you want the whole story, read it.

Tsar by Peter Kurth has many photos of the palaces (then and now) plus a bunch of photos of the Imperial Family, but most of the photos are online so if you are familiar with Romanov websites nothing but the palaces will be new to you.

I feel like there are more I'm missing, if I remember I'll post later.
 
Oh thanks! I think Anastasia's Album by Hugh Brewster but it really is a childish very kiddie children book? or how? and what's a gem and IF's?
 
And I also need that come written in spanish too.. but I don't know if they make those.. :(
 
I don't know of any spanish books.
When she writes IF Ritka means Imperial Family.
I think Anastasia's Album is nice, it's a children's book but it has many photographs.
 
But what do you mean with children book? do you men it's just for small children or a adult/teen can read it too?

And where's available?
 
And what books have you read about Romanovs? wich one can you recomend me?
 
Aside from Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra" I highly recommend "The Romanovs: 1818-1959" and "Once A Grand Duchess: Xenia, Sister of Nicholas I", both by John Van Der Kiste, and also Edvard Radzinsky's books "The Last Tsar" and "Alexander II: the Last Great Tsar."
 
Jackswife said:
Aside from Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra" I highly recommend "The Romanovs: 1818-1959" and "Once A Grand Duchess: Xenia, Sister of Nicholas I", both by John Van Der Kiste, and also Edvard Radzinsky's books "The Last Tsar" and "Alexander II: the Last Great Tsar."

I've never heard of "Once A Grand Duchess: Xenia, Sister of Nicholas I". Is this a newer book that has just come out or has it been out for a while. It sounds very interesting.
 
Lady Jennifer said:
I've never heard of "Once A Grand Duchess: Xenia, Sister of Nicholas I". Is this a newer book that has just come out or has it been out for a while. It sounds very interesting.
It's "Once a Grand Duchess: Xenia, sister of Nicholas II." and according to Amazon.com, that version has at least been out since 2004.
 
norwegianne said:
It's "Once a Grand Duchess: Xenia, sister of Nicholas II." and according to Amazon.com, that version has at least been out since 2004.

Ahh thats why I don't remember hearing about this book.....its been a while since I've been on a royal book buying spree :D.
 
The Fate Of The Romanovs-Greg King
Anastasia-Peter Kurth
Nicholas And Alexandra-Robert K Massie
The Real Tsaritsa-Lili Dehn
The Woman Who Rose Again-Gleb Botkin
The File On The Tsar-Tom Mangold and Anthony Summers
The Real Romanovs-Gleb Botkin
The Sokolov Report- John F O'Connor
 
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Anybody can read the Anastasia's Album book, I actually like it a lot even though not a lot was new. I like it because it's based on family life. It was originally written to interest children in the real royals, not the Anastasia of many bad movies. It has 2 pages of rare pictures previously unpublished before.

Don't know about any spanish books but I have a friend in Argentina, I'll ask her.

A "gem" in the context I used was meant to mean something like...a great book I guess.
 
No problem. Any questions about Romanov books you can ask me, I have most of the basics here.
 
I borrowed two books at the library the other day: Olga Romanov - Russia's Last Grand Duchess by Patricia Phenix (1999) and The Last Grand Duchess by Ian Vorres (1964). Personally I found the first one too "chatty" and I rather question Phenix' work when she can get a simple fact like when the Germans invaded Denmark, wrong. That aside, it was an interesting book to read, just alone in terms of being allowed access to letters in archives, the DNA testings, etc.

The other book felt more personal as it was based on Olga's personal memories and interviews with her, rather than just letters, and interviews with people around her as Phenix did.

One account I did enjoy very much from Phenix' book was when Canadian journalists came to interview her - and one kept addressing her as "Your Majesty". According to the book, Olga irritated said: "My name is Mrs. Kulikovsky and if you don't want to call me that, it's 'Her Imperial Highness."
 
Another book is Romanov Autumn. It's hard to find but I hear from everyone it's worth it. My copy is currently on the way to me and I can't wait! I know that julia.montague has it, she read some to me over Yahoo, and she can probably give a full review of it.
 
Jackswife said:
Aside from Massie's "Nicholas and Alexandra" I highly recommend "The Romanovs: 1818-1959" and "Once A Grand Duchess: Xenia, Sister of Nicholas I", both by John Van Der Kiste, and also Edvard Radzinsky's books "The Last Tsar" and "Alexander II: the Last Great Tsar."

I've seen "Alexander II: The Last Great Tsar" just recently on display at my local bookstore and was wondering if it was worth it. I might have to pick this one up.

Thanks:)
 
Kerry,
One complaint that I have about the book on Alexander II is that it does not deal with the personal side very much. It gives more detail on the actual society of Russia but not his relationship with his family, etc. I had read that complaint somewhere else before I started the book, but I found it to be true!

That part is disappointing but at least there is a book available about him. Since its so hard to find anything about the Tsars in America.

I did enjoy the first part of The Last Tsar. He is a very interesting writer. Although sometimes, I just want to shake Nicky II. What AN IDIOT!!!

Have you read the book on the Grand Duchesses of Russia? It has information on all the daughters of the Tsars and it is really intriguing!
 
Two fictional books that I've read are, "Summer Day is Done," and "The Snow Mountain" which are interesting. They pertain to the life of Nicholas II's daughter Olga. The second one is interesting because there's a chapter in which her cousin Dmitri asks her if she would involve herself in a plot that would overthrow her father and name her empress. Of course she refuses, but it's an interesting historical what-if.

I would really recommend "The Camera and the Tsars" and "Romanov Autumn," both are very informative, and the first has some excellent pictures of all sorts of Romanovs, not just the last tsar and his family.
 
I haven't read either of those fictional books, but I've heard that "Summer Day is Done" has more accurate characters. My three favorite fictional Romanov books are the Anastasia Royal Diary (so innacurate but I liked it), The Kitchen Boy (reads like a real story, and presents an actual theory as what happened, very accurate), and Angel on the Square (which follows a noble girl, Katya, who lives with the Imperial Family and is friends with Anastasia, but goes on after the executions)
 
morhange said:
Two fictional books that I've read are, "Summer Day is Done," and "The Snow Mountain" which are interesting. They pertain to the life of Nicholas II's daughter Olga. The second one is interesting because there's a chapter in which her cousin Dmitri asks her if she would involve herself in a plot that would overthrow her father and name her empress. Of course she refuses, but it's an interesting historical what-if.


I loved Summer Day is Done. What a good story! Absolutely unbelievable unfortunately. But I loved the idea. I think it would be neat if they would make it into a movie. So sweet!

Have you read the other book by the same author as "Summer Day..." about Tatiana? Its called Shadows in the afternoon. It is not as good as Summer Day.

I hope to find the Snow Mountain some day. I have heard other people mention it and I want to read it.
Tenngirl
 
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For those interested in Anastasia I have to share my latest find. I recently bought the 1956 movie Anastasia on DVD and in the special features section of the DVD it contains a free extra documentary from the History Channel on the real Anastasia and the Romanovs. The documentary has many pictures of the Romanovs I've never seen printed in any book like Anastasia's own pictures. I did not know she was a young photographer herself and liked to do self portraits. The documentary also has some family movies and interviews with other Romanovs. But the photos are priceless.
 
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I've read a lot of books about the Romanovs but I can just remember one title of the last book: the kitchenboy. It could have been true but it isn't.
 
Does anybody know about a good and detailed book about Nicolai I, Alexandr II or Alexandr III in russian?
 
Monna said:
Does anybody know about a good and detailed book about Nicolai I, Alexandr II or Alexandr III in russian?

I would highly recommend "Alexander II" by Henri Troyat. It is available in Russian (I have a copy).
 
New Romanov book

Sydney Morning Herald 17 March 2007

Ella: Princess, Saint and Martyr
by Christopher Warwick
John Wiley, 352pp.

"If you are beguiled by royals. this is the book for you, It tells the story of Queen Victoria's granddaughter Ella, more precisely Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna of Russia...
A person of deep spirituality, she was a kind of Russian Mother Teresa. Incorrectly suspected of German sympathies during the War, she was cruelly murdered by the Bolsheviks in July 1918."
 
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