anna anderson's biography by James B Lovell

[Karentje]

Hi fellow Romanov enthusiasts

I've just started reading 'Anastasia, the lost princess' by James Blair Lovell and I wondered how seriously I should take its contents. Aside from the claim that AA was Anastasia, I find all sorts of information which I find very questionable: Alix supposedly had a fifth daughter, a Dutch lady proclaimed to be that fifth daughter and the tsar and his family were apparently all raped, except for little alexei.
I just wondered if anyone knows if there is any truth to any of this, or if Lovell's statements were ever challenged.
Also, tips on good Romanov books are always appreciated.

Thanks

Karentje

[Alexa]

Hi Karentje,

For recommendations on Romanov books, go to the Books section of the forums <http://hydrogen.pallasweb.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Books>.  Not only does it have a ton of books, but also feed back (both good and not so good) from people on the forum who have read them.

As for Lovell's book, well, I took it with a grain of salt.  The whole 5th daughter thing was just too much for me to believe.  For a great book on Anna Anderson, I'd recommend The Riddle of Anna Anderson by Peter Kurth.  Although I'm not a believer in Anna Anderson, his book is not only well written but is compelling and convincing.  It's the only book that really had me re-think my beliefs in her, and made me open my mind to the possibility.  Since then, I've gone back to being a non-believer, but that doesn't diminish the quality of Mr. Kurth's work in my opinion.

Alexa

[Karentje]

Hi Alexa

Thank you very much for recommending the forum's book section!
I'll certainly read Peter Kurth's book then, because I would like to learn more about the whole Anna Anderson mystery.

Take care

Karentje

[LisaDavidson]

Peter Kurth's book is the one to read and not Lovell's. Sadly, Jimmy Lovell died young, and most people who know something about the case don't bother to challenge it - we simply ignore it.

Peter posts here on occassion and is a friend to us here at the Alexander Palace Society. Bob and I both cherish his friendship.

[Annie]

I have read both, and what bothers me about Lovell's book is he seems to be writing in the context that AA WAS AN and treats her life the same as if she had been. This is too much for me. Even though Kurth is an avid AA supporter, he was at least more objective in his writings and let you draw your own conclusions, or lack thereof.

[Alexa]

Hi Alexa

Thank you very much for recommending the forum's book section!
I'll certainly read Peter Kurth's book then, because I would like to learn more about the whole Anna Anderson mystery.

Take care

Karentje

My pleasure.  Any other questions, just feel free to ask.

Alexa

[Alexa]

Even though Kurth is an avid AA supporter, he was at least more objective in his writings and let you draw your own conclusions, or lack thereof.

You hit the nail on the head.  That's one of the reasons why I enjoyed this book so much.

Alexa

[rskkiya]

Mr Lovell seems to have simply written down virtually everything AA muttered... including the highly irrational and senile ramblings of a deeply troubled mind...
   This book is a good source for information on the mental disorder of AA and her last minder/husband, Mr. Manahan as their thought patterns seem to disinitigrate just as their home falls in disrepair -- there is I believe a psychological name for this condition but I am unaware of it at the moment.
Generally its a disturbing read.

rskkiya

[LisaDavidson]

Mrs. Manahan suffered from senility in her later years. Much of Lovell's book covers her more senile ramblings, which is unfortunate.

[IlyaBorisovich]

Mrs. Manahan suffered from senility in her later years. Much of Lovell's book covers her more senile ramblings, which is unfortunate.

Isn't the condition called "anility" in women?  I seem to remember that from doing a lot of New York Times crossword puzzles.

Ilya

[Annie]

What spooks me about this book is that he writes it as if AA WAS AN as a given fact. As strongly as Kurth believes in AA, at least his book was objective, written like she may or may not be.

There is also a thread on this book in the book forum here if you want to check it out.

[rskkiya]

When AA was younger, her behaviour was often considered "irrational" but as far as I have read her story stayed pretty standard ... Only much later did the poor woman start elaborating on "sexual abuse of the family" and various alternative histories about other "Survivors"...  It seems as if she was testing the credulity and the "faith" that those around her had in the Grandduchess of Liberty Circle.

Or she may have simply been demented.

rskkiya

[Ilana]

I remember when I read that book, gullible creature that I was at the time, I was so "grossed out" over the rape scenes, I couldn't sleep that night.  Horrible.

[LisaDavidson]

Jeremy - the fact remains, her story did change as she aged. For her supporters, it became necessary to differentiate between senile ramblings such as those she related to Lovelll and the more reasoned communication of her earlier years. She was eccentric for years, but not senile. Once she became senile, and Lovell reported this crazy stuff, it did her cause tremendous harm.

[Abby]

Same here, Ilana, same here. I wished to death that AA was not Anastasia so what she said wouldn't be true. I can't beleive she said that ....and Lovell put that in the book. The fact that she said it so late in life kind of led me to beleive that she was making it up, since it wasn;t in her original story(stories).