Topics

1

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Royals and the Reich

« on: July 02, 2006, 04:01:26 PM »

I just saw this on Amazon. Has anyone here read it?  It sounds interesting -though a bit gloomy.  


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195161335/sr=8-1/qid=1151873978/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-9395896-3763945?ie=UTF8

2

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / These are so expensive!  I wonder why....

« on: June 26, 2006, 08:34:01 PM »

 Â Like most of you, I have a house full of books about 19th and 20th century royalty. I noticed these books by John Rohl about  Kaiser Wilhelm on Amazon a year or so ago..  They got good reviews and look interesting. However, the prices remain too rich for my blood. I could only imagine university libraries or well-heeled scholars investing in them right now. Has anyone read them or has an idea as to why they are priced so high?

"Young Wilhelm":

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521497523/sr=8-7/qid=1151371843/ref=sr_1_7/104-9395896-3763945?ie=UTF8

"Wilhelm II: The Kaiser's Personal Monarchy":

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521819202/sr=8-4/qid=1151371905/ref=sr_1_4/104-9395896-3763945?ie=UTF8

Thus far, the books cover up to 1900-so I anticipate he will carry on until the Kaiser's death.

3

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Further recs-Theo Aronson?

« on: December 20, 2004, 08:53:44 PM »

 Â I have a few books that I bought for $1.00 at a FOL sale that I have enjoyed very much: "The Kaisers," "Victoria and Disraeli", and "Crowns in Conflict." I bought "Royal Subjects", as well.


 I have also read "Fall of the Third Napoleon' and "Queen Victoria and the Bonapartes" from the library.  I know that he never wrote directly about the Romanovs-but I would like to try some of other books that I can obtain fairly reasonably on the web. Unfortunately, that rules out two that I would love to have: "Grandmama of Europe" and "Family of Kings." They are both too highly priced for me usually. I thought I had found a reasonable copy of  "Family" on Amazon-but it was a Canadian seller who would not mail to an American address, alas! (Go there, quickly, if you are Canadian!)

Has anyone read a title by him that you could recommend?  I would like to purchase a few others-but some feedback would be great!

4

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / "Years of the Golden Cockerel" by Sidney

« on: November 02, 2004, 08:49:51 PM »

  Does anyone have any thoughts on this one? I am always seeing used books on Ebay or Alibris and wondering if they are worth looking into.

 This was published in 1968 and concerns the last Romanov Tsars (1814-1917). I have read so much on this subject now that I rarely find anything startling or new (that has been published anyway!  I haven't crept into the Russian archives, of course!)---but I always enjoy a new perspective if it is written with some style and wit.

Someone tell me if this is worth a look!  Thanks!  

5

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Marie Avinov-Pilgrimage through Hell?

« on: September 30, 2004, 06:41:20 PM »

  There are SO many books in the world-and the internet makes it so easy to find them. As a result, my home is beginning to resemble a satellite branch of the Library of Congress!  I just purchased Paul Chavchavadze's "Family Album" from ABE-and I saw the "Marie Avinov" book on Amazon. I could get it very cheaply (fingers twitching towards mouse!) used.

 Has anyone read the "Marie Avinov" book?  Evidently, she was born in the Russian Aristocracy but remained in Russia through the Revolution. She fell victim to the purges and went to the camps-but finally defected. The book was published in 1968 and it is an autobiography.

I wanted to get some encouragement or discouragement!

6

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / "The Russians" -Judith Pella

« on: September 22, 2004, 05:33:10 PM »

 Â I have just heard of this--it is a fictional series of books based on family before, during and after the Revolution. It is classified as "inspirational fiction" which probably means it has religious overtones or undertones. Although I am a believer , I don't read this type of fiction usually.

Has anyone read any of these? Is the historical background sound? Is the story interesting? I was thinking about trying the first one-but I thought I would ask if anyone had any feedback.  I am the poster who loved "Summer Day is Done." But,  I have also  read a good many other novels set in Imperial Russia that were not memorable, to say the least.

Edited to say: I have a sneaking suspicion that these may be a religious-tinged version of the John Jakes' ilk (remember the "Bicentennial series"). My grandmother urged those on me when I was a teenager and they were dreadful.  Here is a precis: Sex scene-paragraphs lifted from a 5th grade history book-fight or battle scene-then repeat the pattern again and again...! LOL!  

7

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / A Lifelong Passion: Nicholas and Alexandra

« on: July 29, 2004, 08:26:33 AM »

   This is a great resource-all of the primary sources (letters, diaries, autobios) collected together. I bought the hardcover copy as soon as I saw it in the store with glee.  It is the first time that I was able to glean much first-hand information on lesser Romanovs like Grand Duke KR.

 In the forward, the editors mentioned how much material they had to cut in order to make a manageable volume. All of the omissions sounded so interesting to me!  Are there any plans to publish some further material by these editors?  I really wish they would-I could read this type of thing ad infinitum!

8

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / "Summer Day is Done" by R.T. Stevens

« on: July 10, 2004, 09:48:20 AM »

  I wanted to recommend this as a book that I have a great fondness for. It is a novel with a very sympathetic portrait of the Imperial family-though-it -as with most of these novels-takes some license with the facts.

 It is based around a mythical romance between Olga and a British soldier-but the family atmosphere is very convincing to me. It is the sort of book that haunts you and lingers in your memory. Of course, I first read it as a teenager and I think this may play a part in my affection for it.

9

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Last Tsarina (novel by Ludmila Prole)

« on: June 28, 2004, 04:51:05 PM »

   I just won this as part of an E-bay lot. I think someone mentioned it once before-but I can't remember what they said!  It didn't have any reviews on Amazon-so I have a feeling that it is probably ho-hum, at best.

Has anyone read this? I have read some Romanov-based novels like "The Summer Day is Done" that I really enjoyed. I wondered if anyone had any feelings on this one. The copyright date seems to be 1973.

10

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / "Romanov Relations"

« on: May 01, 2004, 08:11:56 PM »

  I have been contemplating purchasing this-it is personal correspondence between Alexander I and his siblings over a period of years.  I love letters and diaries-I have several volumes of the Queen Victoria/Vicky letters and-of course-"A Lifelong Passion."

Has anyone read this particular book. Of course, it is concerned with an earlier imperial generation-but I thought it might be interesting (i.e. I might not know the era as well). I like nineteenth century history in general. The Greville Diaries really fascinated me. I felt like he was writing in the room next to me-there was such a confidential and sparkling tone.

11

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Meriel Buchanan's books

« on: April 26, 2004, 06:37:30 PM »

 Â I wish I could say that I have read her autobiographical books-but I haven't . They are VERY expensive-when found at all-on the internet. The only book of hers that is readily available is one on cooking. Maybe, the site admininistrators would post some excerpts if they have access!

12

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / "Tragic Bride" By V. Poliakoff

« on: April 13, 2004, 05:30:19 PM »

  I have a copy of this that I found in an old used bookstore (while on vacation)-but I haven't read it yet. It is copyrighted 1927 and it is about Empress Alexandra.  I would wager that it is based on scant primary resources because of the time that it was written-but I wondered if anyone had an opinon about this one.  

The author also wrote "Mother Dear" about the Dowager Empress (don't have that one). I am glad I picked it up-but -as I said-I wondered if anyone else has read it.

13

Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Autobios-Russian aristocracy?

« on: April 03, 2004, 11:31:55 AM »

  I have found many of these to be nearly as interesting as books about the royal family-and they often have new perspectives and stories about the Romanovs in them. I have a few of them-"White Road" By Olga Ilyn, a few books by Olga Skariatina, "Russian Album" by Michael Ignatieff (I like this one very much and have re-read it several times). I also have "Bread of Exile."

Does anyone have any more recommendations?  The more lively and personable the better!  I am such a bookaholic and I am always on the look-out for more of these. The curses and blessings of the internet!

14

Imperial Succession and the Throne / Current Perception of Romanovs and Monarchy in Russia

« on: March 17, 2004, 06:54:59 PM »

  I wondered if any of the authors or scholars who post here have any information as to the status or interest in the Romanovs and imperial history in present day Russia?  I know that there is close to no chance of a restoration-but after nearly a century of very negative propaganda and sparse infomation about the Romanovs-I wondered what was the response to the literal flood of information after glasnost and the fall of the Soviet Union?   There was a little bit of information in Remnick's "Lenin's Tomb" about this sudden thaw of censorship-but this book chiefly talked about the revelations about the Stalinist era/Bukharin, etc.

 I wonder if there is as much interest in the Russian educated population in the Romanovs as I see here (I love this site and come everyday to read the discussions.). Does anyone have any insights on this?