The Secret Plot to Save the Tsar: New Truths Behind the Romanov Mystery [Paperback]

Shay McNeal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 21, 2003

On July 17, 1918, the Tsar, his wife, and their four daughters and ailing heir were led down to a basement in Ekaterinburg, Russia, and murdered in cold blood by a Bolshevik firing squad. The DNA analysis and identification of the bones were the conclusive proof the world was waiting for, and the case was considered closed. But is that the real story of the Romanovs?

In Shay McNeal's controversial and groundbreaking account, she presents convincing new scientific analysis questioning the authenticity of the "Romanov" bones and uncovers an extraordinary tale of espionage and double-dealing that has been kept secret for more than eighty years. Based on extensive study of American, Allied, and Bolshevik documents, including recently declassified intelligence files, McNeal reveals the existence of a shadowy group of operatives working to free the Imperial family and guide them to safety.

Most controversial of all is McNeal's belief that one of the plots to rescue the Tsar and his family may, possibly, have succeeded -- and she has compelling evidence to support it.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Ms. McNeal’s thoroughly researched book raises interesting questions about one of the tragic events of the Russian Revolution.” (Dr. Richard Pipes, author of Communism: A History )

“More credible than most recent accounts. … well-researched … Some interesting revelations here.” (Booklist )

About the Author

Shay McNeal, as President of Smith McNeal, built her firm into a multi-million-dollar business. After selling it, she became a political consultant and retired in 1992 to pursue her passion for history and writing. She is now a highly respected historical researcher who has contributed to both the BBC and the Discovery Channel on colonial American history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (October 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060517557
• ISBN-13: 978-0060517557
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,492,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars There is Hope, January 2, 2004

By 

Shane Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Plot to Save the Tsar: New Truths Behind the Romanov Mystery (Paperback)

"I can no longer except the standard version of events as reliable or complete" (Richard Spence, professor of history and chair University of Idaho). This quote I must say I agree with completly and so will you after you read this book. When I first sat down to read this book I already knew a lot about the Romanov family and they're supposed fate on the night of July 17, 1918. As I read I would question all the things that I thought proved they had actually perished. Well I was soon to be surprised, McNeal displayed all my doubts on a table and answered all my doubts and convinced me that the family may have not died.
McNeal has resurfaced a book long forgotten called Rescuing The Czar. This book is based on two diaries by two men who claim they saved the Imperial family from the control of the Bolsheviks and helped them escape Russia. As McNeal goes along in her book she presents evidence that supports the books claim, with events, people, and documents that have only now become accessible that no one could have known about in the time period that this book was written unless they were actually involved in the rescuing of the family. Through both of these books and the evidence shown to me, I can now say that the Family could have escaped the horrible fate that history says they met.
The reason that I did not give this wonderful book four stars instead of five, is that the the text can be quite confusing from time to time. I found myself going back and re-reading passages just to fully grasps what it was trying to say to me. That as a whole is the only thing that bothered me as I read the book.
I would seriously recomend everybody to read this book if you find the events in Ekaterinburg surronding the Imperial family deppressing. It will give you new hope and make you feel a lot better.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DNA evidence has been discredited., April 19, 2007

By 

Douglas Dobbin "a reviewer" (NM, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Secret Plot to Save the Tsar: New Truths Behind the Romanov Mystery (Paperback)

I have read this book and numerous others on the subject. This one is by far the best. In 2004, after this book was published, Stanford University and the Japanese government independently discredited the DNA evidence of an execution. There is now no physical evidence of an execution but there is a great deal of evidence for a rescue. The information in this book has even more relevance now than when it was released in 2001. I applaud Shay McNeal for her diligent research. She has opened my eyes and I hope many others.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Possibility, October 6, 2007

By 

Irishgal (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Plot to Save the Tsar: New Truths Behind the Romanov Mystery (Paperback)

When looking back at some of the twentieth century's biggest mysteries, the fate of the Romanovs ranks high on the list. The final chapter of Russia's imperial family has been reported as being a violent end to a strange imprisonment. But is it true? Just exactly what did happen in Ekaterinburg on the night of July 17, 1918?

Shay McNeal's book "The Secret Plot to Save the Tsar" looks at both physical evidence and testimony given over the years to try and answer those questions. While the text is undoubtedly non-fiction, parts of it read like a historical novel - the story is that intriguing. McNeal unravels the delicate political situation that many governments found themselves a part of in the midst of World War I and the Russian Revolution. These political machinations tell a story of double-dealing, two-track political/financial policies, and secret codes that tell a story more incredible than the best James Bond film.

But while all of the covert operations that surrounded the fate of the Romanovs are intriguing, some are a bit confusing. There were many individuals involved, and not everyone used their real name throughout the tale. While this is to be expected, for a non-historian reader like me, the book was a bit confusing at times. I'll admit that parts of the financial situation went over my head, but the heart of the story - what happened to the family - is written very well, and I was able to follow it easily.

McNeal makes her point crystal clear when she prints various witness testimonies, then compares them for inaccuracies. While I was familiar with the Yurovsky note, I had never compared it to the testimony he gave a group of Bolsheviks in 1934, and when McNeal presents the two accounts side-by-side, the inconsistencies are astounding. She also digs up a 1920 text called "Rescuing the Czar", and shows how the fantastic story depicted in the book could, in fact, have been the truth.

Does "The Secret Plot to Save the Tsar" tell exactly what happened to the Romanovs? Certainly not. But McNeal shows enough holes in the accepted version of events to have me questioning everything that I'd previously believed to be true about the "murders". It's certainly enough to get you thinking.