Royal Babylon

[otmafan]

I recently picked up a book from the library entitled Royal Babylon by Karl Shaw. As I was reading the part about the last Romanovs, the book stated that Alexander III was an alcoholic and a tryant who constantly persecuted Jews. It also said he died of alcoholism (I always thought it was nephritis). Then later on, it stated that Nicholas II was high on drugs most of the time during WWI. I know he took the occasional doses of cocaine for pain. It had a quote that he showed up at the military almost always high. Later on it then said the Alexandra's brother's name was not Ernest but Alexander.

Is any of this information true because in all the books I have read on the Romanovs no where does it state that Alexander was an alcoholic and Nicholas II was high on drugs.

[jfkhaos]

I have read that Nicholas did use cocaine for pain purposes, but never being high on drugs or that AIII was an alcoholic.  I was given a copy of Royal Babylon and the majority of information that is in there I have never heard or read anywhere, and I read constantly, so you would think we would come across something like the Tsar of all the Russias taking drugs etc.

[Angie_H]

Has anyone read this? I'm half way through it. I've seen alot of mistakes, mostly mis-identification, but I wonder how much is true
Angie

[otmafan]

Definitely not recommended. It confuses people and dates and it just inaccurate in a LOT of ways.  

[Georgiy]

It's a load of c**p, and not worth the paper it's printed on, in my opinion. There's stuff that is off about the Romanovs, which with a little research would show to be patently wrong, so if the author got simple stuff about the romanovs wrong, who can say what sort of accuracy there is with any other stories?

[Arleen]

Sensationalism, written for the quick buck I think.  Truly awful!!
..Arleen

[Robert_Hall]

I do not think that it was ever intended to be taken seriously. It was more in the spirit of "camp" than anything. A take-off on the "scandal sheets".
Ever seen "volume 2"? It is even more blatant I think.

[Eurohistory]

Royal campy gossip is the best way to describe it...

Arturo Beéche

[Helen_Azar]

I read it too, definitely garbage, but fun!  

[lostfan]

I noticed mistakes as well, like Vicky of Prussia being described as a hemophilia carrier, yet she wasn't even on the chart. But I thought it was a pretty good book, despite all its short-comings. It kind of helps to remind us that royalty are just like the rest of us, but they just have the power and the rank to get away with most of it.

[Helen_Azar]

It kind of helps to remind us that royalty are just like the rest of us..

Hey, speak for yourself, they are nothing like me!