Tsar: The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra (Paperback)

by Peter Kurth (Author), Peter Christopher (Photographer), Edvard Radzinsky (Contributor) "The morning of March 6, 1913, was cloudy in St. Petersburg-leaden would be a better word to describe the heavy skies, the mist, the torrents..." (more)
Key Phrases: Tsarskoe Selo, Alexander Palace, Anna Viroubova (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
It's easy now to indulge in nostalgia about the era of the Romanovs, and the sheer lushness of this gorgeous book is enough to encourage the indulgence. Even the text, highly readable and informative, is a little rose-tinted in places, but perhaps the authors can hardly be blamed when the gentlemanly cruelties of the old regime look so innocent next to the quintessentially totalitarian 20th-century hell that replaced them. (Nowhere was the true nature of the new "people's" dispensation revealed more vividly than in the lurid, incompetent savagery with which Nicholas II and his family were dispatched, a story reconstructed in considerable detail here.) In any case, despite a touch of sentimentality, this is a fine short history of how the Romanov dynasty ended, artfully disguised as a coffee-table book. If you merely flip through the pictures (Ekaterinburg, Tsarkoe Selo, the Cathedral of Peter and Paul at St. Petersburg, shining like a gold dagger in the snow), you will ache to travel to Russia. If you read the text, you will learn a surprising amount about the world of an almost comically ineffectual man with whom the Fates amused themselves by placing him at a key turning point in modern history. Heartless autocrat that he was, you may even end up feeling sorry for him: the cure was so much worse than the disease. --Richard Farr

Product Description
This spectacular, illustrated history tells the story of the last Romanovs--one of the great tragic love stories of all time--with vividness and intimacy. 375 illustrations, 125 in color.

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Back Bay Books (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316557889
• ISBN-13: 978-0316557887
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 11 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #71,928 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A contrast of beauty and tragedy..., June 3, 2005

By	Cynthia K. Robertson (beverly, new jersey USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Tsar: The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra (Hardcover)

If you are a Nicholas and Alexandra fan and can only have one book in your collection, Tsar: The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra by Peter Kurth is that book. There is not a book around that is so stunningly beautiful, or that brings the world of Nicholas and Alexandra to life as this one does.

Unlike many coffee-table books, Tsar gives a comprehensive history of the story of Nicholas and Alexandra from their childhoods to their captivity and death. It also details the discovery of their remains, although it was published just prior to their state burial in 1998. The one negative about the text is that Kurth displays a thinly veiled endorsement of Anna Anderson actually being Anastasia. I don't care how similar they may have looked-show me the DNA.

But the true story is told through the unbelievable pictures and paintings of both the past and present. It is in these that Tsar: The Lost World truly excels. These photographs not only show the beauty of their lives, but also are haunting in that they reveal the true tragedy of the last tsar and his family. Many before and after pictures are used to show the amazing contrast. They include The Winter Palace today, and when it was used as a World War I hospital. Or the tranquil photo of the Palace Square during a snowfall today vs. the Bloody Sunday Massacre scene. Especially tragic are the pictures of the imperial children along with modern day photos of their toys and playthings. They truly were innocent victims in this saga. The pictures of the royal residences are larger than life (many in color) and are alone worth the price of this book. They include The Alexander Palace, The Catherine Palace, The Winter Palace, Peterhof, Livadia and Gatchina. It's eerie to see these places today, now so quiet, tranquil and vacant. A good number of the photos in Tsar are previously unpublished, and many are from palaces and rooms that are not open to the public. Even a die-hard Romanov fan will find something new here.

But for all the beauty of the Romanov's lifestyle, Kurth also shows the flip side including the dead Rasputin, the skeletan remains of the Romanovs, piles of World War I dead, trampled victims from Khodynka (the coronation celebration turned deadly), crumbling buildings, and photos showing the cellar in the Ipatiev House soon after Nicholas and family were brutally murdered there. They're all very sobering, indeed. Tsar also features an introduction by Edward Radzinsky, the noted author of The Last Tsar.

So, if you are looking for a book that truly reflects the beauty and tragedy of Nicholas and Alexandra, Tsar: The Lost World is a must. But do yourself a favor and stick with the hardback version. It is a much more impressive book than the softbound version and one you will treasure for years.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh historical perspective., April 28, 2001

By	mirope "mirope" (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I've read about the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II, and his family for years, but I never felt like I really understood their lives and their lifestyle until I bought and read this book. The text is an interesting historical summation, but it doesn't reveal anything your average student of Russian history wouldn't already know. What is so special about this book is the pictures. Beautiful full-color photos of the magnificient palaces and locations frequented by the Russian royal family are displayed next to a comprehensive collection of historical photos from the era. In addition to the classic royal portraits you have probably seen, there are many candid photos of the family going about their daily life. Frequently, a historical picture is shown next to a gorgeous contemporary photograph of the same locale. For example, a black and white photograph of two of the Grand Duchess rowing past the "children's island" at Tsarkoe Selo is shown with a brilliantly colored picture of the same spot as it looks today. Thanks to these beautiful photographs, I have a whole new appreciation of the incredible luxury of the royal surroundings, and what a grand contrast it must have been to the lifestyle of the average Russian peasants.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glossy, sumptous record of a lost world, May 14, 2004

By	S. Becker "sminismoni" (Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This large coffee table style book is essentially a visual record of the last Russian Tsar and his family. It features page after page of large photos - the famous black and white family album shots, many not-so-famous pictures of the family at home and their friend and relatives. These are interspersed with colour photographs of relevant locations (e.g. Alexander Palace, site of the former Impatiev House), which are absolutely stunning purely from a visual point of view. Photos of personal objects that belonged to the family - jewelery, letters and toys are also included.

Along with the photos, there is an accompanying text that tells the basic story. It covers the Romanov saga right from Nicholas and Alexandra's childhoods, to their marriage, children, Rasputin, the revolution and the modern day sequel to their story. It is not an academic work, and the information is broad and somewhat lacking in detail. For information on the last Tsar, there are numerous biographies which would serve the inquiring reader better.

But as I said, this is a coffee table book for the lay person.
It is like the "creme caramel" of the Romanov library. Rich, indulgent, a must have, but definately not the main course.