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

[investigator]

Can anyone suggest some good books on the Romanovs?

[Forum Admin]

There are many good books on the Imperial Family. Your question is almost too broad to answer here. Two good basic books to start with are Robert Massie's "Nicholas & Alexandra" (look for the newer revised edition) for a 'scholarly' approach and "The Romanovs" by Bruce Lincoln as an overview of the entire family.  I also personally like "Nicholas & Alexandra: The Family Albums" by Prince Michael of Greece for the wonderful photos and  intimate family items, but this book is sadly now out of print.

[investigator]

Well, i also wanted books on the assassination of the Romanovs and on Anastasia.

[Forum Admin]

The best account of the captivity in Ekaterinburg and the murders is probably in "The Fall of the Romanovs" by Mark Steinbert and Vladimir Khurstalev.

For the real GD Anastasia, read our online books "The Real Tsaritsa" by Lily Dehn and "The Life and Tragedy of Alexandra Feodrovna" by Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden.

For a good account of the 'fake' Anastasias and the investigations, read "The Romanovs: The Final Chapter" by Robert Massie

[BobG]

I really liked "Romanov Autumn" by Charlotte Zeepvat.  It really gave a lot of detail I had never seen anywhere eles

[Nikolai04]

I have ordered today "The Final Chapter" through Amazon so I hope its as good as Massie's classic Nicholas and Alexandra" which I really enjoyed back in 1992 when I first read it...
Actually I am more interested in the bones findings than in the Anna Anderson case...So I hope it has complete info on that though being released in 1995, it may not tell about the official burials and the Church refusal to recognise the remains, which all took place in 1998...
Anyway, Massie is a recognised Romanov specialist so I had to get it anyhow!

[anna]

A verry good book is:"A longlife Passion" a  poignant portret of N&A, from Andrei Maylunas & Sergei Mironenko. I loved it, because you can read parts of their private letters and diaries. You learn much about their initimate relationship. I also like "The Last Tsar"by  Edvard Radzinsky. " Tsar, a Lost World"by Peter Kurth and "Nicholas and Alexandra (the last imperial family of tsarist Russia by the stage Hermitage museum.
I've got so many books about the romanovs. I fell in love with them after seeing the picture Nicholas and Alexandra. I was only 11 years old. Some people find this picture, not verry realistic, but the part of Alexandra
played by Janet Suzman was outstanding.
It was the beginning of a life correspondence, between the great actress and me. But i'm still searching for books, especially about Alexandra. I recently found a book, in a little antique store by Serge von Markov written in 1928 "How we tried to save the Tsarina."
At the moment i'm reading "the Fate of the Romanovs"by Greg King.  So there are lots of books about about the family, sometimes hard to find.

[Nikolai04]

There is also a biography of Alexandra written by Greg King...

[Mathilde]

The Rasputin File and The Last Tsar by Edvard Radzinksy are two of the best books on the life and execution of the Romanov family.

[JamesHogland]

I concurr that the books by Edvard Radzinsky, The Last Tsar and The Rasputin File, give an excellent insight into the imperial couple. They are based on his extensive use of heretofore unavailable Soviet archives. Also, for a very new and different interpretation of the last days of the family in Ekaterinburg is the new book, The Fate of the Romanovs, by Greg King and Penny Wilson. It gives a dramatic and bloodcurdling description of the murder of the family.

[Nikolai04]

Why do many of you dislike Massie's books??

[Moiraine]

I am interested in any books that tell of the children's life, their fun and everyday life - ie. did they play hide and seek in the palaces? Their perception of the palaces. I know they had animals, their routines and how they felt about it, their feelings towards their siblings (some are found in letters)  and the fact that they were royal. There comparisons to commoners and their perceptions of living around such history and luxury - ALL POLITICS ASIDE-Alex's and Nicholas' also if possible...did the children ever touch base with commoners - to realise the wealth they lived amongst? They had a very loving mother that tried to shield them from the outside but kept them grounded..

[cfaye]

I agree that the Radzinsky books are by far the most engaging and informative of the contemporary books on the Romanovs.  

I am particularly interested in books that were written by eyewitnesses to the Revolution and the fall of the Romanovs so would recommend Grand Duke Alexander's Once a Grand Duke and Always a Grand Duke which are out of print but can be found in decent second hand bookstores and on ebay.  Alexander was married to Nicholas' sister, Xenia and went on to write and lecture on history and spiritualism.  His books give you insights into the family dynamics and a perspective on the last days of Imperial Russia, the war, the deaths and the aftermath.  

I also recommend Grand Duchess Marie's memoirs Education of a Princess and A Princess in Exile.  Marie was the daughter of exiled Grand Duke Paul and sister of Rasputin assasin, Dimtri.  While their father was in exile for marrying a commoner she and her brother were raised by Alexandra's sister, Grand Duchess Elizabeth and Grand Duke Serge who was assasinated in 1905.  These books paint an intimate portrait of the life of a Romanov princess and lay bare the dynamics of the family before and after the revolution and the murder of the czar, his family and numerous other family members including her own father.  A Princess in Exile has a good deal of information and opinion about the surving Russian royals after the revolution including a not very flattering portrait of Prince Yousoupov and a very sad recolletion of Empress Marie's funeral.  These books can also be found in good second hand bookstores and on ebay.

[anna]

If you are interested in story's about the children, maybe this book "The snow mountain" by Catherine Gavin wil do. It's a romantic novel about Olga the eldest daughter of the Tsar. It's her point of view about her family, rasputin and the war. She knows exactly  (more than here sisters) what is going on and isn't afraid to discus this openly with her parents. But she is not taken seriously, they still think she's a little girl. It's a story about a young woman growing up in a difficult time, aware of her special position but with dreams like any other young girl about love and life.

[Katharina]

“Letters from Captivity” by E. E. Alferev?
This book was obviously published in Russian language by the Holy Trinity Monastery (Jordanville, N.Y.) in 1984. Does anyone know if it was translated into English? Does it contain more letters and writings than “The fall of the Romanovs” by Mark D. Steinberg and Vladimir M. Khrustalev?