Customer Reviews

Romanov Autumn: Stories from the Last Century of Imperial Russia (Taschen Specials)

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The author has done a superb job of providing insights into the Romanovs, their personalities, their quirks, their passions, and their relationships. It is an collection of short stories, each of which stands on its own, but in combination it is a provides insights I haven't found in over 300 books I've read on the Romanovs and their times. For anyone who has even a minor interest in Russian history, this book should be must reading. For a Russophile, it is a banquet of good reading and wonderful insights.

Most books on Russia begin and end with Nicholas II and Alexandra with a little Ivan, Peter and Catherine. This huge family has more than a few interesting members and the author of this book has included many of them. The theme is the last century of the Romanov empire, and the author tells many interesting stories of Romanovs, their relatives and even a chapter on their English nannies. I loved the book. The family trees were more detailed than most I have read, and the family relationships are explained to some extent. I will definitely read more of this author's work.

Lots of pictures & anecdotes that I have NOT seen in my many, many other Romanov books. The family trees are very complete. The book does NOT cover the same tired Nicholas & Alexandra stories. That is the strength of the book. The weaknesses of the book: could be better edited: it is missing a few lines in family trees, uses different names for the same person (Ella and Elisabeth, Ksenia and Xenia). The book can be hard to follow, but that is the fault of the material, not poor writing. The author talks about the immense whole of the Imperial family, including cousins, grandchildren, nephews etc. where they all seem to have shared the same handful of first names. The author's avoidance of the titles Grand Duke and Duchess is a real annoyance. I enjoyed the book a lot, it was a challenging read, I kept referring back to the family trees, all the time.

Charlotte Zeepvat's efforts are clearly shown throughtout this detailed book. She displays so many minor but interesting characters of the last centruy of Romanovs. Though it gets confusing, it is most likely people's unfamiliarity to the family and history.

Zeepvat paints a good writing of stories on these rarely known royals. Many of the stories can be very tragic and sad but it is none the less, informative.

If I ever need to write a paper on any of the characters, this is the book I will run to. It is a merger of many Romanov books with fantastic photos of the little known royals.

I appreciate Zeepvat's decision not to include much of the general stories of Nicholas II, his family, particularily Anastastia. This book is no Russian Royal book cliche like all the others on the last Tsar et al.,. It is packed with information on specific and interesting characters.

The author has done a wonderful job. If you have at least a slight interest in Russian History, this is the book for you.

This is a well written book that covers the last century of the Russian Romanov dynasty.

The author has chosen a wide focus rather than a narrow one on Nicholas II and Alexandra. For once we get to meet the other family memebers, learn about their personalities and what events shaped their lives and the fate of the dynasty.

We also get to read in detail about the various palaces and estates the family used. These are often referred to in other books without any real background information on their history or importance to the family being described. This book fills that vacume.

If you know nothing about the Romanovs this is a fantastic place to start as all these people's live stories weave in and out of each other to create an amazing and true story.

This book goes way beyond the normal stories of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsaritsa Alexandra Feodorovna. Charlotte Zeepvat leads us through the personalities in the Romanov family, and what part they played in imperial Russia and its downfall. Through these biographies the reader can understand the slide from a united family to the rival factions that partly brought about the Revolution and its aftermath. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever wondered about the imperial house of Russia , and the fate that awaited them.

This wonderful book will give you a greater appreciation for the House of Romanov, with information about various family members and others not immediately included within Tsar Nicholas II's immediate family circle. Some unlikely - but vastly entertaining - stories come to light. You'll especially enjoy the section on Nicky's favorite uncle. :o) Zeepvat's own artwork illustrates the chapter introductions - delightful!

If you want to expand your knowledge of the Romanovs past NAOTMAA and aren't sure where to start, this book is a manageable beginning. It covers many relevant personages and situations from the ninteenth century - the last full century of Romanov rule.

Very well written series of 'short stories' of different members of the Russian royal family at the turn of the 19th century, some obscure and not normally written about, which I found very refreshing. I am an avid collector of historical biographies, Russian royal family especially, but I have never seen such a comprehensive exploration of the Romanovs. Quite a few pictures I had not seen before also. All in all a great investment, and a very good read.

This book is an enjoyable read for the serious or not so serious fan of the ill-fated Romanov dynasty. It is not too heavy and yet it is well researched. In her book, Zeepvat tells the tale of many of the personalities that made up this powerful ruling family. I would recommend it.

Most books about the Romanovs concentrate on the last Tsar and his family. Nicholas II was an interesting figure, but he was the head of a large and fascinating family, most of whom are little known today. "Romanov Autumn" gives some detail to the lives of these now obscure people. One thing rather disconcerting is Zeepvat's use of unusual titles, like "Tsesarevitch" or "Grand Prince". Although she explains in her introduction that these are more accurate translations of the Russian titles, most people who read about the Romanovs are so used to "Tsarevitch" or "Grand Duke" that the new forms are jarring. Nevertheless, a Romanov fan should not be without this book.