Nicholas and Alexandra
Ratings11
Average rating4.2
A superbly crafted and humane portrait of the last days – and last rulers – of the Russian Empire. Complementing his Pulitzer prize-winning Peter the Great, in this commanding book Robert K. Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of imperial Russia to tell the story of the decline and fall of the ruling Romanov family: Tsar Nicholas II's political naivete; his wife Alexandra's obsession with the corrupt mystic Rasputin; and their son Alexis's battle with haemophilia. Against a lavish backdrop of luxury and intrigue, Massie unfolds a family tragedy played out on the brutal stage of early twentieth-century Russian history – the tale of a doomed empire and the death-marked royals who watched it crumble.
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Well written and researched book that made me feel like I had actually had the chance to meet Nicky and Alix & their kids. It was interesting to think about how various factors influenced their overthrow – they married for love, but would a different spouse have allowed Nicholas to remain as tsar, given how many Russians hated his wife for being German, or because of her devotion to Rasputin? The older daughter had the opportunity to marry and move out of Russia, and therefore would have lived, but wanted to wait to marry for love, etc.
The only part I didn't enjoy was the fact it wasn't entirely chronological & that sometimes made events a little confusing to place into a timeframe with the other events I'd learned about in other sections of the book.
In sum, well worth reading. I have a new-found interest in visiting Russia.
Long story short, the world would be a much better place today if Queen Victoria didn't enjoy having sex as much. Lack of sex drive, lack of children. Lack of children, lack of hemophilia. Lack of hemophilia, lack of Rasputin. Lack of Rasputin...well, you get the idea.
