The Court of the Last Tsar: Pomp, Power,Pageantry

Some reviews, fresh from amazon.com. FYI, the publication date is given as 26 March.
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From Publishers Weekly
This high-end coffee-table book offers a comprehensive look at the lifestyles of the late-czarist rich and famous. King (The Fate of the Romanovs) includes chapters on major czarist institutions like the Russian Orthodox Church, but this is not his main interest; instead, he focuses on imperial ceremonies, palaces and the fashions of Nicholas's court, as well as sexual scandals involving members of the Romanov family. King has a vast knowledge of the subject, and those who are fascinated by the life of the royals and aristocratic intrigue will find much to delight in; for instance, his description of czarist royal jewelry and the magnificence of Russian balls, even as the regime was soon to crumble, adds to our understanding of how myopic the regime was. The photographs, both color and b&w, add to the book's appeal. King has made valuable use of memoirs from the era, but sometimes he uses them uncritically. But for those who are intrigued by the Russian high court, there is no better escort. (Mar.)
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From Booklist
Anyone who has read about the reign of the last czar of Russia understands that the imperial court was a place of opulence, but just how opulent it was is given almost staggering detail in this picture of the incredibly elaborate setting in which Nicholas II and his relatives existed. The House of Romanov, which included the czar's immediate and collateral family members, spared themselves nothing in terms of luxury in the declining years of the imperial regime, before the horrors of World War I brought an end to the monarchy. King marshals an amazing amount of information, and just as amazingly he presents it all in a very fluid, compelling fashion; specifically, he profiles the major members of the Romanov clan, then visits where they lived, gathers information on their possessions (such as jewelry, automobiles, and country estates), reconstructs the major pageants they performed in, and details how they spent their leisure. It's eye-opening, and even fun (now that it's all in the past), to visit this extraordinary group in its time and place. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Greg King's The Court of the Last Tsar is a major contribution to the study of late Imperial Russia. The author's use of archives, memoirs, published sources and secondary studies is thorough and imaginative. His discussion of palaces and places, people and court life is impressive. Tragedy hovers in the background of King's narrative, of course, for we know the fate which awaits the characters in this drama. The author engages his readers on many levels and in various ways; but one will not find a trace of sentimentality or idealization in these pages. Greg King is emerging as one of the leading authorities in the liveliest field of Russian studies at the present time.- Joseph T. Fuhrmann, author of Rasputin, A Life (1990) and the editor of The Complete Wartime Correspondence of Tsar Nicholas II and the Empress Alexandra (1999)
"The lives of Nicholas & Alexandra have been well documented over the years and it seems impossible to believe that there is anything about them we don't already know, but The Court of the Last Tsar does the impossible. It shows us not only Nicholas & Alexandra, but also the people and the surroundings which made up the daily lives of the last Tsar and Tsarina from 1894 to the eve of World War I - and all this in one book. By focusing on personages, palaces, possessions, pageantry and pleasures he has given us a wealth of information. Everything from their servants to the gold-braided court personnel, their magnificent palaces and yachts to humble picnics on the Finnish coast, from the pageantry of coronations and funerals to the informal life at their Crimean palace of Livadia, is covered in this wonderful book - not forgetting the jewels, the court gowns and the Faberge eggs. Greg King has truly written a tour de force.The book is extremely well researched (even including floor plans of the palaces and a list of the members of Nicholas' court) and has over 100 illustrations. It is, quite simply, marvellous."- Coryne Hall, author of Little Mother of Russia, Once a Grand Duchess, and Imperial Dancer

"Greg King's The Court of the Last Tsar is a mammoth, monumental achievement. There is no other book that captures the essence, nay, the entire scope, of life at the court of Nicholas II. An inveterate who's who - from relatives and courtiers to residences and jewels - of a Byzantine court life, now lost in the midst of time. King make uses of historical sources, far and wide, and delivers a thoroughly enjoyable, and encyclopaedic masterpiece. This book will be a major source for historians and biographers for years to come."- Marlene A Eilers, author of Queen Victoria's Descendants and publisher of Royal Book News

"Any book by Greg King is a book to be kept and savored. In The Court of the Last Tsar he has not only given us a fresh, clear-eyed and often startling new look at the life of the last Romanovs, but has also lived up to the promise of his title. He has shown us how the whole enterprise worked, from the highest figure -- Tsar Nicholas II -- to the lowest cook and chambermaid in the imperial domain. King has filled in all the gaps that the rest of us could only guess about. This book is a great work of scholarship -- not only that, a wonderful read."- Peter Kurth, author of Tsar: The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra

Book Description
The first in-depth look at the ceremonies, scandals, and luxurious daily life of the Romanov court

In this sumptuous book, historian Gregory King at last recaptures the glittering lost world of Nicholas and Alexandra. Drawing on 15 years of research and hundreds of previously unpublished documents, he brings the Romanov court to life as never before–the extravagant Imperial ceremonies and entertainments, the salacious sexual intrigues and scandals, and the fascinating day-to-day details, from table settings to servant life. With 24 pages of color illustrations and 80 rare black-and-white photographs, this is the ultimate gift for anyone fascinated by the last days of Imperial Russia.