The Fall of the Romanovs: Political Dreams and Personal Struggles in a Time of Revolution (Annals of Communism Series) [Paperback]

Prof. Mark D. Steinberg (Author), Vladimir M. Khrustalev (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 27, 1997 | Series: Annals of Communism Series

The story of the arrest, captivity, and execution of the last tsar of Russia and his family during the revolution of 1917-1918 has been recounted - and romanticized - for decades. This study explores the full range of events and reveals the thoughts, perceptions and judgments of the individuals involved - Nicholas and Alexandra, their children, and the men who guarded and eventually killed them. The book is based on documents and photographs from recently opened Russian archives and from Western collections. The documents, which appear for the first time in English (the language in which some of them were originally written), include correspondence between Nicholas and Alexandra during the February 1917 revolution; portions of their diaries; minutes of government meetings, telegrams, and other official papers concerning the arrest, confinement, and execution of the Romanovs; letters written by the captive tsar and his family to friends and relatives; appeals from Russian citizens concerning the fate of the Romanovs; and testimonies by the revolutionaries who guarded and executed them.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Based largely on previously classified materials from Moscow and Russian regional archives released only since the late 1980s, this valuable documentary record recreates the arrest, captivity and execution of the imperial Romanov family. It draws on letters, diary excerpts, telegraphs, minutes of government meetings and official orders, woven together by the authors' interpretive commentary. Tsar Nicholas II's personal writings reveal an autocrat of fatalistic spirituality who believed that the common people would "come to their senses" and rescue him. His reactionary wife, former German princess Alexandra, reinforced his perception of the Russian people as simple, devoted and childlike. Yale history professor Steinberg and Khrustalev, historian at Russia's State Archive in Moscow, dispute the widely held view that orders to execute the Romanov family came personally from Lenin and the top party leadership. They argue that the inconclusive, circumstantial evidence favors a different scenario: party leaders in Moscow and Bolsheviks in the Urals agreed to put the Romanovs on trial, with execution as an alternative if the military situation dictated. Illustrated with photos, maps and facsimiles, this documentary sets the Romanovs' ordeal in the context of the Bolshevik crushing of liberal attempts to ensure the royal family's safety and aborted rightist conspiracies to free the Romanovs. History Book Club selection.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The fall of Soviet communism has sparked a renewed interest in detailing the real history of Russia. Recently opened archives and the decreasing likelihood of personal punishment have allowed historians unparalleled access to information hidden since World War I. Steinberg (history, Yale) and Khrustalev, a Russian historian-archivist, recount the arrest and life under guard of the Romanovs, with reproductions of many letters between Nicholas and Alexandra and documents of primary research. This work is scholarly, well written, and suitable for academic and public libraries. Pulitzer Prize winner Massie (Peter the Great, LJ 9/15/80) takes up where Steinberg leaves off. Massie's work chronicles the events from the death of the Romanovs at the hands of the Bolsheviks until the discovery and recent identification of their remains. Massie does a good job of exposing Romanov imposters, including Anna Anderson, but DNA research does not lend itself to readableness. The short chapters make the book more accessible, but this work does not compare favorably with the best of Massie's works. Together, these books bring to completion the lives of Nicholas and Alexandra. Communist revisionism has been replaced by academic research. [Massie's book was previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/95.]?Harry Willems, Kansas Lib. System, Iol.
-?Harry Willems, Kansas Lib. System, Iola
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (February 27, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300070675
• ISBN-13: 978-0300070675
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,353,291 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book of first-person accounts, July 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Fall of the Romanovs: Political Dreams and Personal Struggles in a Time of Revolution (Annals of Communism Series) (Paperback)

A wonderful, wonderful book about the Romanovs' captivity and eventual death. Consisting almost entirely of letters, diaries, memoirs, and other first-person accounts, it tells the story of their last days in the words of those who were there. Compelling and spooky. Reading Aleksandra's last diary entry made only hours before they were killed-- reading the account of their murder written by their killers-- it's absolutely chilling. I couldn't put it down.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An incredible work, January 7, 2004

By 

"claude1365" (Delaplane, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fall of the Romanovs: Political Dreams and Personal Struggles in a Time of Revolution (Annals of Communism Series) (Paperback)

It is difficult to express the debt of gratitude that it owed to the authors of this book. For all too long an America scholar should have cast a critical eye on the Soviet files regarding the story the Soviet regime wanted the world to believe. A healthy dose of realism and - if you read between the lines - skepticism was echoed in the writing and analysis. Steinberg scrutunized his findings with a view to the historical record he would leave behind.

He has accomplished a much needed task for those of us who value scholarship not sensationalism. And the effort is a much needed addition to any Romanov library. My edition has so many dog-earred pages and has been so used that the spine is lovingly weakened from use.

I shall buy another.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Informative Read!, December 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Fall of the Romanovs: Political Dreams and Personal Struggles in a Time of Revolution (Annals of Communism Series) (Hardcover)

The book, The Fall of the Romanovs, is a great narrative filled with primary documents of the family's path from the most powerful position in Russia into imprisonment and eventually death. Basically, the author explains the attitudes of Nicholas and Alexandra as lovers and rulers. He puts them in the light of leaders as well as family men and women. There are four basic stages explained which give a very nice organized fashion that presents the life in power and downfall of the family. First the tsar and tsarina are discussed in detail from a personal viewpoint. Next, the author moves on to describe the revolution that forced the abdication of the tsar. Then, the reader is taken through daily life and happenings while the family is under arrest at the Selo. Finally, the author narrates the family's captivity in Siberia and their inevitable death at the hands of revolutionaries in Yekaterinburg.

The book is introduced as an unbiased analysis of the downfall of the tsar and his family. However, it is easy to tell that in many aspects the author discusses the family as the good guys and throws a dark shadow over the people who held them captive and later killed them. In many aspects the author analyzes situations and the outcome turns into the portrayal of the family as harmless victims to uncontrollable change in society. The author supported his analysis with a huge number of primary sources, which made it very hard to look upon the royal family as bloody rulers. Nevertheless, it was interesting how very little wrong doings of the family were thrown into the primary documents. The author does a very good job portraying his points through his analysis and backing it all up with sufficient documents and evidence.

The Fall of the Romanovs was published in 1995. It is a very recent book, which means that the author had access to never before seen archives made available to all only in the early 80s. I don't believe the book has a specific intended audience, however, I think anyone who finds the Russian revolution intriguing will find this book very interesting and informative. The book, with many new resources behind it, is able to address many aspects of the treatment of the Romanovs during their imprisonment and issues concerning their imprisonment and execution. In my opinion, the appeal to the reader and the analysis of issues brought up in the book are superbly accomplished throughout the text. With the incessant evidence and extremely organized structure, the book is a great read.

The overall purpose of the text is the layout of analysis and evidence in such a way as to allow the reader to see the story exactly as it is and be able to make their own conclusions. The author does a good job of laying out very accurate analysis backed up with great primary documents. Very organized, is the main style of the book. Every situation is correlated with a primary document towards the end of the chapter that gives the reader great insight. Photos and personal letters involving the Romanovs do a tremendous job portraying the royal family as not only rulers but also as a real family with real values. Everything is extremely relevant and makes the text very easy to read and understand.

This book definitely helped me understand one of the many aspects of the Russian Revolution a lot better. I know feel that I have a great deal more insight into the family that was probably most affected during this whole ordeal. The author does a great job explaining the importance of the personal characteristics of the tsar and his family as to why they were pushed out of power and came to such a tragic end. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is studying the Russian revolution. Also, this book is just a great read for those who enjoy informative texts with a plot. The authors writing techniques, the historical importance of the events, as well as the numerous pieces of first hand evidence, make this a great informative read.