Customer Reviews

The Sunset of the Romanov Dynasty

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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This book was the first book to be published after the fall of the Soviets, and it attempts to create a photographic chronicle as well as containing well written text. The photographs are better than other books, simply because they are different and you can't stop looking at them. For anyone who enjoys the Romanovs history, this book is a must. For anyone who enjoys a good history book, this is also a must. This is an excellent book and I recommend it 100 percent.

This was one of the first books to be published on the Romanov's in English by the Russians after the fall of communism and it showcases some the rare photos that they had tucked away in their deep archives. Even now you'll find various photos here of the Imperial family from the time of Alexander II onwards that you won't find in any other book on the family. The text is interesting, though I'm not sure it adds much that you won't find in other newer books, but nevertheless I have occasionally seen extensive quotes from this book in other sources.

If you are interested in the Romanov family, and particularly the photography of the family then this is a book that should be on your shopping list. It has a nice mix of both formal and informal images and a good overview of the family and in some places does mini-biographies of various individual members and other people associated with their story (eg Count Witte, Rasputin, Anna Vyrubova and Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, though it does have a few odd missing people like Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna the elder and her husband Grand Duke Vladimir). This book is highly recommended for those interested in the Romanovs.

The Russians eliminated the Romanovs and their dynasty in 1917 and after 75 years and the collapse of the empire that destroyed them Russia published one of the first books on the dynasty. Even mentioning the Romanovs durning Soviet times would lead to trouble thats why the survival of many documents and photos is such a pleasent surprise.

The book covers the life of Russia's last Tsar and the political climate of the empire. The book published in 1992 had a wealth of new information and photographs unseen in the many Western publications before. Although the book features mini bios of key players in the dynasty it is a bit uneven. They feature small bios on Grand Duchess Olga and Tsesarevich Alexei but nothing on Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. There is one on Anna Vybonya yet none on Grand Duke Vladimir or his wife Meichen.

I would not catagorize this as a picture book but it does feature many beautiful photos that cover multiple pages. Warning this is not a book that is specific to Nicholas and Alexandra but instead covers a much bigger scope. Overall a fantasic book worth owning for anyone wanting to know about the last Tsar and his empire.

Beautiful book requested as a birthday gift for someone who loves anything about Russia and Russian History. He was very pleases. As is almost always the case, it came very quickly.