The Romanov Succession

by Brian Garfield

Dust jacket art by Wladislaw Finne. A story of intrigue in World War II on the Russian front.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Russia

413 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Brian Francis Wynne Garfield was a novelist and screenwriter. He wrote his first published book at the age of eighteen, and gained prominence with 1975 his book Hopscotch, which won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. He is best known for his 1972 novel Death Wish, which was adapted for the 1974 film of the same title, followed by four sequels, and a remake starring Bruce Willis.

His follow-up 1975 sequel to Death Wish, Death Sentence, was very loosely adapted into a film of the same name which was released to theaters in late 2007, though an entirely different storyline, but with the novel's same look on vigilantism. Garfield is also the author of The Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for History. Garfield's latest book, published in 2007, is Meinertzhagen, the biography of controversial British intelligence officer Richard Meinertzhagen.

Brian Garfield was the author of more than 70 books that sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and 19 of his works were made into films or TV shows. He also served as president of the Western Writers of America and the Mystery Writers of America.

Pseudonyms:
• Bennett Garland
• John Ives
• Drew Mallory
• Frank O'Brian
• Brian Wynne
• Frank Wynne

Reviews

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the 1970s there were any number of historical thrillers written around actual people or events. The Eagle Has Landed and Day of the Jackal are probably the most famous examples of these novels.

In the Romanov Succession, Brian Garfield elaborates a plot to assassinate Stalin as Hitler’s armies are driving on Moscow in 1941. While the inevitability of the outcome hovers over the story, Garfield lays out detailed preparations and plans that are both calculated and interesting. The novel is well paced. The average Good Reads score for this novel is pitifully low.

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing memorable about it except for the training sequences. The writing is pedestrian. He wants to be cynical, but in the end it just goes nowhere.

[Teri Cooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts off like a locomotive but fizzles at the end. Good for a quick read but won't change your world.

[Sadiq Shah Mohamad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic from Brian Garfield