Recommended reading/Valid sources/Advice for beginners on Romanov books

I cannot recommend Marc Ferro's biography of Nicholas II. He has the strangest conclusion, suggesting that Alix and the daughters somehow survived in a basement in a small village called Perm?!?Huh? Is this some strange inside joke or a serious theory? (Sorry to offend -I had never heard this notion before...seems silly to me)

I read Marc Ferro's biography years ago and I remember I didn't like it very much either. The reason that I did not like it was because it concentrated more on Nicholas' political life than his personal life, which I found rather boring. That's just me, though. Others may find the political life more interesting. But I have read other reviews on the book and they are generally bad.

With regards to Perm, it is not a joke but an actual theory that some people believe.

Actually, the Perm story is not a theory. There was a report from Alexander Kirsta, one of the White officers investigating the disappearence of the Imperial Family, contained the information about Alexandra and the girls in Perm. This report was mentioned in "File on the Tsar", the authors made a big deal about Sokolov "supressing" this evidence. They failed to consider the possibility that the Perm report was not very credible. Instead, they claimed it was true and that everyone kind of faded away some time in 1918. Which does not make a great deal of sense!

Thanks Lisa!

Thats more or less what I had thought - but I'm certainly no expert...  Another strange point in Ferro's book - a number of comments about  Nicholas not wanting to marry Alexandra because she was so much taller than him -- Alexander supposedly forced him to do it!     Huh?    Now I think that's bizzare!

Marc Ferro's book Nicholas II, the Last of the Tsars is worth bypassing. There are many inaccuracies and creative interpretations which are so imaginative they become fictitious. To suggest that the there were survivors from the massacre immediately loses all credibility. He has problems in proving the correct dates for events, which may stem from his lack of understanding the difference between the Gregorian and Julian calendars. He places Nikolai in a very negative light which is not warranted.  

Any recommendations for "The Jewel Album of Tsar Nicholas II" by A von Solodkoff?

Found this book in a secondhand webstore (nice price ) But is it worthwhile?

Anna

I would suggest The last Tsar:  Life And Death Of Nikolai II by Edward Rodzinskii.  I personally like the way he writes.  Massie's Nicholas And Alexandra is not bad as well.  I do highly suggest A Lifelong Passion:  Nicholas And Alexandra Their Own Story simply because it consists of their letters and diary entries (along with letters and diary entries of their cousins and members of their suite), and it gives a glimpse into their lives from a rather personal angle.  In terms of picture books, I'd suggest The Lost World Of The Last Tsar (my apologies for not remebering the authors).  I'm waiting for my copy of Nicholas And Alexandra:  Family Albums by Prince Micheal of Greece, so I can't give my opinion just yet.  I'm looking forward to receiving it, because I have heard a lot of good comments.  I hope this helps.

Dasha

JaneEyre5381,

All the books you mentioned I already have, except the one by Prince Michael of Greece.

Definitely "A lifelong Passion" is one of my favorits and it shows It maybe sounds silly, friends and family can lend all my other books but never a Romanov one.
I'm too scared in which state it will be returned.

btw "The Lost World"is by Peter Kurth.

Anna

Any recommendations for "The Jewel Album of Tsar Nicholas II" by A von Solodkoff? Found this book in a secondhand webstore (nice price ) But is it worthwhile?

I think this would be a very nice book to add to your collection. It is a nice mix of rare photos that I had not seen elsewhere, as well as of course the catalog of Nicholas's jewels. These are all his hand-drawn colour sketches of the jewels he received from 1879 to 1913, plus there is an interesting article on the history of the pieces. It is especially touching to see the jewelry received from his wife and children. The photos, as I mentioned, are a real treat as well.

Sarai,

Thanks for your recommendation, I have just ordered my copy. Did you find your copy of "The Last Tsar"by Larissa Yermilova?

Anna

JaneEyre5381,

All the books you mentioned I already have, except the one by Prince Michael of Greece.

Definitely "A lifelong Passion" is one of my favorits and it shows It maybe sounds silly, friends and family can lend all my other books but never a Romanov one.
I'm too scared in which state it will be returned.



btw "The Lost World"is by Peter Kurth.

Anna

Hi Anna,

First and foremost, thank you so much for posting the author of The Lost World Of The Last Tsar.  I had no chance to look at that book, because I lent it to my history professor for her Ph.D thesis (she's writing on the Romanovs).  I don't like to lend my Romanov books out either, but I made an exception, because I highly doubt that she'll damage or ruin it.  

I have to agree with you on A Lifelong Passion.  It's a wonderfull book, and as I stated previously, it gives a personal insight into the life of the Imperial Family.  It's also a source of great quotes (I'm a sucker for quotes), and historical information.  

Thank you again for posting the name of the author.

Dasha

Sarai, Thanks for your recommendation, I have just ordered my copy. Did you find your copy of "The Last Tsar"by Larissa Yermilova?

Dear Anna,
You will enjoy that book! I have seen copies of Yermilova's book on the Internet but haven't gotten around to purchasing it yet.

Hello All,

I would highly recommend these books, as they are all well written and thought provoking.

Nicholas II: The Interupted Transition, by Helene Carrere d'Encausse (no photos) serious & scholarly
 
The Fall of The Romanovs, by M.D. Steinberg and V.M. Khrustalev (some misidentified photos) well composed  
Rasputin, The Saint who Sinned, by Brian Moynahan
(some photos) lots of clear information about the IF

And these are splendid about Russian society in general...
Natasha's  Dance, by O. Figes (photos) great!  
Land of the Firebird, by Suzanne Massie (photos)  :-/ 

These are just a few, but as I had not seen most of them mentioned yet in this thread, I felt obliged to note them. The comments are purely my own.  

AGRBear

   My previous post has a short list of some books which you might enjoy - all are available at american libraries and you could examine them.
   I espectially suggest "Natasha's Dance" as it will take you into a much deeper richer place than "Land of the FireBird."

R.

Just a little question, does anyone know if there has ever been a translation of Count Witte's memoirs? I have only found copies in Russian.

Best wishes