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Alix and Nicky: The Passion of the Last Tsar and Tsarina
The dramatic story of Emperor Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Fyodorovna, the last Tsar and Tsarina of Russia—A penetrating and deeply personal study that gives profound psychological insight into their marriage and how it shaped the events that engulfed them.
There are few characters in history about whom opinion has been more divided than the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, and his wife the Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna. On one hand, they are venerated as saints, innocent victims of Bolshevik assassins, and on the other they are impugned as the unwitting harbingers of revolution and imperial collapse, blamed for all the ills that befell the Russian people in the 20th century. Theirs was also a tragic love story; for whatever else can be said of them, there can be no doubt that Alix and Nicky adored one another. Soon after their engagement, Alix wrote in her fiancé’s diary: “Ever true and ever loving, faithful, pure and strong as death”—words which met their fulfillment twenty-four years later in a blood-spattered cellar in Ekaterinburg.
Through the letters and diaries written by the couple and by those around them, Virginia Rounding presents an intimate, penetrating, and fresh portrayal of these two complex figures and of their passion—their love and their suffering. She explores the nature and possible causes of the Empress’s ill health, and examines in depth the enigmatic triangular relationship between Nicky, Alix and their ‘favourite,’ Ania Vyrubova, protégée of the infamous Rasputin, extracting the meaning from words left unsaid, from hints and innuendoes..
The story of Alix and Nicky, of their four daughters known collectively as ‘OTMA’ and of their hemophiliac little boy Alexei, is endlessly fascinating, and Rounding makes these characters come alive, presenting them in all their human dimensions and expertly leading the reader into their vanished world.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 17, 2012
36 people are currently reading
2223 people want to read
About the author
Virginia Rounding
14 books61 followersVirginia Rounding is an author, editor, proofreader and indexer, and a professional member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading. Her most recent book is The Burning Time, an investigation of the circumstances, motivations and deaths of the men and women burnt at the stake - and of those who set fire to them - in London in the mid-16th century.
Her previous book was a fresh examination of the lives of the last Emperor and Empress of Russia: Alix and Nicky: The Passion of the Last Tsar and Tsarina. A reviewer commented in the Washington Times: ‘she has brought them to life in flesh and blood perhaps better than any previous writer on the subject. This is partly a result of her skill in rooting out and quoting commentary on them by those who knew them well and put their impressions down in letters and diaries. But she has a knack for building on these insights with her own, and so has produced a more rounded portrait than we have ever had before.’
Virginia’s has also written a biography of the Empress Catherine II (Catherine the Great: Love, Sex and Power, 2006, described in the Daily Telegraph as ‘a thumping great triumph of a book’). This was preceded by a study of French courtesans (Grandes Horizontales, 2003, in the Independent as ‘impeccably researched, a flirt of a book, enjoyable and sexy’).
Virginia is also the joint author, with Martin Dudley, of a series of books on church administration, and has reviewed widely for a variety of newspapers and magazines, including the Daily Telegraph, FT Magazine, Independent, Daily Mail and Moscow Times. She currently lives in Birmingham.
She was Royal Literary Fund Fellow at The Courtauld Institute of Art from 2008 to 2011.
She was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School for Girls, Great Crosby, and at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University of London.
Her previous book was a fresh examination of the lives of the last Emperor and Empress of Russia: Alix and Nicky: The Passion of the Last Tsar and Tsarina. A reviewer commented in the Washington Times: ‘she has brought them to life in flesh and blood perhaps better than any previous writer on the subject. This is partly a result of her skill in rooting out and quoting commentary on them by those who knew them well and put their impressions down in letters and diaries. But she has a knack for building on these insights with her own, and so has produced a more rounded portrait than we have ever had before.’
Virginia’s has also written a biography of the Empress Catherine II (Catherine the Great: Love, Sex and Power, 2006, described in the Daily Telegraph as ‘a thumping great triumph of a book’). This was preceded by a study of French courtesans (Grandes Horizontales, 2003, in the Independent as ‘impeccably researched, a flirt of a book, enjoyable and sexy’).
Virginia is also the joint author, with Martin Dudley, of a series of books on church administration, and has reviewed widely for a variety of newspapers and magazines, including the Daily Telegraph, FT Magazine, Independent, Daily Mail and Moscow Times. She currently lives in Birmingham.
She was Royal Literary Fund Fellow at The Courtauld Institute of Art from 2008 to 2011.
She was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School for Girls, Great Crosby, and at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University of London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 14, 2012
I really, really wanted to love this book. Massie's 'Nicholas & Alexandra' is one of my favorite books, so I was looking forward to this update now that much new information is available from the Russian archives. Overall, though the information it contained was good, this book was a disappointment.
First of all, the organization was weird. Rounding begins with chapters organized by topic, but about halfway through switches to organizing each chapter chronologically, starting over again with the beginning of their relationship. This seems really odd to me. As a historian and Russophile, I know enough of the story to understand what was going on, but someone less familiar with the Romanov family would probably get lost at the start of the book. Weaving the themes throughout the chronology is pretty standard for biographies, and deviating from that did not work well in this book.
Secondly, the writing seemed very amateur to me. It read more like a graduate thesis than a work by a professional historian or writer. There were too many personal interjections and the editing seemed a little sloppy. There were also numerous instances where I felt like Rounding was really trying to force the story to fit her theme, rather than allowing the story to unfold.
It was not a terrible book by any means. I enjoyed the increased emphasis on Nicky and Alix as people rather than political figures. There was some information that was new to me; the role of Anna Vyrubova was especially interesting.
Overall, though, I found myself wishing that the book featuring all this new material about Nicholas and Alexandra had been written by someone more experienced. I'd much rather read another book by Robert Massie, updated with the new archival information, but alas, that does not yet exist. This book is interesting, but simply not as good as it could have been.
First of all, the organization was weird. Rounding begins with chapters organized by topic, but about halfway through switches to organizing each chapter chronologically, starting over again with the beginning of their relationship. This seems really odd to me. As a historian and Russophile, I know enough of the story to understand what was going on, but someone less familiar with the Romanov family would probably get lost at the start of the book. Weaving the themes throughout the chronology is pretty standard for biographies, and deviating from that did not work well in this book.
Secondly, the writing seemed very amateur to me. It read more like a graduate thesis than a work by a professional historian or writer. There were too many personal interjections and the editing seemed a little sloppy. There were also numerous instances where I felt like Rounding was really trying to force the story to fit her theme, rather than allowing the story to unfold.
It was not a terrible book by any means. I enjoyed the increased emphasis on Nicky and Alix as people rather than political figures. There was some information that was new to me; the role of Anna Vyrubova was especially interesting.
Overall, though, I found myself wishing that the book featuring all this new material about Nicholas and Alexandra had been written by someone more experienced. I'd much rather read another book by Robert Massie, updated with the new archival information, but alas, that does not yet exist. This book is interesting, but simply not as good as it could have been.
July 4, 2016
Alix and Nicky remained on my TBR shelf for over two years, and after reading, I have no idea why that was. Well, perhaps the fact that my copy is rather a large hardback which was incredibly difficult to juggle whilst in bed...
I am a self-confessed Russian history nerd. I studied Russian history, from Peter the Great to the modern day, throughout my A Level History course and as part of my undergraduate degree. There's something about it which is both mysterious and compelling. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that I picked this up when I was on a trip to Oxford.
Alix and Nicky is both rich and thorough, and I thought that the non-reliance upon a rigid chronological structure worked incredibly well. The writing is strong, the vocabulary varied, and the chapters wonderfully structured. I feel as though I learnt a lot whilst reading, which is always a bonus. Virginia Rounding is an author whom I haven't read before, but based upon this, I have added the rest of her bibliography to my to-read list, and have a feeling that there will be some gems in store for me.
I am a self-confessed Russian history nerd. I studied Russian history, from Peter the Great to the modern day, throughout my A Level History course and as part of my undergraduate degree. There's something about it which is both mysterious and compelling. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that I picked this up when I was on a trip to Oxford.
Alix and Nicky is both rich and thorough, and I thought that the non-reliance upon a rigid chronological structure worked incredibly well. The writing is strong, the vocabulary varied, and the chapters wonderfully structured. I feel as though I learnt a lot whilst reading, which is always a bonus. Virginia Rounding is an author whom I haven't read before, but based upon this, I have added the rest of her bibliography to my to-read list, and have a feeling that there will be some gems in store for me.
May 26, 2015
Maybe a 2.5.
Title was misleading. I thought this was to be a love story but it was all about Alix's health problems and Nicky's indecisiveness. And it was so political. I also disliked the author's writing style. She was presumptuous and enjoyed acting as if she knew exactly what the family was thinking or meant the entire book. Her sources were shaky at best and her notes were badly done. And she bounced around too much. The last 50 pages were so boring and hard to get through.
Title was misleading. I thought this was to be a love story but it was all about Alix's health problems and Nicky's indecisiveness. And it was so political. I also disliked the author's writing style. She was presumptuous and enjoyed acting as if she knew exactly what the family was thinking or meant the entire book. Her sources were shaky at best and her notes were badly done. And she bounced around too much. The last 50 pages were so boring and hard to get through.
July 24, 2019
Grāmata, kuru vienkārši vajadzēja pabeigt, nomocīt līdz beigām, jo paralēli lasu vēl divas par attiecīgo tēmu un plānā vēl viena. Autore mani galīgi nepārliecināja ne par savām vēsturnieces, ne rakstnieces spējām. Vispirms jau tas, ka vēstures notikumu izkāsts nebūs saprotams nevienam, kurš pirms tam jau nav iepazinies ar atiecīgā perioda Krievijas vēsturi - daudzi ārkārtīgi svarīgi notikumi, kas tieši skar cara ģimeni, te tiek pieminēti garāmejot, un impērijas sabrukums vispār ir kāds nejaušs pārpratums. Turklāt autore nezināmu iemeslu vadīta ir sajaukusi nodaļu hronoloģiju, kas diez vai veicina izpratni par notiekošo. Raundinga daudz citē, izmanto imperatoru vēstules, bet man palika iespaids, ka citāti tiek ļaunprātīgi izmantoti, lai pierādītu viņas teoriju, kura laikam gan visu laiku tika virzīta uz triumfālu, pareizticības apdvestu finālu, kurš skaidro cara ģimenes iecelšanu svēto kārtā.
Šī grāmata izmantojama tikai kā papildliteratūra, lai ieraudzītu kādas nianses, kuras vienalga vajadzētu precizēt un pārbaudīt.
Šī grāmata izmantojama tikai kā papildliteratūra, lai ieraudzītu kādas nianses, kuras vienalga vajadzētu precizēt un pārbaudīt.
July 31, 2012
Well, I would give it 5 stars, wouldn't I?
Here's an extract from my Introduction to the book, which explains something about my approach to the writing of it:
"The analogy that comes most readily to mind when writing a new book about such apparently well-known yet still controversial figures is that of curating an exhibition of some already famous artist. Just as the curator endeavors to present a different view, through judicious, sometimes idiosyncratic, selection, juxtaposition, ordering, and even omission, so the biographer must select, consider, compare, and above all look with a fresh eye at what is already 'knownn' as well as seek out the previously 'unknown.' In so doing, curator and biographer may respectively light upon something that previous exhibitions and books have missed, some detail or a new way of seeing that may alter earlier perceptions. Through engaging closely with a number of texts, particularly diaries and letters - and sometimes looking at what is unsaid as much as what is said - I have aspired to come as close as possible to 'penetrating the souls' of these two complex characters, while presenting the story of their 'passion' (taken in both senses, of love and of suffering) in a way that I hope will pique the interest of both the Romanov expert and the general reader. At the same time - and again bearing in mind the curating analogy - mine is only one way of seeing, of arranging the material to allow the characters to appear, of 'telling the same story differently'. It may be almost as impossible to find the historical Nicholas and Alexandra as to find the historical Jesus, so much being dependent on the attitudes and beliefs of witnesses. There may be as many Nickys and Alixes as there are theories about them, their images distorted by the parts they are assigned in other people's mythologies. During their lifetime they were constantly surrounded by gossip, and sometimes it may seem that it has not yet died down. They were in addition extremely private people, only really known to one another - and maybe too shy even for such private knowledge to be complete. Nicky's own account of himself, in his diary, is designed to give little away; he was always restrained, rarely given to obvious self-expression (though at times his silence speaks volumes). And, as if misleading gossip on the one hand and considerable reticence on the other did not present sufficient obstacles to knowledge, Nicholas and Alexandra have now vanished even further from our sight, into the reflective surface of an icon - where the image as instrument of devotion is meant always to point beyond itself, to be seen through rather than stared at, the portal to a different sort of knowledge. As saints - if that is what they are, or might be - they have moved literally beyond our understanding."
January 19, 2023
Having been on a bit of a Russian history binge lately, I found this book equal parts poignant, fascinating and frustrating. Poignant because we all know what happened to those four beautiful daughters, the long-prayed for son afflicted with hemophilia, and their parents. It's heartbreaking to see actual footage of the family (the Romanov Royal Martyrs channel on YouTube is excellent) and know their days were few upon the earth.
The author focuses primarily on the letters between Alix and her Nicky over the 25+ years of their courtship and marriage, and (once you get past the royal couple's sophomoric names for their respective genitalia) it's easy to see how much they truly loved one another and how completely they supported each other.
However, Alix, Nicky and their children existed in a bubble - a wonderful bubble of a life with trips to the fjords on their yacht, vacations with their cousins in Denmark (including the future Kaiser Wilhelm and George V of England and the densely intertwined lineage they all shared) and glorious days together at Tsarskoe Selo only 15 miles away from St. Petersburg.
We picture the girls in their customary white dresses and little Alexei in his sailor suit in the country, as life in St. Petersburg is vibrant- rich with Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, and Pavlova and Nijinsky of Russian ballet. It's an industrial giant and the fourth largest city in Europe, rife with political intrigue.
And yet ... Alix and Nicky firmly and completely believed that the true Russian people loved their Tsar and Russia would only survive with autocratic rule. They believed Rasputin was sent from God and as their Friend, He and only He had their true interests at heart. Countless military leaders, family and friends begged them to wake up and realize that Russia was changing and that Nicky needed to accept concessions and to allow some self-governance.
Again, we all know how the story ended, but it's truly frustrating how the Tsar and Tsarina refused to listen and could not be shaken out of their bubble. It makes one think that perhaps a typical arranged state marriage - with two partners who married for dynastic reasons rather than love - might have saved Russian instead of these two who loved one another so dearly that they could not see clearly the danger. 4 stars.
The author focuses primarily on the letters between Alix and her Nicky over the 25+ years of their courtship and marriage, and (once you get past the royal couple's sophomoric names for their respective genitalia) it's easy to see how much they truly loved one another and how completely they supported each other.
However, Alix, Nicky and their children existed in a bubble - a wonderful bubble of a life with trips to the fjords on their yacht, vacations with their cousins in Denmark (including the future Kaiser Wilhelm and George V of England and the densely intertwined lineage they all shared) and glorious days together at Tsarskoe Selo only 15 miles away from St. Petersburg.
We picture the girls in their customary white dresses and little Alexei in his sailor suit in the country, as life in St. Petersburg is vibrant- rich with Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, and Pavlova and Nijinsky of Russian ballet. It's an industrial giant and the fourth largest city in Europe, rife with political intrigue.
And yet ... Alix and Nicky firmly and completely believed that the true Russian people loved their Tsar and Russia would only survive with autocratic rule. They believed Rasputin was sent from God and as their Friend, He and only He had their true interests at heart. Countless military leaders, family and friends begged them to wake up and realize that Russia was changing and that Nicky needed to accept concessions and to allow some self-governance.
Again, we all know how the story ended, but it's truly frustrating how the Tsar and Tsarina refused to listen and could not be shaken out of their bubble. It makes one think that perhaps a typical arranged state marriage - with two partners who married for dynastic reasons rather than love - might have saved Russian instead of these two who loved one another so dearly that they could not see clearly the danger. 4 stars.
February 15, 2012
I received this book for free as a First Reads giveaway.
I have no doubt that in the right hands, this book would get a solid 5 out of 5 star rating. It is obvious that the book was thoroughly researched, and that the author has a great interest in this topic and a passion for acting as a "curator" to gather the various accounts and opinions of Alix and Nicky. I really admire and respect all the work that very clearly went into this book on the part of the author. Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy reading it.
The "passion" that is in the title refers to both definitions of the word: emotion as well as suffering. When I first read the book's title, I took it to be the emotional kind of passion and looked forward to a book mostly about the love between Alix and Nicky. I think the book is actually heavier on the suffering side; there is a lot of detail about their struggles, their troubles relating to the Russian people, their personality traits, Alix's illness, etc. When the emotional side came up, I really got into it and read eagerly. But there seemed to be more talk of politics and military events; there just wasn't enough of their love story for me. Don't get me wrong - I love history, and I love non-fiction history/biography books, but this book didn't bring history to life for me. It was a rather dry restating of facts and events.
The book is separated into chapters that highlight important aspects of Alix and Nicky's lives. The chapters bounce around quite a bit, not really following any chronological order. One minute we're reading about Nicky's childhood, the next Alix is a grown woman and has been married to Nicky for years, the next Alix and Nicky are writing love letters to each other before they were engaged, and the next we're reading about Nicky's childhood again. Another issue, although this is no fault of the author's, is the Russian names of friends, family, and important figures - they are all pretty similar (to my American eyes) and it was hard to keep track of who was who. The author does provide a list of characters, essentially, at the front of the book, and also gives a little reminder each time a character is brought up of what role they play, but I still became very confused very quickly.
I have to state again just how much effort clearly went into this book, and how sure I am that someone else would give this a shining review. But to me, it was simply "ok" - it's just not my type of book. I had to force myself to sit down and read, and then I found myself flipping ahead to see how much more I had to read before I got to the end of the chapter. Because of this, I just can't give it better than 2 stars.
I have no doubt that in the right hands, this book would get a solid 5 out of 5 star rating. It is obvious that the book was thoroughly researched, and that the author has a great interest in this topic and a passion for acting as a "curator" to gather the various accounts and opinions of Alix and Nicky. I really admire and respect all the work that very clearly went into this book on the part of the author. Unfortunately, I didn't really enjoy reading it.
The "passion" that is in the title refers to both definitions of the word: emotion as well as suffering. When I first read the book's title, I took it to be the emotional kind of passion and looked forward to a book mostly about the love between Alix and Nicky. I think the book is actually heavier on the suffering side; there is a lot of detail about their struggles, their troubles relating to the Russian people, their personality traits, Alix's illness, etc. When the emotional side came up, I really got into it and read eagerly. But there seemed to be more talk of politics and military events; there just wasn't enough of their love story for me. Don't get me wrong - I love history, and I love non-fiction history/biography books, but this book didn't bring history to life for me. It was a rather dry restating of facts and events.
The book is separated into chapters that highlight important aspects of Alix and Nicky's lives. The chapters bounce around quite a bit, not really following any chronological order. One minute we're reading about Nicky's childhood, the next Alix is a grown woman and has been married to Nicky for years, the next Alix and Nicky are writing love letters to each other before they were engaged, and the next we're reading about Nicky's childhood again. Another issue, although this is no fault of the author's, is the Russian names of friends, family, and important figures - they are all pretty similar (to my American eyes) and it was hard to keep track of who was who. The author does provide a list of characters, essentially, at the front of the book, and also gives a little reminder each time a character is brought up of what role they play, but I still became very confused very quickly.
I have to state again just how much effort clearly went into this book, and how sure I am that someone else would give this a shining review. But to me, it was simply "ok" - it's just not my type of book. I had to force myself to sit down and read, and then I found myself flipping ahead to see how much more I had to read before I got to the end of the chapter. Because of this, I just can't give it better than 2 stars.
September 5, 2019
Lai arī iepriekš biju zinājusi šo to par Nikolaja II valdīšanas laiku un traģisko dzīves galu, šī grāmata lieliski papildināja trūkstošās informācijas krājumu. Stāsts ir ne tikai par Aleksa un Nikijas kaislībām, bet arī par vēsturiskajiem notikumiem, kas risinājās viņu laikā un neapskaužamiem cilvēku likteņiem. Vien žēl, ka dažbrīd pievīla angļu valodai pārāk pietuvinātais tulkojums - nezinu, vai kāds angļu valodas nepratējs iedomāsies, kas ir "katls pārmet tējkannai netīru dibenu".
February 28, 2021
Ļoti interesanti, bet arī ļoti, ļoti grūti lasāmi - pārāk daudz faktu, personāžu, gadu skaitļu, nebūtisku notikumu, minējumu utt.
September 29, 2015
Nicholas and Alexandria had three passions : their passion for each other, their passion to keep their rule autocratic, and their passion for suffering. They apparently felt they were fated to suffer, so they were passive about the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that fell upon themselves. Those that fell upon their son Alexis, they were not so passive about.
I found the book both sad and interesting. Sad because those two shy people just could not be the autocrats their ancestors were. Sad because they thought they Must Be Autocrats, when, if they had more political savvy, they could have worked with their ministers to start the process of turning Russia into a constitutional monarchy. They weren't cut off from the rest of Europe. They must've seen what worked and what didn't in their relation's countries. Sad because Alix knew her son's suffering came from her genes (Her brother Frittie and her uncle Leopold had hemophilia) Sad because Alix did so want to Do Something - else she would not have got up from her chaise lounge and try to nurse and then to govern the country while Nicky was at war.
The bits about Alix's illnesses were quite interesting. Could the porphyria George III allegedly suffered been passed down to her? Was it that and not just her shyness that turned her from an active child to a reclusive bedridden empress?
Also, the Imperial Family's home life was not as idyllic as depicted in other books. The Grand Duchesses were not one personality ("OTMA") in four bodies but four different personalities who at times were catty towards each other. The Empress and Ania Verboyva were not so much bosom chums as rivals for the Tsar's affections.
I found the book both sad and interesting. Sad because those two shy people just could not be the autocrats their ancestors were. Sad because they thought they Must Be Autocrats, when, if they had more political savvy, they could have worked with their ministers to start the process of turning Russia into a constitutional monarchy. They weren't cut off from the rest of Europe. They must've seen what worked and what didn't in their relation's countries. Sad because Alix knew her son's suffering came from her genes (Her brother Frittie and her uncle Leopold had hemophilia) Sad because Alix did so want to Do Something - else she would not have got up from her chaise lounge and try to nurse and then to govern the country while Nicky was at war.
The bits about Alix's illnesses were quite interesting. Could the porphyria George III allegedly suffered been passed down to her? Was it that and not just her shyness that turned her from an active child to a reclusive bedridden empress?
Also, the Imperial Family's home life was not as idyllic as depicted in other books. The Grand Duchesses were not one personality ("OTMA") in four bodies but four different personalities who at times were catty towards each other. The Empress and Ania Verboyva were not so much bosom chums as rivals for the Tsar's affections.
November 26, 2017
Having read quite a few biographies of Nicholas and Alexandra, I was not sure if there would be anything new for me in this book. And while most of the information were indeed not "new", the way they are organized, presented and interpreted make the publication truly wonderful. Perhaps because this time the writer is a woman (most of the Romanov fiction is written by men) the politics is not the main topic. Instead we are invited to the most intimate circle of the last Imperial couple and explore their feelings and inner world. The author takes a sympathetic view of both Nicholas and Alexandra, but provides logical arguments for her conclusions and there is neither positive bias nor ironic scorn one is now used to see when reading about these people.
Some of the issues analyzed (which tend to be mentioned, but remain unexplored by other authors), include the real state of Alexandra´s health and the less than ideal relationship of the couple with Anna Vyrubova. I was also pleasantly surprised at how well the whole family is presented as a tightly-knit unit - as opposed to the popular narrative of Alexandra giving her all to Alexei, while the daughters are virtually non-existent.
The first half of the book does not really move chronologically, which may be taxing for readers without previous knowledge of the timeline, but to me it added to the experience - again because I have read many Romanov books and this one, thanks to the "time-travel" was different.
Some of the issues analyzed (which tend to be mentioned, but remain unexplored by other authors), include the real state of Alexandra´s health and the less than ideal relationship of the couple with Anna Vyrubova. I was also pleasantly surprised at how well the whole family is presented as a tightly-knit unit - as opposed to the popular narrative of Alexandra giving her all to Alexei, while the daughters are virtually non-existent.
The first half of the book does not really move chronologically, which may be taxing for readers without previous knowledge of the timeline, but to me it added to the experience - again because I have read many Romanov books and this one, thanks to the "time-travel" was different.
August 5, 2015
I enjoyed the informative but tedious early chapters of this book which include in better detail Nicky and Alix's relationships they kept from the rest of the family, especially with Anna Vyrubova. However, the chapters were too long and the book suffered from a combination of "Anastasia's Secret disorder" (bad earlier, chapter, good later chapter) and "Natasha's Dance disorder" (good, informative beginning, confusing later chapters). Most of the book could have been rated at 4 stars, despite the amount of concentration required to read it, but I found chapter eleven unimportant and tedious, discussing a large collection of ministers Nicholas and Alexandra were appointing and not appointing. I might have not finished this book, but I decided I wouldn't be too lost if I skipped a couple pages, so I technically finished it. Despite chapter eleven, chapter twelve was well-done, but not quite deserving a spot on my almost-cried shelf, so I think three stars is fitting and I still will read Catherine the Great: Love, Sex, and Power.
April 2, 2013
This is a pretty rough read. Not because it's not a compelling story-- it is, though it can be dense at times and perhaps overly confusing in the description of the ministerial musical chairs and other things-- it's more because the story is almost too compelling.
We know, most people, that Alexandra and Nicholas, their five children, three servants, and personal doctor were shot in a cellar maybe a year after the tsar abdicated. What made this book so difficult for me was that I got to know Alexandra and Nicholas very well, almost personally, and I knew all along what was going to happen. Around the chapter where Nicholas abdicated, I nearly stopped reading.
The last chapter is very worthwhile, though. It intersperses Biblical quotations with an almost lyrical description of the family's months of confinement, and then discusses the subsequent canonization of the family with gentle speculation. This whole book is like that, actually, minus the Biblical quotations-- clear-eyed but kind, and well worth the read if you are interested in the last Russian tsar.
We know, most people, that Alexandra and Nicholas, their five children, three servants, and personal doctor were shot in a cellar maybe a year after the tsar abdicated. What made this book so difficult for me was that I got to know Alexandra and Nicholas very well, almost personally, and I knew all along what was going to happen. Around the chapter where Nicholas abdicated, I nearly stopped reading.
The last chapter is very worthwhile, though. It intersperses Biblical quotations with an almost lyrical description of the family's months of confinement, and then discusses the subsequent canonization of the family with gentle speculation. This whole book is like that, actually, minus the Biblical quotations-- clear-eyed but kind, and well worth the read if you are interested in the last Russian tsar.
January 29, 2012
I am going to be brutally honest here and state right up front that I did not like this book very much. While I appreciated some aspects, such as the descriptions of the palaces, and various celebrations such as in 1913 and the coronation, the author's attitude was sarcastic and at times snide -- that's hard to take in a nonfiction, historical book. Most frustrating was the nonlinear format of telling the story, and the constant jumping about by the author -- it was annoying and made the story difficult to follow. Three stars overall, not recommended.
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Virgin...
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Virgin...
June 20, 2024
I’m beginning to wonder how many books on the Romanovs I can read, as most books don’t add much new information. I did really think this one was a good account of their lives, especially the formative years (their captivity is glossed over, the author perhaps thinking that it has already been incredibly dissected) and I’d rank it up there with the Romanov Sisters. Interesting notes on the Empress’s illness, Anya Vyrubova, and the family’s status as saints but not a ton of new information for those who already know the story. A fascinating read though, but a little dry in parts. Also the chronology jumped around a lot and someone who doesn’t already know the history well may get confused.
March 26, 2018
While there is some material in this book not mentioned in other books on the Romanovs, I was thoroughly frustrated by a combination of the writing style, chapter arrangement, and the complete lack of in-line footnotes/endnotes. Though there is a list at the end of quotations noting where they came from, it's nearly useless when trying to evaluate them in the context of the book. Sadly, I can't recommend this book to anyone, even those deeply interested and/or invested in the Romanovs.
August 18, 2018
While I wasn't a fan of how the information was organized (the order was chaotic and extremely confusing), I did enjoy learning a few new facts.
January 19, 2025
This book was quite misleading, as it's not really focused on the relationship between Alix and Nicholas. It does contain a fair amount on that topic, but it's just a more general biography of them. I also kind of assumed there would be more emphasis on the diary entries and letters than there ended up being.
My biggest issue however was tone. Rounding is very informal in much of her writing, which could be alright if she wasn't being so personal. There are countless cases of Rounding inserting her own opinions on what's going on instead of presenting information from the primary sources. She seems to love psychoanalyzing the people in her book which is very distasteful for history. At one point, Rounding even uses online personality tests to analyze Nicholas and assign him a Myers-Briggs indicator. This is the opposite of good scholarship and not something I've seen from any popular history book I've read before. The more I read on, the harder I found it to separate the carelessness of the research and presentation of events and people.
The notes are also done incorrectly.
My biggest issue however was tone. Rounding is very informal in much of her writing, which could be alright if she wasn't being so personal. There are countless cases of Rounding inserting her own opinions on what's going on instead of presenting information from the primary sources. She seems to love psychoanalyzing the people in her book which is very distasteful for history. At one point, Rounding even uses online personality tests to analyze Nicholas and assign him a Myers-Briggs indicator. This is the opposite of good scholarship and not something I've seen from any popular history book I've read before. The more I read on, the harder I found it to separate the carelessness of the research and presentation of events and people.
The notes are also done incorrectly.
July 29, 2017
This novel is very short in length but full of depth. This novel just isn't about the love of Nicky and Alix, but also the political downfall of Nicky and all of Alix's health issues. There was a lot of information within this novel, but the majority of everything was political. I did not enjoy the lay out of this novel -- it starts out in later years and then goes back to when Alix and Nicky meet and fall in love. I was hoping of more of their love and companionship after Nicky abdicates the throne. The ending of the novel was rough in my opinion. We barely witness their captivity. The family is murdered and the rest of the pages are about whether of not the family should be canonized. I appreciated however, the end of the novel describing the DNA analysis, and wish there would have been a bit more of that. This novel was decent, but hard to read. Although the subject matter is something of interest it was difficult to set time aside to read this book.
March 6, 2019
It was good enough, however, the author allows her obvious dislike of Alix come through far too often, and takes letters and diary entries out of context. The fact that Alix was shy seems to bother her. It was odd to read. Why write a book about someone you don't seem to care for? Also, she moves back at forth through events in a somewhat random manner. Especially when reading about historical events, I prefer them in a chronological telling. There are better books about the last year and his family.
April 19, 2019
Nothing special, I’d even say it was a disappointment. The good thing is that this book has increased my interest in history of Russia and Romanov family. But, unfortunately the book lacks construction that is so important for historical literature. Also, many assumptions were not based on facts, just made on some phrases in letters between Alix and Nicholas.
Nope, that’s already fiction.
It’s too good for two stars and actually too bad for three. If I could I’d give it 2.5.
Nope, that’s already fiction.
It’s too good for two stars and actually too bad for three. If I could I’d give it 2.5.
December 15, 2018
An excellent intimate look at the relationship between Nicholas and Alexandra. A few parts are rather ponderous when the author drifts into political and religious discourse, but overall the narrative is solid. The arrangement of the chapters was quite odd and seemed very random, which for introductory readers, might be confusing in following the story of the couple.
December 9, 2021
“Smaga” vēstures grāmata par carisko Krieviju 19./20.gs., dažu brīdi lasījās grūti, līdzīgi kā jebkura krievu klasika. Nelielu apjukumu radīja daudzie personāži, bet vieglāk saprast palīdzēja dzimtas koks. Grāmata pierāda to, ka ne katrs ir dzimis vadītājs un ne katram jābūt līderim, bet kad blakus ir mīloša sieviete dzīvē viss ir iespējams!
March 2, 2025
An interesting study on the lives of Nicholas II and his consort, Alexandra. The book draws heavily from the correspondence between the two principle characters, as well as from letters and diary entries from their closest family and friends. The result is an engaging biography which brings us just a little bit closer to getting a feel for the real Nicholas and Alexandra.
May 26, 2023
Well researched and full of information, but I just couldn't get past the clunky writing and organization of the book. It's definitely not for a reader who isn't already intimately acquainted with most of the figures in the book.
January 2, 2026
Interesanti bija uzzināt par Krievijas vēsturi nedaudz tajā laika posmā, bija interesanti sekot līdzi un uzzināt kas notiks, bet tā daudz kas atkārtojās un daži jautajumi tā arī nebija atšķetināti. Ilgi svārstījos likt 4 vai 5 zvaigznes, bet grāmatas beigas pārliecināja par 4.
July 24, 2021
This was quite well written but the structure was rather odd to follow
January 11, 2023
A sad and tragic tale beautifully told.
May 11, 2014
This book was disappointing. It followed no chronological order and jumped all over. Rasputin and Anna Vyrubova were hardly mentioned at all. Little was spoken about the time, that the family was held as prisoners, before they were executed.
There were a couple of little gems in Alix's story. First, on their 21st anniversary, Alix and Nicky were apart, however, Alix mentions in a letter to Nicky, that she had put on her brooch, to remind her of him. I believe , she is referring to his magnificent engagement present to her, which was an enormous Siberian aquamarine and diamond brooch, set by Faberge. I have seen this piece in an exhibition catalogue and it is breath taking.It was apparently lost for many years and recently discovered after it was cleaned. The numbers on the piece were matched to an inventory list made by Faberge.This piece, along with the engagement picture of Nicky and Alix, wearing the brooch, can be seen on the cover of a catalogue by Wartski, the famous British jewellers, entitled "Faberge and the Russian Jewellers A Loan Exhibition".
Second (a gem for me only), Nicky mentions that he reviewed troops in the recently captured cities of Lvov and Przemysl, which was heavily bombed, since it was on the front. Right after he told Alix, the cities were re-captured by the Austrians. Both cities, were located in Galicia, Poland and were the birthplaces of my grandparents. My grandmother told me of her family's travail, during the war and how her father met the Kaiser.
There were a couple of little gems in Alix's story. First, on their 21st anniversary, Alix and Nicky were apart, however, Alix mentions in a letter to Nicky, that she had put on her brooch, to remind her of him. I believe , she is referring to his magnificent engagement present to her, which was an enormous Siberian aquamarine and diamond brooch, set by Faberge. I have seen this piece in an exhibition catalogue and it is breath taking.It was apparently lost for many years and recently discovered after it was cleaned. The numbers on the piece were matched to an inventory list made by Faberge.This piece, along with the engagement picture of Nicky and Alix, wearing the brooch, can be seen on the cover of a catalogue by Wartski, the famous British jewellers, entitled "Faberge and the Russian Jewellers A Loan Exhibition".
Second (a gem for me only), Nicky mentions that he reviewed troops in the recently captured cities of Lvov and Przemysl, which was heavily bombed, since it was on the front. Right after he told Alix, the cities were re-captured by the Austrians. Both cities, were located in Galicia, Poland and were the birthplaces of my grandparents. My grandmother told me of her family's travail, during the war and how her father met the Kaiser.
Read
May 21, 2016I have read a number of books about the last imperial couple of Russia, but this one explored the relationship between them more than any other. Referencing their personal letters, it explored their devotion to one another as well as their individual personalities. It explored Alix's temperament in relation to her invalidism and this was the first time I've encountered an author who presented a possible diagnosis of her maladies (porphyria, a genetic condition, exacerbated by her stressful life and inherited from her royal ancestors). It also addressed the curious relationship between her, Anna V., and Nicky and the jealousies that were inflamed. A large portion of the latter half focused on Alix's letters to Nicky at army headquarters during WWI when she was at her bossiest and most influenced by Rasputin. There was very little about their imprisonment and murders, but their legacy was addressed. It wasn't the most captivating biography of Nicky and Alix that I have read, but it was an essential piece of the overall cannon.
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