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The Last of the Tsars: Nicholas II and the Russian Revolution
In March 1917, Nicholas II, the last Tsar of All the Russias, abdicated and the dynasty that had ruled an empire for three hundred years was forced from power by revolution. Now, on the hundredth anniversary of that revolution, Robert Service, the eminent historian of Russia, examines Nicholas's life and thought from the months before his momentous abdication to his death, with his family, in Ekaterinburg in July 1918.
The story has been told many times, but Service's deep understanding of the period and his forensic examination of previously untapped sources, including the Tsar's diaries and recorded conversations, as well as the testimonies of the official inquiry, shed remarkable new light on his troubled reign, also revealing the kind of Russia that Nicholas wanted to emerge from the Great War.
The Last of the Tsars is a masterful study of a man who was almost entirely out of his depth, perhaps even willfully so. It is also a compelling account of the social, economic and political ferment in Russia that followed the February Revolution, the Bolshevik seizure of power in October 1917 and the beginnings of Lenin's Soviet socialist republic.
The story has been told many times, but Service's deep understanding of the period and his forensic examination of previously untapped sources, including the Tsar's diaries and recorded conversations, as well as the testimonies of the official inquiry, shed remarkable new light on his troubled reign, also revealing the kind of Russia that Nicholas wanted to emerge from the Great War.
The Last of the Tsars is a masterful study of a man who was almost entirely out of his depth, perhaps even willfully so. It is also a compelling account of the social, economic and political ferment in Russia that followed the February Revolution, the Bolshevik seizure of power in October 1917 and the beginnings of Lenin's Soviet socialist republic.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published February 23, 2017
85 people are currently reading
2434 people want to read
About the author
Robert Service
42 books268 followersThis author is the British historian of modern Russia. For the British-Canadian writer of Yukon poetry, see Robert W. Service.
Robert Service is a British academic and historian of modern Russia and the Soviet Union. He is a professor of Russian history at the University of Oxford and a Fellow at St. Antony's College, Oxford.
He is the author of the highly acclaimed Lenin: A Biography, A History of Twentieth - Century Russia, Russia: Experiment with a People and Stalin: A Biography, as well as many other books on Russia's past and present. He wrote a marvelous book on communism titled Comrades Communism A World History (International Bestseller). He is married with four children.
Robert Service is a British academic and historian of modern Russia and the Soviet Union. He is a professor of Russian history at the University of Oxford and a Fellow at St. Antony's College, Oxford.
He is the author of the highly acclaimed Lenin: A Biography, A History of Twentieth - Century Russia, Russia: Experiment with a People and Stalin: A Biography, as well as many other books on Russia's past and present. He wrote a marvelous book on communism titled Comrades Communism A World History (International Bestseller). He is married with four children.
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October 6, 2025
Nicholas II After his Abdication
The pitiable story of Tsar Nicholas II following his abdication in March 1917 to his and his family’s murder in July 1918. It is a slow and shameful demise of the last Russian monarch who was once considered a ‘god on earth’ over one sixth of the earth’s surface.
Robert Service as ever is a great writer. Clear, concise and succinct. It is easy to read 100 pages in one sitting as the style never becomes confusing, even if some of the detail is stripped away in places. As I often say in my reviews, I enjoy books that offer not only a narrative but analysis and Service delivers this here. His main points are around the personality and culpability of Nicholas, but also the guilt of those who ordered the execution.
Service builds on the recent reviews of Nicholas made by Simon Sebag Montefiore and Helen Rappaport who have dug deep into his character. True, he was a loving father and doting husband, a man of God who believed he was doing his best for Russia and its people. Also he was average at best as a politician and administrator, who refused even to employ a secretary. He also uncompromisingly believed in autocracy, refusing to budge and only suggesting changes could occur when the Tsarevich Alexi took the throne. He was called Nicholas the Bloody by his enemies and there could be an argument for this. The true is Nicholas was not an evil man, but one who made mistake after mistake which contributed to his country, his dynasty and his cultural heritage being sent into the abyss.
On Lenin, was he involved, does he had blood on his hands? The answer I, along with Service, Rappaport and others believe so. The evidence although not spelt out as such is there. He knew the consequences of murdering the Imperial Family and their servants and wanted to distance himself from it as far as possible. Lenin was of course a coward who ran from violence (paranoid over assassination attempts) and he wanted to run from any ownership of this issue. This was the political genius in him.
In the end, following the collapse of the USSR in 1991 are we only able to receive a balanced view of Nicholas and Alexandra, one that lies in the middle somewhere. They though, have a right to be remembered and cherished. Robert Service states in this book he has recently become interested in Nicholas II and concludes he deserves the historical attention. On that note, read this book and give him some!
The pitiable story of Tsar Nicholas II following his abdication in March 1917 to his and his family’s murder in July 1918. It is a slow and shameful demise of the last Russian monarch who was once considered a ‘god on earth’ over one sixth of the earth’s surface.
Robert Service as ever is a great writer. Clear, concise and succinct. It is easy to read 100 pages in one sitting as the style never becomes confusing, even if some of the detail is stripped away in places. As I often say in my reviews, I enjoy books that offer not only a narrative but analysis and Service delivers this here. His main points are around the personality and culpability of Nicholas, but also the guilt of those who ordered the execution.
Service builds on the recent reviews of Nicholas made by Simon Sebag Montefiore and Helen Rappaport who have dug deep into his character. True, he was a loving father and doting husband, a man of God who believed he was doing his best for Russia and its people. Also he was average at best as a politician and administrator, who refused even to employ a secretary. He also uncompromisingly believed in autocracy, refusing to budge and only suggesting changes could occur when the Tsarevich Alexi took the throne. He was called Nicholas the Bloody by his enemies and there could be an argument for this. The true is Nicholas was not an evil man, but one who made mistake after mistake which contributed to his country, his dynasty and his cultural heritage being sent into the abyss.
On Lenin, was he involved, does he had blood on his hands? The answer I, along with Service, Rappaport and others believe so. The evidence although not spelt out as such is there. He knew the consequences of murdering the Imperial Family and their servants and wanted to distance himself from it as far as possible. Lenin was of course a coward who ran from violence (paranoid over assassination attempts) and he wanted to run from any ownership of this issue. This was the political genius in him.
In the end, following the collapse of the USSR in 1991 are we only able to receive a balanced view of Nicholas and Alexandra, one that lies in the middle somewhere. They though, have a right to be remembered and cherished. Robert Service states in this book he has recently become interested in Nicholas II and concludes he deserves the historical attention. On that note, read this book and give him some!
October 5, 2024
A tedious info-dump, with little effort made to create a narrative, giving almost zero insight into Nicholas II.
April 3, 2017
The Last of the Tsars
Robert Service the distinguished Oxford University historian and expert in Russia and Soviet history, has surpassed himself once again with the Last of the Tsars.
Service has looked in to new evidence from the archives, which some historians either ignored or did not know what was there. It sheds new light on Nicholas II, after his abdication in February 1917 until his death sixteen months later alongside the rest of his family.
What we find that from 1887 until just before his death in 1918 Nicolas kept a diary and while his fifty volumes are a diligent record they actually revealed very little, other than he was dull and doting on his family, revealed nothing about the health and state of political life in Tsarist Russia. What they did do is reinforce how completely remote the Russian aristocracy was from the lives whom they reigned over.
We do learn that Nicolas was a voracious reader and kept an extensive library at the Royal Palace at Tsarskoe Selo outside of St Petersburg. While he was being held captive, he was able to revisit some of his favourite titles. What Service does note is that he reread many of the Russian classics as well as military history while being kept prisoner.
What the book does show is that Nicolas was a fastidious man of a nervous disposition with simple tastes, who loved to eat borscht. While it is true that he always put the service of the nation first he lacked the political intelligence and flexibility to run the country especially during a war. Service shows that he was a ruler who was stubborn, who always thought he was right and completely blind to the people’s suffering.
What this account does do is the character and flaws of Nicholas, challenges the claim that members of his family escaped from the cellar, where the family were shot. It explains why he didn't flee to England (also that if George V had allowed Nicholas a place of exile that it was doubtful the Bolsheviks and Lenin would have allowed him to leave), his thoughts on the Bolshevik coup, what it was alike around the places of Nicholas’ detention, and why the killings took place.
In recent years, a number of books have been written concerning the Romanovs and have been quite reverential in tone and adoration, this book challenges this, and quite rightly so. Service also corrects the view, held by many, that Nicholas was a meek man, and reminds us that he was a bloody tyrant, not afraid to kill his own, and that is without a war, when war did arrive he was simply not up to the task.
Robert Service has written an excellent and absorbing account of Nicholas II, deals with forgotten facts, and not afraid to remind people he was the Tsar and like all before him an autocratic tyrant. Even when faced with a rapidly changing world in Russia from the time of his abdication until his murder, Nicholas still preferred to look back rather than face the new world and times.
This truly an excellent account, which needs to be welcomed during the one hundredth anniversary of the revolution that shook the world.
Robert Service the distinguished Oxford University historian and expert in Russia and Soviet history, has surpassed himself once again with the Last of the Tsars.
Service has looked in to new evidence from the archives, which some historians either ignored or did not know what was there. It sheds new light on Nicholas II, after his abdication in February 1917 until his death sixteen months later alongside the rest of his family.
What we find that from 1887 until just before his death in 1918 Nicolas kept a diary and while his fifty volumes are a diligent record they actually revealed very little, other than he was dull and doting on his family, revealed nothing about the health and state of political life in Tsarist Russia. What they did do is reinforce how completely remote the Russian aristocracy was from the lives whom they reigned over.
We do learn that Nicolas was a voracious reader and kept an extensive library at the Royal Palace at Tsarskoe Selo outside of St Petersburg. While he was being held captive, he was able to revisit some of his favourite titles. What Service does note is that he reread many of the Russian classics as well as military history while being kept prisoner.
What the book does show is that Nicolas was a fastidious man of a nervous disposition with simple tastes, who loved to eat borscht. While it is true that he always put the service of the nation first he lacked the political intelligence and flexibility to run the country especially during a war. Service shows that he was a ruler who was stubborn, who always thought he was right and completely blind to the people’s suffering.
What this account does do is the character and flaws of Nicholas, challenges the claim that members of his family escaped from the cellar, where the family were shot. It explains why he didn't flee to England (also that if George V had allowed Nicholas a place of exile that it was doubtful the Bolsheviks and Lenin would have allowed him to leave), his thoughts on the Bolshevik coup, what it was alike around the places of Nicholas’ detention, and why the killings took place.
In recent years, a number of books have been written concerning the Romanovs and have been quite reverential in tone and adoration, this book challenges this, and quite rightly so. Service also corrects the view, held by many, that Nicholas was a meek man, and reminds us that he was a bloody tyrant, not afraid to kill his own, and that is without a war, when war did arrive he was simply not up to the task.
Robert Service has written an excellent and absorbing account of Nicholas II, deals with forgotten facts, and not afraid to remind people he was the Tsar and like all before him an autocratic tyrant. Even when faced with a rapidly changing world in Russia from the time of his abdication until his murder, Nicholas still preferred to look back rather than face the new world and times.
This truly an excellent account, which needs to be welcomed during the one hundredth anniversary of the revolution that shook the world.
November 15, 2021
Uma obra cujo volume não faz jus ao conteúdo. O autor perde-se em detalhes irrelevantes, considerações pessoais apenas imaginadas e que nada acrescentam à biografia de Nicolau II. Progressivamente a obra vai perdendo interesse ao longo das suas páginas e, quando finda, nada de substancial parece ter ficado, a não ser a desmistificação do desconhecimento e falta de intervenção de Lenine em relação ao destino sangrento dos Romanov.
August 6, 2020
E assim termina o reinado de Nicolau II...
E aqui estou eu com mais uma review no Goodreads. Reparei que, tal como grande parte dos livros que leio, existem poucas análises deste livro em português e ponderei se deveria escrever algo em inglês para ter mais projeção. Depois de pensar um pouco e, tendo em conta que li a obra em português, o melhor era escrever também algo em português!
O livro O Último dos Czares: Nicolau II e a Revolução Russa de Robert Service foi uma surpresa para mim e um desafio (levei meses e meses até o terminar) que, no fim, revelou ser uma leitura agradável e bastante construtiva, contribuindo para o meu conhecimento da História Russa.
Avançando agora com um pequeno Resumo : Após mais de três séculos da dinastia Romanov, Nicolau II abdica do trono em março de 1917 e, juntamente com a família (a czarina Alexandra Feodorovna, as filhas Olga, Tatiana, Maria e Anastácia e o czarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov) passam 16 meses em cativeiro indo do Palácio de Alexandra em Tsarskoye Selo para Casa da Liberdade em Tobolsk e, por fim, o infeliz destino final na Casa Ipatev (ou Ipatiev) em Ecaterimburgo. Paralelo a estes eventos, ocorrem as mudanças governamentais que transformam a Rússia Czarista na Rússia Comunista de Lenin.
Sobre o Autor : Há semelhança de outros autores de livros que já analisei aqui, no Goodreads, não tinha conhecimento de quem era o Robert Service. Tive conhecimento que é professor de História Russa na Universidade de Oxford e, ao contrário de muitas reviews que li do livro, discordo com tudo o que criticam em relação ao método de pesquisa de Robert Service! Além de uma abordagem biográfica dos últimos 16 meses de "vida" da Família Romanov, Robert Service faz questão de apresentar ao leitor todo o panorama dos eventos que decorrem pela Rússia fora em consequência da Revolução Bolchevique. Procurarei, no futuro, ler mais livros deste autor sem dúvida!
Sobre o Livro : O livro tem um total de 480 páginas e é composto por um conjunto de Mapas das linhas ferroviárias e dos trajetos feitos pela Família Romanov, seguido dos Agradecimento e uma Introdução nas primeira 22 páginas. O livro tem 49 Capítulos (sendo o último composto pelo Posfácio) e finaliza com as últimas 123 páginas compostas pela Bibliografia, as Notas e o Índice Remissivo. Eu li as primeira 357 páginas, visto que as restantes são de caráter de pesquisa realizada pelo autor. Devo realçar que li a edição da Editora Desassossego.
A abordagem feita por Robert Service é, a meu ver, divinal e O Último dos Czares: Nicolau II e a Revolução Russa é uma fonte de informação irresistível para qualquer amante os Romanovtal como eu. A série da Netflix "Os Últimos Czares" fez um trabalho fenomenal em resumir todo o reinado de Nicolau II, contudo, não satisfez a minha necessidade em saber ao detalhe como todo o processo deste a abdicação do trono à execução ocorreu. Para aqueles que querem saber mais sobre o estado da Rússia e da família Romanov durante os tão cruéis 16 meses, este é o livro indicado!
E a minha Conclusão Final é: Sempre gostei muito de História e países como a Rússia sempre me deixaram curioso. A Família Romanov, poderosa dinastia do Império Russo sempre esteve no topo das minhas dinastias favoritas em toda a História da Humanidade e Nicolau II sempre me fascinou. Era um líder autoritário e é responsável por alguns massacres aos povo russo mas, ao mesmo tempo, era o derradeiro patriota, um marido apaixonado e um pai extremamente dedicado . Durante 80 anos a pergunta "O que aconteceu aos Romanov?" pairava no ar sem uma resposta e, quando a verdade chegou, foi um choque. A crueldade feita à Família Romanov e aos seus criadores nunca poderá ser esquecida, tal como os feitos do Czar também nunca deverão ser esquecidos.
Foi uma leitura intensa, uma jornada incrível que guardarei para sempre na minha mente como um dos melhores livros que li, até agora, sobre Nicolau II e a sua família. De 0-5, eu dou um 5. Porém, de 0-10, dou um 9 porque nada é perfeito.
E aqui estou eu com mais uma review no Goodreads. Reparei que, tal como grande parte dos livros que leio, existem poucas análises deste livro em português e ponderei se deveria escrever algo em inglês para ter mais projeção. Depois de pensar um pouco e, tendo em conta que li a obra em português, o melhor era escrever também algo em português!
O livro O Último dos Czares: Nicolau II e a Revolução Russa de Robert Service foi uma surpresa para mim e um desafio (
Avançando agora com um pequeno Resumo : Após mais de três séculos da dinastia Romanov, Nicolau II abdica do trono em março de 1917 e, juntamente com a família (a czarina Alexandra Feodorovna, as filhas Olga, Tatiana, Maria e Anastácia e o czarevich Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov) passam 16 meses em cativeiro indo do Palácio de Alexandra em Tsarskoye Selo para Casa da Liberdade em Tobolsk e, por fim, o infeliz destino final na Casa Ipatev (ou Ipatiev) em Ecaterimburgo. Paralelo a estes eventos, ocorrem as mudanças governamentais que transformam a Rússia Czarista na Rússia Comunista de Lenin.
Sobre o Autor : Há semelhança de outros autores de livros que já analisei aqui, no Goodreads, não tinha conhecimento de quem era o Robert Service. Tive conhecimento que é professor de História Russa na Universidade de Oxford e, ao contrário de muitas reviews que li do livro, discordo com tudo o que criticam em relação ao método de pesquisa de Robert Service! Além de uma abordagem biográfica dos últimos 16 meses de "vida" da Família Romanov, Robert Service faz questão de apresentar ao leitor todo o panorama dos eventos que decorrem pela Rússia fora em consequência da Revolução Bolchevique. Procurarei, no futuro, ler mais livros deste autor sem dúvida!
Sobre o Livro : O livro tem um total de 480 páginas e é composto por um conjunto de Mapas das linhas ferroviárias e dos trajetos feitos pela Família Romanov, seguido dos Agradecimento e uma Introdução nas primeira 22 páginas. O livro tem 49 Capítulos (sendo o último composto pelo Posfácio) e finaliza com as últimas 123 páginas compostas pela Bibliografia, as Notas e o Índice Remissivo. Eu li as primeira 357 páginas, visto que as restantes são de caráter de pesquisa realizada pelo autor. Devo realçar que li a edição da Editora Desassossego.
A abordagem feita por Robert Service é, a meu ver, divinal e O Último dos Czares: Nicolau II e a Revolução Russa é uma fonte de informação irresistível para qualquer amante os Romanov
E a minha Conclusão Final é: Sempre gostei muito de História e países como a Rússia sempre me deixaram curioso. A Família Romanov, poderosa dinastia do Império Russo sempre esteve no topo das minhas dinastias favoritas em toda a História da Humanidade e Nicolau II sempre me fascinou. Era um líder autoritário e é responsável por alguns massacres aos povo russo mas, ao mesmo tempo, era o derradeiro patriota, um marido apaixonado e um pai extremamente dedicado . Durante 80 anos a pergunta "O que aconteceu aos Romanov?" pairava no ar sem uma resposta e, quando a verdade chegou, foi um choque. A crueldade feita à Família Romanov e aos seus criadores nunca poderá ser esquecida, tal como os feitos do Czar também nunca deverão ser esquecidos.
Foi uma leitura intensa, uma jornada incrível que guardarei para sempre na minha mente como um dos melhores livros que li, até agora, sobre Nicolau II e a sua família. De 0-5, eu dou um 5. Porém, de 0-10, dou um 9 porque nada é perfeito.
January 14, 2024
A compelling, well-written and well-researched work.
The book covers Nicholas’s life from the February Revolution to his death in Ekaterinburg. If you’ve read up on this topic, you probably won’t find much new information. This period of the Tsar’s life mostly just reinforces the classic portrait of a man of mediocre intelligence, detached from events and uninterested in ruling. Service also stresses that the orders to kill the Romanovs came directly from Lenin and the Bolshevik leadership in Moscow, rather than the local soviet (Service also argues that the Bolsheviks destroyed evidence that implicated Lenin)
The book’s organization is a bit haphazard, with many tangents that don’t really fit preceding chapters. Much of the book also deals with the rise of the Bolsheviks rather than Nicholas. The narrative can feel a bit superficial at times. The book can also be speculative on some points, like the impact of Nicholas’s reading material.
Still, a concise and dramatic work.
The book covers Nicholas’s life from the February Revolution to his death in Ekaterinburg. If you’ve read up on this topic, you probably won’t find much new information. This period of the Tsar’s life mostly just reinforces the classic portrait of a man of mediocre intelligence, detached from events and uninterested in ruling. Service also stresses that the orders to kill the Romanovs came directly from Lenin and the Bolshevik leadership in Moscow, rather than the local soviet (Service also argues that the Bolsheviks destroyed evidence that implicated Lenin)
The book’s organization is a bit haphazard, with many tangents that don’t really fit preceding chapters. Much of the book also deals with the rise of the Bolsheviks rather than Nicholas. The narrative can feel a bit superficial at times. The book can also be speculative on some points, like the impact of Nicholas’s reading material.
Still, a concise and dramatic work.
March 19, 2017
For new readers on the subject of the Russian revolution this is a great starting point, it is an easy, straightforward read. However, it does read as quite basic for those with a good knowledge of the period. The author states that this was a new subject for him and it does show in parts. There is a glaring error at the beginining of the book, author states it was Tsar Alexander III who was blown up by revolutionaries. It was, in fact, Alexander II. In saying that though, I enjoyed the book
September 25, 2017
An interesting and well-researched look at life "on the ground" before, during and just after Nicholas' incarceration. Service makes you see the confusion and not just on the side of the Romanovs but on the side of those varied groups who influenced or tried to influence what happened to them.
May 20, 2021
I wanted to like this more than I did...but I'm not entirely sure what really irritates me. Is it the abrupt-feeling conclusion? Is it the lack of background on a few key players? Lenin's sudden yet subdued arrival into the story? Perhaps it's ultimately the fact that there seems to be too much information in the wrong (or should I say, less-than-interesting) places, instead of maintaining a sharp focus on the Tsar and his family.
April 20, 2018
I thought this book was badly researched and completely unnecessary. I am surprised there are so many favorable reviews for this book as the author made so many factual errors, many of them so glaringly obvious, that it makes me even more suspicious of the scholarship coming out of academia anymore.
A few of the more egregious examples of the sloppy scholarship follow. Service goes to great lengths to make the case that Nicholas II was a teetotaler regarding alcohol. I have read from some other sources that he actually had a problem with alcohol and that it was widely known among the court intimates. I will not nit pick about this, but I will point out that the Tsar was absolutely known to be under the influence of cocaine and other drugs during the time Service chose to write about. He goes to great lengths to portray Nicholas as a morally upright, mentally unclouded man whose judgement, while misguided and reactionary, was not under any other influence other than his wife's. Nicholas' drug use during the Great War has been widely written about, so much so that it might be common knowledge among Romanov aficionados.
The next most egregious mistake regards the death of the family. Mr. Service makes the eyebrow raising assertion that only Alexei was still alive after the initial murder attempt. This does go against common knowledge and yet, as with many of his assertions, Mr. Service offers no documentation to back up his version of events. Another big red flag that makes me seriously question his scholarship is his name for the house that the Romanovs were murdered in. It has always been known as the Ipatiev house after it's owner Nikolai Nikolayevich Ipatiev, yet throughout the book we get the Ipatev house. Never have I seen the name Ipatev, not in regard to any other Russian, French, Russian to English, translations. Indeed, Wikipedia has the same name any high school student doing a book report, would utilize to spell check a name in their work.
There are many books, much better written and researched on this subject that also cover the time period rehashed in Mr Service's book, contrary to his claims. Analyzing what someone with know bias against intellectuals and their work, with limited reading choices of his own, as well as the very limited contact he had with his jailers and attendants does not make for ground breaking work. The poor scholarship of the work makes it an even less compelling read.
A few of the more egregious examples of the sloppy scholarship follow. Service goes to great lengths to make the case that Nicholas II was a teetotaler regarding alcohol. I have read from some other sources that he actually had a problem with alcohol and that it was widely known among the court intimates. I will not nit pick about this, but I will point out that the Tsar was absolutely known to be under the influence of cocaine and other drugs during the time Service chose to write about. He goes to great lengths to portray Nicholas as a morally upright, mentally unclouded man whose judgement, while misguided and reactionary, was not under any other influence other than his wife's. Nicholas' drug use during the Great War has been widely written about, so much so that it might be common knowledge among Romanov aficionados.
The next most egregious mistake regards the death of the family. Mr. Service makes the eyebrow raising assertion that only Alexei was still alive after the initial murder attempt. This does go against common knowledge and yet, as with many of his assertions, Mr. Service offers no documentation to back up his version of events. Another big red flag that makes me seriously question his scholarship is his name for the house that the Romanovs were murdered in. It has always been known as the Ipatiev house after it's owner Nikolai Nikolayevich Ipatiev, yet throughout the book we get the Ipatev house. Never have I seen the name Ipatev, not in regard to any other Russian, French, Russian to English, translations. Indeed, Wikipedia has the same name any high school student doing a book report, would utilize to spell check a name in their work.
There are many books, much better written and researched on this subject that also cover the time period rehashed in Mr Service's book, contrary to his claims. Analyzing what someone with know bias against intellectuals and their work, with limited reading choices of his own, as well as the very limited contact he had with his jailers and attendants does not make for ground breaking work. The poor scholarship of the work makes it an even less compelling read.
October 19, 2024
Aqui vemos um relato jornalístico dos últimos dias do Czar Nicolau II e sua família.
Robert Service traça um painel da Rússia das primeiras duas décadas do século XX e os fatores que levaram à revolução de 1917 e à queda da dinastia dos Romanov. Nicolau II é retratado como um czar inábil, despreparado, refratário à onda de modernidade sociopolítica, e encapsulado no seu autoritarismo. Não podemos esquecer do desastroso Domingo Sangrento em 1905, quando a Guarda Imperial atira cruelmente contra manifestantes pacíficos em São Petersburgo. Além disso, a falida guerra com o Japão, os longos períodos de fome e pobreza, um proletariado cada vez mais insatisfeito e, não menos importante, a influência perniciosa de Rasputin, foram algum dos fatores que levaram à Revolução de Fevereiro de 1917 e à queda do czarismo na Russia. Todo esse panorama criou o ambiente perfeito para os movimentos radicais comunistas que culminaram na revolução de outubro e na ascensão dos bolcheviques ao poder.
Lenin e seus comparsas foram implacáveis com Nicolau e sua família. Do cativeiro em Tsarkoye Selo, passando pela “casa da liberdade” em Tobolsk e, finalmente, em Ecaterimburgo, o autor relata o dia-a-dia da família imperial enclausurada, seus hábitos e costumes, e tenta pintar Nicolau como um pai amoroso e dedicado, mas incapaz de fazer um reflexão de seus atos.
A invasão tchecolosovaca aperta o cerco em Ecaterimburgo e força os bolcheviques a dar um solução final à “questão dos Romanov”.
O livro é recomendado pela riqueza de detalhes e o extenso trabalho de pesquisa histórica do autor.
Robert Service traça um painel da Rússia das primeiras duas décadas do século XX e os fatores que levaram à revolução de 1917 e à queda da dinastia dos Romanov. Nicolau II é retratado como um czar inábil, despreparado, refratário à onda de modernidade sociopolítica, e encapsulado no seu autoritarismo. Não podemos esquecer do desastroso Domingo Sangrento em 1905, quando a Guarda Imperial atira cruelmente contra manifestantes pacíficos em São Petersburgo. Além disso, a falida guerra com o Japão, os longos períodos de fome e pobreza, um proletariado cada vez mais insatisfeito e, não menos importante, a influência perniciosa de Rasputin, foram algum dos fatores que levaram à Revolução de Fevereiro de 1917 e à queda do czarismo na Russia. Todo esse panorama criou o ambiente perfeito para os movimentos radicais comunistas que culminaram na revolução de outubro e na ascensão dos bolcheviques ao poder.
Lenin e seus comparsas foram implacáveis com Nicolau e sua família. Do cativeiro em Tsarkoye Selo, passando pela “casa da liberdade” em Tobolsk e, finalmente, em Ecaterimburgo, o autor relata o dia-a-dia da família imperial enclausurada, seus hábitos e costumes, e tenta pintar Nicolau como um pai amoroso e dedicado, mas incapaz de fazer um reflexão de seus atos.
A invasão tchecolosovaca aperta o cerco em Ecaterimburgo e força os bolcheviques a dar um solução final à “questão dos Romanov”.
O livro é recomendado pela riqueza de detalhes e o extenso trabalho de pesquisa histórica do autor.
June 7, 2025
This is not a bad book, how could it be when written by Robert Service, but I cannot recommend reading this book rather then 'The Last Tsar: The Abdication of Nicholas II and the Fall of the Romanovs' by Tsuyoshi Hasegawa published in 2024. Professor Hasegawa book is narrower in scope but far more revealing of both Nicholas's character and the current state of Russian language study of the last Tsar - their is a whole school of Russian historians who believe, erroneously and ridiculously, that the abdication was the result of a malevolent conspiracy.
It is time for a new full English language biography of Nicholas II. Perhaps we will have to wait until current events place the Russian archives once more accessible to non-Russians. So much has been brought to light that is largely unknown to English language readers. It is time this was rectified and Nicholas removed from the halo of sanctified bilge provided by that Ekaterinburg massacre and studied as the disastrous monarch he was.
It is time for a new full English language biography of Nicholas II. Perhaps we will have to wait until current events place the Russian archives once more accessible to non-Russians. So much has been brought to light that is largely unknown to English language readers. It is time this was rectified and Nicholas removed from the halo of sanctified bilge provided by that Ekaterinburg massacre and studied as the disastrous monarch he was.
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September 2, 2023Cu toții am auzit de familia Romanov și De modalitatea în care Nicolae al II-lea și familia sa au fost asasinați . Cu toate acestea cartea de față prezintă câteva aspecte pe care in anumite cărți nu le-am găsit . Oarecum greoaie, plina de date și nume , carte de față prezintă ultimele luni din viata familiei Romanov incluzând abdicarqea lui Nicolae și execuția acestora. Deși la un moment dat m-am pierdut in marea de nume mi s-a părut interesant faptul că în materia dreptului constituțional in avea perioada termenul de abdicare era necunoscut . I se oferea țarului sau viitorului tar posibilitatea nu accepte pozitia de tar dar legislația nu prevedea nimic despre modalitatea în care acesta putea renunța la putere . Lecturile țarului Nicolae mi s-au părut interesante: de la Arthur Conan Doyel la Cehov la Tolstoi dar și lucrări de istorie armata și religie. O alta informație interesanta mi s-a părut faptul că Rasputin a fost înmormântat la Tarskoe Selo. La un moment dat s-a dat ordin de către forțele revolutionare sa se schimbe locația sicriului pentru ca in final cadavrul sa fie incinerat . Au fost și aspecte care mi-au redeschis apetitul spre cercetare dar una peste alta cartea oferă niște informații interesante . (Apropos așa în loc de final aparent Regina Maria a României s-a oferit să o ajute pe regina mama - mama lui Nicolae - sa fugă din Crimeea unde se refugiase )
May 29, 2021
Det er tydeligt, at forfatteren har lavet meget research til denne bog. Desværre har han glemt at sortere, og resultatet er en tung bog, der er svær at kæmpe sig i gennem. Det føles som om læseren bliver præsenteret for al den viden forfatteren har samlet, lige meget hvor ligegyldigt det er; intet er for småt til at blive nævnt. Dette gør at fortællingen drukner i detaljer og bogen føles som en slavisk gennemgang af tiden. Det var ikke en fornøjelse at læse.
April 21, 2019
Fascinante a forma como através das suas palavras o autor me levou para o núcleo da família Romanov, me deu a conhecer a personalidade de Nicolau II o último Czar da Rússia, da Revolução Russa, e de Rasputin, odiado e temido, mas principalmente da sua influência sobre a família do czar. Robert Service conseguiu fazer com que deixasse de lado as minhas ideias pré-concebidas sobre Rasputin e o visse à luz dos acontecimentos sociais da época.
E a explicação para o assassinato de toda a família, de quem lhe virou as costas quando mais necessitava, dos bolcheviques.
Através deste livro fiquei a conhecer melhor um país que sempre me fascinou, um pouco da sua história e a admirar a perseverança do seu povo.
E a explicação para o assassinato de toda a família, de quem lhe virou as costas quando mais necessitava, dos bolcheviques.
Através deste livro fiquei a conhecer melhor um país que sempre me fascinou, um pouco da sua história e a admirar a perseverança do seu povo.
February 6, 2023
Enjoyable with a great level of detail..... But a sometimes difficult read, given the factual/forensic style of writing....
January 19, 2022
I didn’t find the book as interesting as I thought I would because of the time period covered. The book begins with Nicholas II’s abdication and ends shortly after his execution.
December 7, 2017
In my opinion, way too much detail...
How the mighty have fallen…
My thanks to my contacts at Pegasus Books, Iris Blasi, Katie McGuire, and Maia Larson, for my advance reading copy of this book. You ladies rock!
Nicholas Romanov, Tsar Nicholas II, was the last royal ruler of Russia. When he was crowned on November 1, 1894, he could not have foreseen the terrible end that was coming, or that the royal line would end with him.
This is the story of the man who lost everything. The reign of Nicholas II was unfortunately marred by a series of bad decisions and worse luck. There was the Khodynka Tragedy, a human stampede after his coronation that caused the deaths of 1,389 people. He had a penchant for executing political rivals. He was blamed for the Russo-Japanese War, which led to his being nicknamed Nicholas the Bloody.
He instituted ant-semantic rules to try to force Jews into becoming Russian Orthodox, then the State Religion. On Sunday, January 22, 1905, people trying to bring a petition to Tsar Nicholas were fired upon by the Imperial Guard. This is remembered as “Bloody Sunday.”
Along with the Russian people, even the Nobles began to be dissatisfied with the Tsar’s rule. Losses on the battlefields, a food shortage, and the growing influence of Gregory Rasputin did not help the matter at all. The Tsar finally abdicated in 1917 following the Russian Revolution, and his family was placed under house arrest. Still fearing Nicholas and the Romanov dynasty, the Tsar, and his entire family was executed on July 16, 1918.
This is the story of the Romanov family. It is very detailed and features seemingly every character the author could squeeze in that was remotely connected to the case. The story was fascinating in places, and at other times it dragged like a broken muffler behind a car. It does succeed in establishing the human side of Tsar Nicholas, but some of the writing could have been omitted without harming the book in the least.
I personally had a hard time wading through this book. Historically, it is accurate and thus valuable as insight to these troubled times and the end of an era. I give the book three stars…
Quoth the Raven…
How the mighty have fallen…
My thanks to my contacts at Pegasus Books, Iris Blasi, Katie McGuire, and Maia Larson, for my advance reading copy of this book. You ladies rock!
Nicholas Romanov, Tsar Nicholas II, was the last royal ruler of Russia. When he was crowned on November 1, 1894, he could not have foreseen the terrible end that was coming, or that the royal line would end with him.
This is the story of the man who lost everything. The reign of Nicholas II was unfortunately marred by a series of bad decisions and worse luck. There was the Khodynka Tragedy, a human stampede after his coronation that caused the deaths of 1,389 people. He had a penchant for executing political rivals. He was blamed for the Russo-Japanese War, which led to his being nicknamed Nicholas the Bloody.
He instituted ant-semantic rules to try to force Jews into becoming Russian Orthodox, then the State Religion. On Sunday, January 22, 1905, people trying to bring a petition to Tsar Nicholas were fired upon by the Imperial Guard. This is remembered as “Bloody Sunday.”
Along with the Russian people, even the Nobles began to be dissatisfied with the Tsar’s rule. Losses on the battlefields, a food shortage, and the growing influence of Gregory Rasputin did not help the matter at all. The Tsar finally abdicated in 1917 following the Russian Revolution, and his family was placed under house arrest. Still fearing Nicholas and the Romanov dynasty, the Tsar, and his entire family was executed on July 16, 1918.
This is the story of the Romanov family. It is very detailed and features seemingly every character the author could squeeze in that was remotely connected to the case. The story was fascinating in places, and at other times it dragged like a broken muffler behind a car. It does succeed in establishing the human side of Tsar Nicholas, but some of the writing could have been omitted without harming the book in the least.
I personally had a hard time wading through this book. Historically, it is accurate and thus valuable as insight to these troubled times and the end of an era. I give the book three stars…
Quoth the Raven…
March 31, 2023
Service examines Nicholas II in captivity, beginning with the March 1917 abdication and continuing through the Alexander Palace, Tobolsk and Ekaterinburg. It is very useful as an account of the various men who were responsible for the Imperial Family, as well as the back and forth among the Moscow Bolsheviks, the Ural Bolsheviks and ultimately the Ekaterinburg leadership and guards. He is cleareyed about Nicholas' limitations: not very bright, virulently anti-Jewish, and so detached from reality that he refused to recognize the steadily increasing danger to his family and their attendants. But Service also gives him credit for his love for Alexandra and the children. He looks at what Nicholas read while captive, which tended to be mostly things that reinforced his limited worldview. But ultimately Service seems defeated by the sheer opaqueness of his subject. What comes through is that there was very little "there" there. Not exactly a blazing insight, but if you compare him to some of the passengers on, say, Titanic? Several of these men and women, when faced with certain death, served as exemplary examples of how to meet one's fate. Nicholas II's reported last word when Yurovsky announced they were all to be shot, was "What?" It kind of sums him up.
Recommended for the usual suspects.
Recommended for the usual suspects.
August 14, 2017
Service examines the last sixteen months of Nicholas II's life, providing incisive analysis of his beliefs and political convictions as demonstrated by the former Czar's conversations with his entourage as well as his reading material. The murder of last Russian Imperial family is placed within the political context of the times with Lenin's influence clearly established.
There is some evidence that the book was written quickly for the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution as Alexander II&Alexander III are confused at one point in the narrative and Nicholas's daughter and sister, both named Grand Duchess Olga, are confused in the index. The roles of certain members of Nicholas's entourage while under arrest after the Russian Revolution are not clearly stated and there is an unfortunate tendency to treat Nicholas's four daughters, who had distinct personalities and reactions to the events of 1917-1918 as a single entity "the Romanov daughters."
Overall, a strong contribution to scholarship about the last Imperial family that would be stronger with greater attention paid to the roles and personalities of Nicholas's inner circle during his last months including his family and household.
There is some evidence that the book was written quickly for the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution as Alexander II&Alexander III are confused at one point in the narrative and Nicholas's daughter and sister, both named Grand Duchess Olga, are confused in the index. The roles of certain members of Nicholas's entourage while under arrest after the Russian Revolution are not clearly stated and there is an unfortunate tendency to treat Nicholas's four daughters, who had distinct personalities and reactions to the events of 1917-1918 as a single entity "the Romanov daughters."
Overall, a strong contribution to scholarship about the last Imperial family that would be stronger with greater attention paid to the roles and personalities of Nicholas's inner circle during his last months including his family and household.
December 3, 2019
A very well-researched & well-crafted study of Tsar Nicholas II's last year as autocrat & unenlightened head of the Russian Empire.
The behaviour of all competing forces in this saga bear testament to the notion that it's not all black & white: Robert Service delineates the way the true version of events can be twisted, manipulated, re-written & obfuscated by those culpable & guilty...be they royal or commoner.The terrible fate of the Romanov family is told here in detail & in depth.
But this short book covers the fatal year of Russian history with an even-handed approach that makes any reader wonder at the verdicts we all give on subjects so complex & tortuous...none more so than the October Revolution 1917...& its fateful & world-changing aftermath. And no...Lenin wasn't quite as honest a son of toil as many would have you believe: quite the autocrat himself indeed!
The behaviour of all competing forces in this saga bear testament to the notion that it's not all black & white: Robert Service delineates the way the true version of events can be twisted, manipulated, re-written & obfuscated by those culpable & guilty...be they royal or commoner.The terrible fate of the Romanov family is told here in detail & in depth.
But this short book covers the fatal year of Russian history with an even-handed approach that makes any reader wonder at the verdicts we all give on subjects so complex & tortuous...none more so than the October Revolution 1917...& its fateful & world-changing aftermath. And no...Lenin wasn't quite as honest a son of toil as many would have you believe: quite the autocrat himself indeed!
March 3, 2019
For a better account, read The Fate of the Romanovs by King & Wilson.
July 24, 2018
This book makes a fine complement to Helen Rappaport's 'The Race to Save the Romanovs'; where Rappaport's book focuses on the international attempts (and non-attempts) to rescue Tsar Nicholas II and his family following his abdication in 1917, Service's book relates the events following the abdication from within Russia itself. The scene is a great deal more chaotic than the average, non-specialist, reader might realize: the Russian Revolution was hardly a monolithic event, as Service clearly shows -- there were at least three separate groups vying for control of the country, often violently opposing one another. The author draws a vivid portrait of the character of Nicholas and, to a lesser extent, the members of his immediate family, depicts their day-to-day lives under house arrest, and details the events that led to the entire family's murder in the basement of the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg in July 1918. Service clearly follows the investigation that followed and deftly outlines a number of the subsequent books about Nicholas and Alexandra that have been written subsequently. The chaos of the Revolution and its various leaders makes for complicated reading, although one emerges with a sense of just how confusing events were at that time. I believe the book could have benefited from a genealogical chart, showing how the various lines of the Romanov clan mentioned in the book were related to each other. The maps, too, could have been more detailed. On the whole, however, this was a satisfying reading experience.
June 26, 2020
A very interesting read that one reads with more than a touch of nervous tension.
Obviously as a reader one knows the outcome of the Romanovs imprisonment. The book explores the detail of the fateful decisions that sealed their fate.
The book is so thoroughly researched we have a name for every official who had any hand, act or part in their incarceration and murder.
I think the book would have benefited from a brief introduction as to historical context; what sort of Russia Nicholas had inherited; why Nicholas was so hated by the Russian people; whether their hate for him was justified in the context of other European monarchies; or whether some of it had been fomented by revolutionaries.
I also wanted to know what happened to these people after the murders? Given the toxic and suspicious atmosphere in which the Bolsheviks were operating I wondered how many survived Lenin's and Stalin's purges. To be honest I was hoping they got the rough justice they deserved.
The time frame and focus of the book was also a little frustrating in that I would like to have known what the wider implications were internationally and internally for Lenin and the Bolshevik regime when it became clear that the Romanov children had been executed too in cold blood.
On further investigation, I discovered that many of the people involved ended up on the wrong side of soviet authorities and were executed themselves. It would have been a useful footnote to the book.
Overall a very good book that made me want to read more about Russian history.
Obviously as a reader one knows the outcome of the Romanovs imprisonment. The book explores the detail of the fateful decisions that sealed their fate.
The book is so thoroughly researched we have a name for every official who had any hand, act or part in their incarceration and murder.
I think the book would have benefited from a brief introduction as to historical context; what sort of Russia Nicholas had inherited; why Nicholas was so hated by the Russian people; whether their hate for him was justified in the context of other European monarchies; or whether some of it had been fomented by revolutionaries.
I also wanted to know what happened to these people after the murders? Given the toxic and suspicious atmosphere in which the Bolsheviks were operating I wondered how many survived Lenin's and Stalin's purges. To be honest I was hoping they got the rough justice they deserved.
The time frame and focus of the book was also a little frustrating in that I would like to have known what the wider implications were internationally and internally for Lenin and the Bolshevik regime when it became clear that the Romanov children had been executed too in cold blood.
On further investigation, I discovered that many of the people involved ended up on the wrong side of soviet authorities and were executed themselves. It would have been a useful footnote to the book.
Overall a very good book that made me want to read more about Russian history.
April 3, 2020
Robert Service does a very good job in illustrating the last couple of years on the life of Nicholas II and his family. This is no easy task considering the complexity and the romantic view that many people still maintain of the last Russian Tsar. The book is incredibly well-researched and thorough.
On the whole, this is an accessible book to people who are new to the subject. A lot of the information about the Tsar and his family as people and human beings was really insightful. Later chapters on the Civil War and the treatment of the family were also really interesting. Some knowledge of the events in Russia around the early Revolutionary/Soviet period would definitely help readers.
However, at times, it felt that there was a lack of narrative in the book as there was so much detail. This made some parts of the book more difficult to grasp and less memorable. This history could have also been hugely complimented by a basic list and description of all the figures involved, including the key Bolsheviks responsible for the Tsar's downfall in Yekaterinburg.
Overall, I wanted to give this 3.5 stars, but due to the calibre and well researched history, it would not be fair to give it a 3. Service ultimately does a solid job of providing a well-balanced portrait of a historical figure often draped in mystery and pity. There are parts of the book that I will certainly refer back to and reread.
On the whole, this is an accessible book to people who are new to the subject. A lot of the information about the Tsar and his family as people and human beings was really insightful. Later chapters on the Civil War and the treatment of the family were also really interesting. Some knowledge of the events in Russia around the early Revolutionary/Soviet period would definitely help readers.
However, at times, it felt that there was a lack of narrative in the book as there was so much detail. This made some parts of the book more difficult to grasp and less memorable. This history could have also been hugely complimented by a basic list and description of all the figures involved, including the key Bolsheviks responsible for the Tsar's downfall in Yekaterinburg.
Overall, I wanted to give this 3.5 stars, but due to the calibre and well researched history, it would not be fair to give it a 3. Service ultimately does a solid job of providing a well-balanced portrait of a historical figure often draped in mystery and pity. There are parts of the book that I will certainly refer back to and reread.
November 4, 2021
First of all, the Romanovs and Nicholas II are definitely my favorite non-fiction topics. I have read countless books about them and have always found a reason to read even more. Unfortunately, the title of Robert Service’s book should have been The Russian Revolution and Nicholas II, not the other way around, as the author has clearly wanted to write a book about the revolution instead of the Tsar. Even more unfortunate is that I would have liked to have read a book about Nicholas II, but got a book about the revolution instead.
The book is also quite dry. Reading it feels like reading a school textbook, and there are an awful lot of names. The name dropping is plentiful and thus confusing. The names also use forms I have never come across before. For example, Pyotr Stolypin in this book is called Pëtr Stolypin and Ipatiev House is Ipatev House. There are other examples as well. Personally, I would have stick with the most common spellings.
All in all, I would have liked to have read more about Nicholas and his family, but instead got a book about the Bolsheviks. I even think Service wanted to write a book about the Bolsheviks instead of the tsar's family. Since I ended up reading a different book than I would have liked, I only give it 2 stars. It may have been carefully researched, but the book still leaves much to be desired.
The book is also quite dry. Reading it feels like reading a school textbook, and there are an awful lot of names. The name dropping is plentiful and thus confusing. The names also use forms I have never come across before. For example, Pyotr Stolypin in this book is called Pëtr Stolypin and Ipatiev House is Ipatev House. There are other examples as well. Personally, I would have stick with the most common spellings.
All in all, I would have liked to have read more about Nicholas and his family, but instead got a book about the Bolsheviks. I even think Service wanted to write a book about the Bolsheviks instead of the tsar's family. Since I ended up reading a different book than I would have liked, I only give it 2 stars. It may have been carefully researched, but the book still leaves much to be desired.
October 2, 2018
This is an interesting look at NicholasII and the events of his abdication and death. Russia had experienced social unrest since the late 1800’s. The Revolution of 1905 had forced some liberal reforms from the Tsar, but these reforms were gradually ignored. With the coming of the First World War united the country for awhile, but as the fortunes of war turned against the Russians, unrest became a big factor. There were many radical socialist parties active in Russia. Assassination was a frequent occurrence. When the army began to cease support for Nicholas, he was convinced to abdicate. The Provisional government that Tom over was fairly moderate. They took the Tsar and his family into custody,but it was not that repressive.
When the Provisional Government was undermined and then replaced by the Bolsheviks the situation for the Romanov family deteriorated rapidly. The Bolsheviks initially wanted to bring the Tsar to Moscow for a show trial, but the outbreak of the civil war prevented this from happening. The book then follows the events that led to the assassination of the family. The events were so chaotic and so many factions were vying for power, that it’s hard to digest it all. The author does an excellent job of presenting all the events in a readable and cogent manner.
When the Provisional Government was undermined and then replaced by the Bolsheviks the situation for the Romanov family deteriorated rapidly. The Bolsheviks initially wanted to bring the Tsar to Moscow for a show trial, but the outbreak of the civil war prevented this from happening. The book then follows the events that led to the assassination of the family. The events were so chaotic and so many factions were vying for power, that it’s hard to digest it all. The author does an excellent job of presenting all the events in a readable and cogent manner.
October 10, 2017
Very good book in some respects - highlighting Lenin and the Central Committee's culpability, considering whether Nicholas II's beliefs underwent any change while in captivity, analysis of historiography of Nicholas and the last Romanovs and also in documenting the utter chaos in Russia in the 16 months of 1917 and 1918 (and the last 16 months of Nicholas's life). However, most of what I liked is in the last third of the book. What I really wished for and, what Simon Sebag Montefiore delivered brilliantly in The Romanovs was for a cast of characters - there are so many names in The Last of the Tsars and it would have been really helpful to know who some of these people were (index was not particularly helpful here either). The extended Romanov family, courtiers, confidantes, retainers - some of the names I vaguely remembered from reading The Romanovs last year but not necessarily their relationship to the family. And then of course, there were the various revolutionaries, Bolsheviks, Social-Revolutionaries, Left Social-Revolutionaries, Anarchists, hard to keep up with who's who. Still, I thought Service tied it all together well in the end.
November 16, 2024
This was the first book of Robert Service's that I have read, and I did like it.
The book covers the last 16 months of Nicholas II's reign. It is both interesting and a bit dull. The fact is that Nicholas' fate was utterly in the hands of others after he abdicated, so there are no "important decisions" that he makes in the course of this book. However, the details of what Nicholas read, his response to it, and what he wrote does shed light on his character.
And that character is pretty much what I had suspected in the first place. Maybe the only surprise is how anti-German he was. But he was a man of very fixed opinions (including anti-Semitism) and he seemed to take to captivity (being free of decisions) pretty easily.
I have studied Russian history, and I have encountered people who say in all seriousness: "Oh, I know all about Russian history. I read Nicholas and Alexandra." It sounds like Service has had similar experiences, and perhaps this book is his way of fighting those stereotypes.
"The Last Tsar" is good, but I wish Service had used his skill to look at some of the "big decisions" Nicholas made, such as the one for war in 1914.
The book covers the last 16 months of Nicholas II's reign. It is both interesting and a bit dull. The fact is that Nicholas' fate was utterly in the hands of others after he abdicated, so there are no "important decisions" that he makes in the course of this book. However, the details of what Nicholas read, his response to it, and what he wrote does shed light on his character.
And that character is pretty much what I had suspected in the first place. Maybe the only surprise is how anti-German he was. But he was a man of very fixed opinions (including anti-Semitism) and he seemed to take to captivity (being free of decisions) pretty easily.
I have studied Russian history, and I have encountered people who say in all seriousness: "Oh, I know all about Russian history. I read Nicholas and Alexandra." It sounds like Service has had similar experiences, and perhaps this book is his way of fighting those stereotypes.
"The Last Tsar" is good, but I wish Service had used his skill to look at some of the "big decisions" Nicholas made, such as the one for war in 1914.
November 11, 2020
An extremely well researched and authoritative account of the last months of Nicholas II and his family's life. Service's command of incorporating research, analysis and description is very effective. I was very pleased to read bits about other members of the imperial family and their fate, though wished that Service could have included more about the Grand Duchesses and the Tsarevich. Around half way through, there's a couple of chapters dedicated just to the Bolsheviks and their governance which can be a little tedious; I wish that there was a key at the beginning with key names and their positions for the sake of clarity. Overall, the book posits new research and Service's knowledge is conveyed well. However, I would not recommend this for historians and casual readers who are only interested in Nicholas, rather than the political and economic time of Bolshevism.
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