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Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Revolutionary Days (Countess Speransky)
« on: January 10, 2007, 12:28:05 AM »
Thanks, folks. I appreciate the input. I look forward to reading it!
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2
Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Revolutionary Days (Countess Speransky)
« on: January 08, 2007, 08:23:44 PM »
Yikes. 6 days and no one replied? Nobody knows of this book at all?
Revolutionary Days Including Passages from My Life Here and There 1876-1917 by Princess Julia and Countess Speransky, nee Grant Cantacuzene (Author)
Okay, well, I guess that'll be the next one I read. I'll let you know what I find out. I know you're all dying to know!
Revolutionary Days Including Passages from My Life Here and There 1876-1917 by Princess Julia and Countess Speransky, nee Grant Cantacuzene (Author)
Okay, well, I guess that'll be the next one I read. I'll let you know what I find out. I know you're all dying to know!
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Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Revolutionary Days (Countess Speransky)
« on: January 02, 2007, 01:47:22 PM »
Hey, all. I just picked up this book at the local 1/2 price book store and was wondering if anyone has thoughts on it. This is "The Lakeside Classics" edition, published by RR Donnelley & Sons, Chicago, December 1999. (No ISBN listed.) Thanks in advance.
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The Tudors / Re: Elizabeth I paternity
« on: May 04, 2006, 07:41:52 AM »
Excellent point, ilyala! Thanks.
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The Tudors / Re: Elizabeth I paternity
« on: May 03, 2006, 01:53:18 PM »
Okay, so obviously there's no absolute proof that Elizabeth was indeed the daughter of Henry. It just irritates me to hear idiocies like that repeated as fact. I'll do my best to persuade her that she's repeating charges that are generally believed to be fabricated and see where we go from there. I'll probably even bring up that Henry married Jane a mere 11 days after Anne's execution. In a rush much?
Along the same lines, wanna hear something else that just burns me? In the textbook it describes Nicholas II as "slightly stupid." Just...argh!
Thanks everyone.
(And now I even know who Smeaton is.)
Along the same lines, wanna hear something else that just burns me? In the textbook it describes Nicholas II as "slightly stupid." Just...argh!
Thanks everyone.
(And now I even know who Smeaton is.)
6
The Tudors / Elizabeth I paternity
« on: April 29, 2006, 01:40:21 PM »
Hey, all. My Western Civ instructor insists that Elizabeth I was the product of the purported incest of her mother with her brother. I was under the impression that this accusation had been fairly well disproved. It drives me crazy when she repeats this, but I'm definitely not all that knowledgeable about the Tudors. Can anyone provide assistance in helping me show her the error of her ways? Thanks in advance!
7
Forum Announcements / Re: Our New "Global Moderator"!
« on: April 16, 2006, 08:42:28 PM »
I can't think of a better person to fill this position. Wise choice!!
Congratulations, Courtney!!
Congratulations, Courtney!!
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Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / A Russian Civil War Diary
« on: March 18, 2006, 04:14:09 PM »
A Russian Civil War Diary: Alexis Babine in Saratov, 1917-22
ISBN: 0822308355
Has anyone read this book? Neither Amazon nor Amazon UK give any reviews. Any information would be helpful. Thanks.
ISBN: 0822308355
Has anyone read this book? Neither Amazon nor Amazon UK give any reviews. Any information would be helpful. Thanks.
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Imperial Russian History / Re: Imperial Russia's Colonial Empire
« on: March 15, 2006, 10:36:44 PM »
Another fantastic nugget of information. I had never heard that about Hawaii. Can you shed any light on the reasons for the request and/or the refusal? Thanks in advance!
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The Myth and Legends of Survivors / Re: Space Alien Intervention.......
« on: March 10, 2006, 10:42:24 PM »
Brilliantly done!! Thanks for sharing. You're quite talented!
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Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: The Fate of The Romanovs,Greg King,Penny Wilson
« on: March 08, 2006, 12:38:54 AM »
I find it interesting, Belochka, that the quotes you have here presented as arguments to support your cause wind up, in fact, subverting it. As you went through the time to parse it out, so shall I.
The greatest inadequacy of Alexander III was his utter failure to train his son and Heir to become Emperor. Nicholas himself, from everything I've read, knew he was ill-equipped to assume that huge role. The entire tragic end of the Dynasty and the decades-long Soviet holocaust may have been prevented had Alexander simply been astute enough to provide his son the confidence, intelligence and astuteness borne of training.
Take a look around this board. How many threads and posts are dedicated to the family life of the Emperor? We see thread after thread comparing smiles and tennis rackets and myriad other familial inconsequences. And yet, when someone (bravely) attempts to discuss the political realities of Nicholas II's reign, the discussion becomes heated and the "he was a good, religious family man with an ill son!" card gets played time and time again as a way to rationalize or justify the Emperor's actions and those of his regime.
The boy was murdered at thirteen, for goodness sake. Of course he was immature. However, post after post here is dedicated to the horrors of his disease (and they were real and horrific). When his "bad behavior" was mentioned here months ago (or perhaps years, I can't remember), many members cast up their voices in denouncing the very possibility of such episodes because he had suffered so very much, how could he possibly wish for others to suffer. It is precisely because of his own pain, psychologically speaking, that he may have wished to inflict some on others from time to time. It is a very human thing to do. And let us not forget that none of us are nice and well-behaved 100 percent of the time.
How has X affected your life? Have you seen that thread? The simple truth is she could not possibly have affected your life, yet testimonials rise like floodwaters. Their lives were sadly thwarted. The captivating thing about these young women is their glamourous lives and tragic deaths. Because of the astonishing brutality of their deaths, though, any truly human traits they may have exhibited or possessed are routinely downplayed or denied by legions of ardent fans who wish to cling to the saintly aura that surrounds these very real, very flawed, very human young women.
See above, but also truly think about this from a detached perspective. I find them much more interesting as 3-dimensional human beings than as 1-dimensional saintly caricatures.
This may simply be the most brilliant comment I read in that book. It is undeniably true. The "things" you questioned in your original post, by the way, are those items listed after the word "people."
Once again, the very excerpts you provide do nothing but bolster the authors' position. You can argue the remainder of the book (the uncomfortable information provided, the verascity of the sources, etc.) all you want, but these that you have chosen are undeniable.
Quote
]It is very apparent that the authors have attempted to offer a different fate to the Romanov Family than that which we have accepted it to be.
@ p 528 they state:
1. "The inadequacies of Alexander III and Marie Fedorovna ..."
The greatest inadequacy of Alexander III was his utter failure to train his son and Heir to become Emperor. Nicholas himself, from everything I've read, knew he was ill-equipped to assume that huge role. The entire tragic end of the Dynasty and the decades-long Soviet holocaust may have been prevented had Alexander simply been astute enough to provide his son the confidence, intelligence and astuteness borne of training.
Quote
2. ".... have been washed away in lovingly painted portraits of a happy family."
Take a look around this board. How many threads and posts are dedicated to the family life of the Emperor? We see thread after thread comparing smiles and tennis rackets and myriad other familial inconsequences. And yet, when someone (bravely) attempts to discuss the political realities of Nicholas II's reign, the discussion becomes heated and the "he was a good, religious family man with an ill son!" card gets played time and time again as a way to rationalize or justify the Emperor's actions and those of his regime.
Quote
3. "The marked immaturity and bad behavior of the tsesarevich fall away when compared to his horrible pain and suffering."
The boy was murdered at thirteen, for goodness sake. Of course he was immature. However, post after post here is dedicated to the horrors of his disease (and they were real and horrific). When his "bad behavior" was mentioned here months ago (or perhaps years, I can't remember), many members cast up their voices in denouncing the very possibility of such episodes because he had suffered so very much, how could he possibly wish for others to suffer. It is precisely because of his own pain, psychologically speaking, that he may have wished to inflict some on others from time to time. It is a very human thing to do. And let us not forget that none of us are nice and well-behaved 100 percent of the time.
Quote
4. "The sad and thwarted lives of the four grand duchesses ... disappear in the haze of the revolver smoke."
How has X affected your life? Have you seen that thread? The simple truth is she could not possibly have affected your life, yet testimonials rise like floodwaters. Their lives were sadly thwarted. The captivating thing about these young women is their glamourous lives and tragic deaths. Because of the astonishing brutality of their deaths, though, any truly human traits they may have exhibited or possessed are routinely downplayed or denied by legions of ardent fans who wish to cling to the saintly aura that surrounds these very real, very flawed, very human young women.
Quote
5. "The resonance of the ultimate fate ... has stripped them of their humanity, shrouded them in mystical mantles, and washed from their faces that now adorn icons any trace of reality."
See above, but also truly think about this from a detached perspective. I find them much more interesting as 3-dimensional human beings than as 1-dimensional saintly caricatures.
Quote
6. "Perversely, in death, the once despised emperor and his family have become all things to all people, embodying romance, sentiment, nostalgia, national pride, religion, and myth. This is the true fate of the Romanovs."
This may simply be the most brilliant comment I read in that book. It is undeniably true. The "things" you questioned in your original post, by the way, are those items listed after the word "people."
Quote
Perhaps their answer may be found in their words on the previous page (@ 527):
"Nicholas the inept ruler, the weak-willed husband, the brutal authoritarian dictator who ruthlessly crushed the 1905 Revolution, the virulent anto-semite, the passive observer of his empire's martydom - all of these historic truths have been subsumed by the romantic nostalgia ... "
AND
"The Ekaterinburg massacre transformed Nicholas II and his family into powerful symbols, evoked to this day by elements ... the remnants of the Russian Communist Party to rabid monarchists and the Orthodox faithful in an eighty-five-year-old propaganda war[/u]."
AND
"As a result, rumor replaced fact, legend becomes enshrined as truth, and those involved in the final drama of the Romanovs are subsumed in a polarized mythology carefully crafted according to varied agends."
Once again, the very excerpts you provide do nothing but bolster the authors' position. You can argue the remainder of the book (the uncomfortable information provided, the verascity of the sources, etc.) all you want, but these that you have chosen are undeniable.
12
Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: A Poet Among the Romanovs
« on: March 07, 2006, 12:08:56 AM »
Okay, slight problem. The book arrived too soon! It only took 3 days! Spring Break isn't for another two weeks. (To have such problems! lol) Not to worry, I set aside the identification of metamorphic rocks (they'll wait, right?) and read it.
I can't thank you enough, Mr. Beeche, for your part in publishing this. I was intrigued by Prince Paley before, but now...now I'm hooked.
Just a suggestion [don't be mad]: Before the next printing, you might want to check out what seems to be the author's note to himself that was somehow included in the copy on page 83, last paragraph, fourth line. Not a big deal, it just distracted me for a bit.
Anyway, thanks again! I'm sure you'll become very familiar with my address soon!
I can't thank you enough, Mr. Beeche, for your part in publishing this. I was intrigued by Prince Paley before, but now...now I'm hooked.
Just a suggestion [don't be mad]: Before the next printing, you might want to check out what seems to be the author's note to himself that was somehow included in the copy on page 83, last paragraph, fourth line. Not a big deal, it just distracted me for a bit.
Anyway, thanks again! I'm sure you'll become very familiar with my address soon!
13
Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: A Poet Among the Romanovs
« on: March 03, 2006, 12:12:12 AM »
Wow, you're kidding! I'm all proud and stuff now! ...Wait, does that translate into special savings on future orders? Nah, just kidding.
I'll be sure to let you know when I've received it. Looks like it should arrive at the perfect time--Spring Break! I might actually get to read it right away!
I'll be sure to let you know when I've received it. Looks like it should arrive at the perfect time--Spring Break! I might actually get to read it right away!
14
The Myth and Legends of Survivors / Re: Space Alien Intervention.......
« on: March 01, 2006, 09:20:36 PM »
Frankly, I'm more concerned with the mustard bottle! 
Great pic. Thanks.
Great pic. Thanks.
15
Books about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: A Poet Among the Romanovs
« on: March 01, 2006, 03:32:07 PM »
Thank you! I'm excited to receive it!