The Lost Fortune of the Tsars [Paperback]

William Clarke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1996

When World War I broke out in 1914 Russia's Romanov dynasty was among the world's richest families. Yet ever since the Bolsheviks executed Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra and their children at Ekaterinburg, the mystery of what happened to their wealth has remained unsolved - until now. The author has spent 30 years on the trail of the Tsar's lost fortune. His pursuit has taken him across continents, to dusty vaults in great banks: bullion, jewels and bank accounts have been his quarry. This book contains an account of his answers.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After the Bolshevik murder of Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarina Alexandra and other members of the Russian royal family in 1918, what became of the Romanov jewels, Faberge eggs, yachts, money, gold and investments? Separating rumor from fact, Clarke, former financial editor of the London Times, provides solid answers in an inquiry that reads like a good detective mystery. Tapping Moscow's recently opened State Archives, he documents how the Bolsheviks seized much of the royalist wealth, some of which was later sold to bolster the Soviet regime's finances. Clarke has uncovered new evidence of former tsarist bank accounts in London, Paris and New York City, as well as details of Soviet sales of Romanov jewels in London's diamond district in a secret attempt to subsidize the London Daily Herald in the early 1920s. Anna Anderson, the woman who claimed to be Anastasia, the tsar's youngest daughter, possessed accurate information on tsarist money. Since the recent exhumation of the massacred Romanov family left two of the 11 bodies unaccounted for, Clarke believes that Anderson's claim cannot be dismissed outright even though, in his estimate, her own testimony undermines her veracity. Photos.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Certain historical controversies continue to fascinate both historian and student of history alike, one of which is the fate of the imperial family of Russia. Were Tsar Nicholas II and his wife and all his children executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918, leaving no survivors? And, as a corollary, what happened to his incredible wealth? Clarke, a British writer with considerable financial expertise, addresses these questions in a significant report based on his own extensive investigation. He unfolds a broad canvas to paint a lush picture of the imperial family and its opulent setting in the final days of the Romanov dynasty's glory, before war and revolution brought the Russian ancien re{‚}gime to a thunderous collapse. Revelation after revelation comes to the fore as Clarke marshals the latest in forensic and banking evidence to tell the complete story of the family's fate and that of its fortune: which of the bank accounts and jewels belonged to the family and which to the state, what happened to the cash and the rocks, and who among the last tsar's immediate family cannot be certified dead, an issue that leaves the matter of claimants to what remains of the family wealth a murky one. Brad Hooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st St. Martin's Griffin Ed 1996 edition (October 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312146728
• ISBN-13: 978-0312146726
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,862,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating story of vanished wealth and history, July 2, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Lost Fortune of the Tsars (Hardcover)

So much of the fascination the Russian Tsars still hold for us today is connected with their great wealth and fabulous possessions. William Clarke's book is a detailed examination of the sources of the property of the House of Romanov before World War I and of its disposition and possible whereabouts today. In the process of his search Clarke also proved and disproved several theories as to the fate of the wealth, clearing some notable persons of some unsavory accusations

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Missed opportunities, January 13, 2005

By 

Jacqueline Smith (Evansville, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lost Fortune of the Tsars (Paperback)

Whilst Clarke does an admirable job of tracing the wealth of the Tsar he missed his best opportunity - in the United States. He missed opportunities to demonstrate that some of the very people he writes about - George Romanosky and Sidney Reilly to name a few - were attempting to arrange letters of credit at the New York City Bank. Moreover the failed conclusion on the link between Sidney Reilly and the Remington Rifle Company is an oversight that can not be excused.

It would have been overly generous to grant more than one star because he could have shed so much more light on the trail if he had not gotten off the trail prematurely. His effort was brave and worthwhile but I was severly disappointed in the outcome. Perhaps he should have employed a top notch research assistant in the United States.