Customer Reviews

The Quest for Anastasia: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Romanovs

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Despite the book's subtitle ("Solving the Mystery of the Lost Romanovs"), the authors have very little to add to what has already been written about the subject. They simply cobbled together the various accounts and information into a single book. Their writing style is uneven, since they have done very little in the way of smoothly merging the information. One can go through the book, page by page, and see that "oh, they took these four pages from the information in that book, and the next three from this other book".

In several cases, they give us a several-page synopsis of a book or article which has NOTHING to do with the narrative-- for example, four pages pointing out anti-Semitic passages in one early investigator's (Robert Wilton's) book. Since the authors disagree with these passages, and the passages themselves have nothing to say beyond anti-Semitic ranting, why bother to give such a detailed description of exactly what they said? The authors also digress from the narrative to discuss obscure editorials, rants, and works of fiction dealing with the Romanovs' deaths. The point of all this escapes me.

I also noticed several minor errors on the first read-through-- sloppy errors, which indicated that the authors had skimmed, rather than actually reading, some of their source material.

The whole book feels like it was slappped together in hopes of making some money on a (fairly) popular subject. Several of their main sources are both better-written and more informative (William Clarke's "The Lost Fortune of the Tsars" and Peter Kurth's "Anastasia"; Robert Massie's "The Romanovs: The Final Chapter", which is not in the bibliography, covers much of the same material as "Quest for Anastasia" and is much more informative). Since these books are still in print, I honestly can't see much reason to waste your time with this one.

This book is yet another version of the fascinating story of the last days of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. The book is strongest in its presentation of the endless squabbling among those with an interest in what happened to the Romanovs. That Nicholas and his family were taken to a basement room at Ipatiev House in Ekaterinberg, Siberia and shot seems to be well-documented. But exactly who did the shooting and why? The authors give us a cast of characters. The more interesting part -- and what is in dispute -- is this: Did everyone die in that basement? What happened after the shooting, when the soldiers hauled away the bodies? The authors try to retrace the events, but provide no story about any person in the basement group surviving, or how anyone could have survived.

And that brings us to the title of the book. Did Anastasia somehow survive the rain of bullets and thrusts of bayonets in that basement and reappear some years later in a mental hospital in Berlin? Was the woman known as Anna Anderson really Anastasia? As the authors point out -- but only after you've read to the end of the book -- DNA evidence says she was NOT Anastasia. If she was not Anastasia, how did she manage to convince many credible people, including people who knew Anastasia, that she was? The points of similarity were many, both physically and in her knowledge of the Russian court. Many of the people who believed she was the daughter of the tsar have not accepted the DNA evidence. Those who do accept it say she was really a Polish peasant who disappeared at the same time that "Anna" appeared.

Many people had vested interests in the story of Anna. Surviving members of the Romanov extended family supposedly wanted to make sure that Anna did not inherit any of the tsar's reported fortune (although no fortune was ever found), so it was because of their greed that they would not accept Anna as Anastasia. In some cases, investigators got sucked into the story (either looking for fame, fortune or simply charmed by Anna) and spent years of their lives trying to establish Anna's identity.

Those who persist in believing that Anna was Anastasia say a peasant girl could not have had such a "regal bearing" or knew as much about the Romanovs as Anna did. However, I see no reason why a Polish peasant girl who spent years in a hospital with nothing to do but read books and study couldn't have learned about the Russian court and couldn't have practiced acting like a Russian Grand Duchess. From the evidence, it appears that Anna came to believe she WAS the tsar's daughter. But if so, how did she claim to have escaped the bullets? Yes, she could have claimed amnesia about the event, but her identity as Anastasia is not believable without some accounting of her escape and the authors give us none. Perhaps because for them the DNA evidence was conclusive. Anna is NOT Anastasia.

The book is an entertaining read, and I enjoyed it, but it does not live up to its subtitle: "Solving the Mystery of the Lost Romanovs." As long as some people will not let go of their vision of Anastasia, who still believe that Anna was the tsar's daughter, then the story goes on. There are also at least two "pretenders" who have said they are Alexei -- both are dead now, but their families press their claim. Since two bodies were never found -- those of Alexei and of one of the daughters -- it seems likely that this is one story that will never go away, a mystery that can never truly be solved.

This book is based on the fact that the DNA tests proved that Anna Anderson was a poor factory worker and also a mentally deranged individual, with an unusual acting ability. This book is difficult for Anna followers to accept, because it is a human trait to hold on to previously-formed opinions, even when all facts prove it false and foolish. I recommend this book only to those readers who want facts about Anna, instead of myths, beliefs, and hopes.

The title says it all. I'm sorry Mr. Klier, but this book is EXACTLY like "The Romanovs: The Final Chapter" by Robert K. Massie. It may just be coincidence since they were published in the same year, but honestly, there isn't anything new in this book that cannot be found in Massie's or in Peter Kurth's "Anastasia: The Riddle of Anna Anderson". And now there is a rehashed version of "The Quest For Anastasia" called "A Romanov Fantasy: Life At the Court Of Anna Anderson" by Frances Welch. When does it end? One book copies one, and then another copies that one. Soon our history books will be nothing but rumors!!

The Quest for Anastasia is a summary of the life story of Franziska Schanskowska, once thought to be Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II. For more than sixty years this lady, usually known as Anna Anderson, was a center of controversy. Thanks to DNA testing, it is now known that she was not Anastasia, but the daughter of a Polish peasant. Although some of her followers still cannot accept this verdict, there is no reason to feel that Anna Anderson is lessened by the discovery of her true identity. She was a consummate actress who rose from humble surroundings to be the consort of royals and near-royals on two continents. The Quest for Anastasia makes an excellent companion for Robert K. Massie's The Romanovs: The Final Chapter and Nicholas and Alexandra.

I thought the book was excellent. I am 12 years old and have been very interested in the Romanovs since the age of 11. (I'm turning 13) I thought the book was so good I finished it in a day! I personally believe that Anastasia didn't survive, though I wish had, she didn't. The only thing I can say about Anna Anderson is that she must have been smart and lucky to be able to fool the people she did. With the information in the book I came to the conclusion that Miss Anderson wasn't her since she refused to do the tests and that there pretty much seemed to have given it away. The real Anastasia wouldn't have refused for giving DNA tests because she was the REAL Anastasia. So I think Anna Anderson was sly yet smart, but wasn't the real Anastasia. I suggest this book to any one who is interested in the Romanovs.

It seems that the only evidence that supports the fact that Anna Anderson was not Anastasia was the DNA tests.

Too many people have chosen to forget the evidence that supports Anna Anderson's claim to be Anastasia.

The intimate knowledge she had of the Grand Duke Ernest of Hesse visit to Russia in 1916, the fact that she had the same problem with her feet as Anastasia, and of course the fact she could speak English, German and French and understand Russian, this would have to be a remarkable feet for a poor Polish factory worker.

It seems to be forgotten that in 1977 a prominent forensic expert, idetified Anna Anderson to be either Anastasia or an identical twin.

As for the DNA results, consider this. Even today the Romanov family are one of the most powerful familys that exsist in the world today. For them to cover up the actual results of the test so as to save face, would be a simple task. And why would they want to do this? Because the Romanovs doe not want the world to know the truth, and that is that they new Anna Anderson was the Grand Dutchess Annastasia but denied her, her title and her inheritence for pure greed.

Interesting, but nothing I haven't seen before. People (which I think mostly are ...) who believe in the story of Anna Anderson being the Grand Duchess wouldn't like this book. I'm quite sure about these DNA tests, but then again, one would be better off buying The Final Chapter by Massie which explains everything and I mean everything (except for a few things scientists forgot, like Tatiana being the missing daughter). As for knowing of the visit in 1916? Letters to his wife and from are all about being at the front. Ernst was not in Russia, although it is common knowledge Nicholas wanted to settle the war at the Hague.

This book, following in Robert K. Massie's footsteps, is well written. yet fails in its goal to finally solve the Anastasia mystery. The book relies on recent DNA evidence to support its premise that Anna Anderson was a polish factory worker named Franziska Shantkovska. It doesn't do justice to evidence to the contrary. Readers will want to pick up a copy of Peter Kurth's Anastasia:The Riddle of Anna Anderson and judge wether its Kurth or Klier who is on the right track...

This outstanding book focuses on the discovery and identification of the Romanov bones and the subsequent DNA testing. The book's strength lies in describing how the bones were found and not in the subjective non-scientific arguments as to whether Anna Anderson was Anastasia or Franziska Schanzkowska. This book is not clouded by the personal opinions of the authors. You won't find any self-serving statements or arguments in this book.