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hadashi1919's review
3.0
Interesting book especially if you know about Russian history, the revolution, and the USSR. It felt a bit long and I could have done without the pages and pages of descriptions about balls and high society. For all the details, the books spends almost mo time on the murders of Nicholas II and his family which was disappointing.
donastcolumb's review
3.0
This is a great intro to the Russian imperial family. It's a synthesis rather than an original piece of scholarly work, but reads well, if simplistically at times. As far as I can tell there are no Russian archival sources used but it was written pre-Glasnost/Perestroika.
kiksid89's review
5.0
Even if history was my worst subject, I enjoy reading historical books. This is one of the best I have read up to now. Besides the historical elements, Ms. Cowles has gathered enough material to describe the Romanovs, both on the outside and the inside, in detail.
We do not get just a depiction of the family, but of the difficulties in Russia, the country’s relations with other countries, family ties (or the lack of them), the philosophy of each ruler, their ups and downs and unfortunately, their inabilities to help this troubled land.
The book is very thorough and I enjoyed it very much.
If you are looking for a detailed book, depicted said era, this is the book for you.
We do not get just a depiction of the family, but of the difficulties in Russia, the country’s relations with other countries, family ties (or the lack of them), the philosophy of each ruler, their ups and downs and unfortunately, their inabilities to help this troubled land.
The book is very thorough and I enjoyed it very much.
If you are looking for a detailed book, depicted said era, this is the book for you.
myadventurewithbooks's review
3.0
Short and concise, a great starting point for anybody who is interested in the rule of the Romanov family in Imperial Russia.
The story of the Romanov family is fascinating, from their expansion of the Russian Empire to the reign of Catherine the Great and her many lovers, and the belief that the Grand Duchess Anastasia survived the massacre of her family, The Romanovs is a quick overview of Russia's most famous dynasty.
Cowles charts the rule of the Romanov family chronologically from their beginning in 1613 through to the grisly execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family in 1917. The basic information given in its 208 pages, makes this book a simple and accessible read for those new to the subject of the Tsar.
The author brushes on external factors influencing the reign of the Romanovs, but this is by no means a comprehensive text for those interested in this aspect of Russian history. This is a good example of a companion book, a quick and easy guide to remind yourself of who's who in Imperial Russia.
If you want a more in depth analysis of the Romanov or Russian history, then this isn't the right book for you. Nevertheless, this is an excellent starting point.
The story of the Romanov family is fascinating, from their expansion of the Russian Empire to the reign of Catherine the Great and her many lovers, and the belief that the Grand Duchess Anastasia survived the massacre of her family, The Romanovs is a quick overview of Russia's most famous dynasty.
Cowles charts the rule of the Romanov family chronologically from their beginning in 1613 through to the grisly execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family in 1917. The basic information given in its 208 pages, makes this book a simple and accessible read for those new to the subject of the Tsar.
The author brushes on external factors influencing the reign of the Romanovs, but this is by no means a comprehensive text for those interested in this aspect of Russian history. This is a good example of a companion book, a quick and easy guide to remind yourself of who's who in Imperial Russia.
If you want a more in depth analysis of the Romanov or Russian history, then this isn't the right book for you. Nevertheless, this is an excellent starting point.
kalyne's review
4.0
I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley about a month ago. I found this book a interesting look into Russian high society and all the crazy characters involved in the royal family. At first I was a little apprehensive that this would read more like a text book than a novel, but the author did a fantastic job of keeping it interesting but still giving you all the facts. It flowed nicely as I was reading about one ruler to the next. Over all I gave it four out of five stars. If you are curious about the Russian Royals this book is a great place to start!
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