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Lost Eagle: The Untold Story of HIH Grand Duchess Tatiana of Russia
An epic drama of world-changing events revealed through the visionary consciousness of Tatiana, one of the four daughters of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra. This is Tatiana's story, told through her from idyllic childhood in the last royal family of Russia, to brutal imprisonment at the hands of the revolutionaries; from her last-minute escape and secret exile in England - for which there exists actual historical and documentary evidence - to her fulfilment in love and eventual tragic fate as she disappears from history under an assumed name. Within the storyline of history, Tatiana's passionate and impressionistic diary entries are set against the gathering storm of the revolution and the ominous indicators of the Romanov family's impending doom - and against the machinations of the British establishment which decided her fate.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
292 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 27, 2017
Well, thank you for the afterword and explanation what this book actually tried to do, Mr Ingman-Greer... it explained a lot! If you are looking for a conspiracy theory of how Tatiana could have survived her family for a few years, here you go. It's quite a wild ride and I can't say that I particularly enjoyed it or learned anything from it... If you are looking for a good non-fiction book about the Romanovs with focus on OTMA, please check out The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport instead!
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December 26, 2018Oops. I mistakenly picked up this book thinking it was non-fiction, and boy was I in for a surprise. A ghost story right off the bat followed by a recreated diary! Yikes. Will writers never stop trying to romanticize the bloody history of the Romanovs, particularly that of the youngest, innocent members?
July 26, 2023
-POTENTIAL SPOILERS-
I genuinely had no idea what to expect when going into this. Obviously, it's about the Romanovs, so it was a no-brainer for me to read, but after having finished it, I still have no idea what I truly thought. I guess the biggest thought I had at the end was that I liked it, but I wanted more, and not really in a good way.
First off, this book has some inaccuracies in it, but unlike other books where I'd complain, I feel like it's a moot point here when the entire book's premise is based on something that didn't actually happen, that being Tatiana surviving her family's execution. For example, Olga and Maria are described as having been hanged instead of shot like they were in reality. I'm not going to criticize that in what's obviously meant to be fiction as I don't think he had any ill intent unlike some certain other authors who just make up whatever about the Romanovs and pass it off as fact. Still, if I must nitpick, despite all the research done for this book, the author still does what every inexperienced Western writer does and doesn't gender their last name the way you're supposed to in Russian. Yes, Romanov is more iconic, but Romanova was still used for the daughters, no exceptions. Another scene in 1913 described Olga and Tatiana as having taken down their longer hair, when in reality both girls had super short hair and would for the remainder of their lives. There's tons of photographic evidence for this, so there's no excuse for this.
This book really shouldn't have been in a diary format. I think the vast majority of my issues stem from that. While I actually really like books in the epistolatory style, this just suffered. There's too many random parts and interludes of things happening that the audience needs to know but Tatiana herself would have no knowledge of so having them shoved in killed the immersion. The format also made Tatiana feel impersonal. Because it's written in her words, the personality she's known for in real life isn't very well conveyed. If anything, she came off sounding more like Olga, the sister most known for her temper, while Tatiana was the quiet, more reflective one.
That's not much of an issue in the first half which follows her life as Tatiana Romanova, but it made the second half where she's living as Larissa Tudor fall flat. This should've been the part where her voice truly comes alive and we feel her trauma, her pain and isolation, and her regret and despair. However, it being presented as a diary that only summarizes eight years of her life compared to the twenty-two years of the first half makes everything feel lifeless, bland, and rushed. I didn't feel the love she had for her husband, her budding interest in horses, or her pain, whether physical or mental. Everything was rushed and at the end of it I was just left wondering what the point even was. This book would've been alright had it just been written like a regular book.
Still, I liked some aspects of it. The spiritism and spiritualism that flowed through the pages was excellent, matching Tatiana's very pious nature. Similarly, her relationship with Rasputin was handled nicely. Due to how religious she was, the real one was very close to him and prayed and studied with him and this is the first book I've seen truly diving into that and showing that he was a monk and discussed religion extensively with the kids. There was also a spiritual awakening scene in a bathhouse I liked that echoed classic writers such as Dostoevsky, who believed the bathhouse was the most important part of the house and wrote similar scenes. I also liked how this was about a much lesser-known Romanov imposter, extensively researched from what very little we know of her, because every child had at least one, but we only ever mention Anna Anderson. Even Anastasia had more recorded imposters than just her.
This book could've and should've been so good, but the flat delivery and uninterested tone made me lose my immersion and care for a story that should've been an instant love for me. It's not the worst thing ever, it's not even bad, really, it just needed far more polish and a complete overhaul of the writing style.
Here's where I'd put some GIF from 1997's Anastasia, but the movie's about her, not Tatiana. But never fear! I have the perfect video snippet that fits this story! https://youtu.be/DyF66KF1RII
I genuinely had no idea what to expect when going into this. Obviously, it's about the Romanovs, so it was a no-brainer for me to read, but after having finished it, I still have no idea what I truly thought. I guess the biggest thought I had at the end was that I liked it, but I wanted more, and not really in a good way.
First off, this book has some inaccuracies in it, but unlike other books where I'd complain, I feel like it's a moot point here when the entire book's premise is based on something that didn't actually happen, that being Tatiana surviving her family's execution. For example, Olga and Maria are described as having been hanged instead of shot like they were in reality. I'm not going to criticize that in what's obviously meant to be fiction as I don't think he had any ill intent unlike some certain other authors who just make up whatever about the Romanovs and pass it off as fact. Still, if I must nitpick, despite all the research done for this book, the author still does what every inexperienced Western writer does and doesn't gender their last name the way you're supposed to in Russian. Yes, Romanov is more iconic, but Romanova was still used for the daughters, no exceptions. Another scene in 1913 described Olga and Tatiana as having taken down their longer hair, when in reality both girls had super short hair and would for the remainder of their lives. There's tons of photographic evidence for this, so there's no excuse for this.
This book really shouldn't have been in a diary format. I think the vast majority of my issues stem from that. While I actually really like books in the epistolatory style, this just suffered. There's too many random parts and interludes of things happening that the audience needs to know but Tatiana herself would have no knowledge of so having them shoved in killed the immersion. The format also made Tatiana feel impersonal. Because it's written in her words, the personality she's known for in real life isn't very well conveyed. If anything, she came off sounding more like Olga, the sister most known for her temper, while Tatiana was the quiet, more reflective one.
That's not much of an issue in the first half which follows her life as Tatiana Romanova, but it made the second half where she's living as Larissa Tudor fall flat. This should've been the part where her voice truly comes alive and we feel her trauma, her pain and isolation, and her regret and despair. However, it being presented as a diary that only summarizes eight years of her life compared to the twenty-two years of the first half makes everything feel lifeless, bland, and rushed. I didn't feel the love she had for her husband, her budding interest in horses, or her pain, whether physical or mental. Everything was rushed and at the end of it I was just left wondering what the point even was. This book would've been alright had it just been written like a regular book.
Still, I liked some aspects of it. The spiritism and spiritualism that flowed through the pages was excellent, matching Tatiana's very pious nature. Similarly, her relationship with Rasputin was handled nicely. Due to how religious she was, the real one was very close to him and prayed and studied with him and this is the first book I've seen truly diving into that and showing that he was a monk and discussed religion extensively with the kids. There was also a spiritual awakening scene in a bathhouse I liked that echoed classic writers such as Dostoevsky, who believed the bathhouse was the most important part of the house and wrote similar scenes. I also liked how this was about a much lesser-known Romanov imposter, extensively researched from what very little we know of her, because every child had at least one, but we only ever mention Anna Anderson. Even Anastasia had more recorded imposters than just her.
This book could've and should've been so good, but the flat delivery and uninterested tone made me lose my immersion and care for a story that should've been an instant love for me. It's not the worst thing ever, it's not even bad, really, it just needed far more polish and a complete overhaul of the writing style.
Here's where I'd put some GIF from 1997's Anastasia, but the movie's about her, not Tatiana. But never fear! I have the perfect video snippet that fits this story! https://youtu.be/DyF66KF1RII
May 24, 2024
The blurb on this book leads one to believe this is a non-fiction account featuring Tatiana's diary. I even had the book on my history shelf. So, I was a little taken aback when I started reading. A more careful scrutiny revealed this is fictional. Not an altogether bad thing since I don't mind novels about the Russian royal family, but I thought Ingman-Greer took a lot of artistic license. From my study of Tatiana, I never got the impression she was a dreamer like she came off at the beginning of "Lost Eagle". Granted, she may have changed as the book went on, but I did not get very far and can't say. I always felt she was the most mature of the grand duchesses, practical and the one Alexandra relied on most heavily. Of course, no one really knows them anymore and everyone is entitled to make their own interpretation. Ingman-Greer's just did not jibe with mine, making this a very difficult read. I do feel this book she be more clearly marketed as fiction. I had bought it wanting an unvarnished account of Tatiana's diaries (I have a book of Olga's diaries which was really good). I know a book of Tatiana's diaries exists and I'm not happy to have been duped into buying the wrong one. Oh, well. Live and learn. I'll look more carefully next time.
August 6, 2017
There were a few beautifully written passages on the spiritual side regarding human connections.
August 25, 2013
Lost Eagle: The Untold Story of HRH Grand Duchess Tatiana of Russia 1897 – 1926
This new novel, by Steven Ingman-Greer, takes us back to the last years of Imperial Russia as told through the voice of the second daughter of the ill-fated Romanov family, the Grand Duchess Tatiana. The narrative structure takes the form of Tatiana’s diary, with occasional entries by other characters at points in the text where it is necessary to keep the plot moving but the main narrator is unable to write.
The first part of the book explores Tatiana’s childhood as she grows up in the Imperial Household. Her liveliness and vitality are beautifully penned: she is brought back as a living, breathing girl through the skill of the author. Her love of music is infectious, to the point where it should not alarm readers if they hear faint strains of Rachmaninov playing in their heads whilst reading. Sadly, it is her love of music that causes a major problem for her later in the novel.
Tatiana’s relationships within her family are explored and her complex emotions and thoughts are confessed to her diary. Her closeness to her sister, Olga, and to her father, Tsar Nicholas II, develop against her growing awareness of who her family are; the political uncertainties of Russia in the first decade of the 20th C and the tensions caused by the First World War. Needless to say, Rasputin is an influence in her life, given his closeness to the Imperial family and their dependence on him to cure her small brother, the heir to the dynasty, when he bleeds due to his haemophilia. However, the Rasputin portrayed in this novel is not the lascivious, slobbering puppet-master we are familiar with via popular media, but an intelligent, thoughtful and spiritual guide from whom Tatiana and Olga learn much about Russia and about themselves.
The events of the first section of the book take place as anyone familiar with the historical story would expect. And we would expect the tale to end in 1918 – because that is what the official histories say: the Romanovs were executed. Over the years, there have been many stories that not all of the Royal Family were executed and that Anastasia, the youngest daughter, escaped. Ingman-Greer explores this and gives his readers much to think about in his version of events. Anastasia did indeed escape – but not for long.
Part II of the novel picks up where the official histories end and explores the premise that it was Tatiana – not Anastasia – who survived. The author has drawn on a variety of documents to construct this section of his narrative. He tells an intriguing story that could be checked by anyone inclined to do so, as his sources are cited. If you would like to know what Ingman-Greer says happened – read the book. It is an extremely good read, but it would be unfair to discuss the labyrinth of plotting and political shenanigans in this part of the plot. To do so really would spoil the story for those who have not read it yet. But the Tatiana who survived eight years after her family were murdered is one whom the reader will warm to and feel sympathetic towards as she tries to negotiate her way back into life from a position of being officially dead. This Tatiana is one who carried the wisdom, strength and teachings of Rasputin into her new life.
Ingman-Greer’s novel is beautifully constructed, thought-provoking and a highly recommended ‘must read’ for fans of historical fiction.
Fiona Tinker, August 2013.
Lost Eagle: The Untold Story of HRH Grand Duchess Tatiana of Russia 1897 – 1926, Steven Ingman-Greer (Top Hat Books, 2013.)
This new novel, by Steven Ingman-Greer, takes us back to the last years of Imperial Russia as told through the voice of the second daughter of the ill-fated Romanov family, the Grand Duchess Tatiana. The narrative structure takes the form of Tatiana’s diary, with occasional entries by other characters at points in the text where it is necessary to keep the plot moving but the main narrator is unable to write.
The first part of the book explores Tatiana’s childhood as she grows up in the Imperial Household. Her liveliness and vitality are beautifully penned: she is brought back as a living, breathing girl through the skill of the author. Her love of music is infectious, to the point where it should not alarm readers if they hear faint strains of Rachmaninov playing in their heads whilst reading. Sadly, it is her love of music that causes a major problem for her later in the novel.
Tatiana’s relationships within her family are explored and her complex emotions and thoughts are confessed to her diary. Her closeness to her sister, Olga, and to her father, Tsar Nicholas II, develop against her growing awareness of who her family are; the political uncertainties of Russia in the first decade of the 20th C and the tensions caused by the First World War. Needless to say, Rasputin is an influence in her life, given his closeness to the Imperial family and their dependence on him to cure her small brother, the heir to the dynasty, when he bleeds due to his haemophilia. However, the Rasputin portrayed in this novel is not the lascivious, slobbering puppet-master we are familiar with via popular media, but an intelligent, thoughtful and spiritual guide from whom Tatiana and Olga learn much about Russia and about themselves.
The events of the first section of the book take place as anyone familiar with the historical story would expect. And we would expect the tale to end in 1918 – because that is what the official histories say: the Romanovs were executed. Over the years, there have been many stories that not all of the Royal Family were executed and that Anastasia, the youngest daughter, escaped. Ingman-Greer explores this and gives his readers much to think about in his version of events. Anastasia did indeed escape – but not for long.
Part II of the novel picks up where the official histories end and explores the premise that it was Tatiana – not Anastasia – who survived. The author has drawn on a variety of documents to construct this section of his narrative. He tells an intriguing story that could be checked by anyone inclined to do so, as his sources are cited. If you would like to know what Ingman-Greer says happened – read the book. It is an extremely good read, but it would be unfair to discuss the labyrinth of plotting and political shenanigans in this part of the plot. To do so really would spoil the story for those who have not read it yet. But the Tatiana who survived eight years after her family were murdered is one whom the reader will warm to and feel sympathetic towards as she tries to negotiate her way back into life from a position of being officially dead. This Tatiana is one who carried the wisdom, strength and teachings of Rasputin into her new life.
Ingman-Greer’s novel is beautifully constructed, thought-provoking and a highly recommended ‘must read’ for fans of historical fiction.
Fiona Tinker, August 2013.
Lost Eagle: The Untold Story of HRH Grand Duchess Tatiana of Russia 1897 – 1926, Steven Ingman-Greer (Top Hat Books, 2013.)
December 2, 2014
Did Tatiana escape the death her family received?
It has always fascinated me that it was possible that one of the daughter's of the late Tsar escaped the fate that awaited her family. For many years, I thought it was probably Anastasia, until evidence proved otherwise after the death of Anna Smith. Reading this historic fiction brings the many questions back, replacing Anastasia with Tatiana. Much in this book can be independently verified (I googled rather often) which again opens the question - did one daughter survive and live in hiding under the watch of King George and Queen Mary? Reading this has truly given me pause, and I plan to research it more through updated information on both the family, the English Royals, and the late Owen Tudor, who may have married the late Dutchess. Am glad I read this and hope to read more on the Romanovs as well as research again the period when the bodies were recovered and re-interned. Well worth the read!
It has always fascinated me that it was possible that one of the daughter's of the late Tsar escaped the fate that awaited her family. For many years, I thought it was probably Anastasia, until evidence proved otherwise after the death of Anna Smith. Reading this historic fiction brings the many questions back, replacing Anastasia with Tatiana. Much in this book can be independently verified (I googled rather often) which again opens the question - did one daughter survive and live in hiding under the watch of King George and Queen Mary? Reading this has truly given me pause, and I plan to research it more through updated information on both the family, the English Royals, and the late Owen Tudor, who may have married the late Dutchess. Am glad I read this and hope to read more on the Romanovs as well as research again the period when the bodies were recovered and re-interned. Well worth the read!
March 26, 2019
This was a very odd book. It was interesting -I ordered it thinking it was a Biography but it is pure fiction. It was mostly well written but the author seemed to have an underlying incest idea with Olga and Tatiana. Apparently there are conspiracy theorists who believe the story of Tatiana escaping. Good book for fiction.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews