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The Romanov Rescue
A NEW NOVEL OF ALTERNATE HISTORY FROM MASTER OF MILITARY SF TOM KRATMAN, JUSTIN WATSON, AND KACEY EZELL. As WWI comes to a close a German general, an escaped prisoner of war, and the crew of an airship converge to effect THE ROMANOV RESCUE. Can there be a world without communism?Mankind's history is bound up in the fabric of fate, a strong cloth, tough and closely woven.It is the beginning of 1918, the last year of the greatest war in human history, to date. All the belligerents stagger on their feet. Starvation is an ever present reality, while disease waits in the wings. In Russia, no longer a belligerent but, instead, rapidly descending into civil war and chaos, a lone family—Father, Mother, four beautiful young girls, and a brave but sickly boy—await their own fate, shivering and hungry in the dark, hoping and praying for salvation.Their relatives in England have turned their backs. The guards set over them do little but torment them. They look Heavenward, but God doesn't answer. They know they're a threat to the new regime, a threat that will, in time, be eliminated.But even the strongest fabric has flaws. An escaped prisoner of war, caught, injured, and punished, but still highly capable, might be one. An airship, returned and at loose ends after a failed mission to Africa might be another. A German general, taking a wrong turn on his nightly walk and suddenly coming face to face with the reality of the monster rising in the east, would be a third.Follow, then, as the general gives the orders, the prisoner of war raises the men from among his fellows, and the airship launches itself forward, to contest fate, to tear the fabric of time, and to effect The Romanov Rescue.At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).About the Carrera “[I]nterplanetary warfare with . . . [a] visceral story of bravery and sacrifice . . . fans of the military SF of John Ringo and David Weber should enjoy this SF action adventure.”—Library Journal“Kratman's dystopia is a brisk page turner full of startling twists . . . [Kratman is] a professional military man . . . up to speed on military and geopolitical conceits.”—Best-selling author of America Alone Mark Steyn on Tom Kratman’s uncompromising military SF thriller Caliphate“Kratman raises disquieting questions on what it might take to win the war on terror . . . realistic action sequences, strong characterizations, and thoughts on the philosophy of war.”—Publishers WeeklyAbout Tom “[Baen publisher] Toni [Weisskopf] and I disagree about everything except about how good his books are.”—John Birmingham
683 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 28, 2023
This is a fine - and very detailed - alternate history, more specifically a chronicle of a military expedition of a scope that had until that time never been tried, but was just possible using the technology available at the time.
It is winter 1918, and as the Great War is winding down, the Bolsheviks have taken control of Russia. The Tsar and his family are being held in Tobolsk, Russia, east of the Aral Mountains, and in our timeline, will be executed soon. Through some subtle shift in history (which wasn't obvious to me), the Kaiser approves a daring rescue attempt using Russian POWs and German military equipment, including a zeppelin.
The emphasis in this story is in figuring out how it would be possible to rescue the Tsar and his family from captivity. Don't expect non-stop action or lots of grand strategic conversations between leaders in ornate rooms. This story is about the mission and the soldiers who are preparing for it. Everything else has been pushed to the background or limited to short interludes. Thus everything is building towards that daring rescue attempt, and every piece of equipment brought along on the attempt has a history of its own. There are dozens of "Chekhov's guns*" minutely detailed (perhaps too much?) in the early portions of the book, and they are all eventually accounted for.
Interspersed throughout the book are small sections that delve into what is happening with the Romanovs (the tsar, his wife, and his four children) during their last months of captivity. These were well-written, and walk a fine line by humanizing the royal family but also noting the Tsar's failures that led to this point. The Bolsheviks are well-deserved bad guys here, but at the same time the Tsar is not presented as an unalloyed good guy, either.
The ending leaves room for more interesting alternate history, and I'm looking forward to reading it.
*There is a character named Chekhov in the story. Hmmm...
It is winter 1918, and as the Great War is winding down, the Bolsheviks have taken control of Russia. The Tsar and his family are being held in Tobolsk, Russia, east of the Aral Mountains, and in our timeline, will be executed soon. Through some subtle shift in history (which wasn't obvious to me), the Kaiser approves a daring rescue attempt using Russian POWs and German military equipment, including a zeppelin.
The emphasis in this story is in figuring out how it would be possible to rescue the Tsar and his family from captivity. Don't expect non-stop action or lots of grand strategic conversations between leaders in ornate rooms. This story is about the mission and the soldiers who are preparing for it. Everything else has been pushed to the background or limited to short interludes. Thus everything is building towards that daring rescue attempt, and every piece of equipment brought along on the attempt has a history of its own. There are dozens of "Chekhov's guns*" minutely detailed (perhaps too much?) in the early portions of the book, and they are all eventually accounted for.
Interspersed throughout the book are small sections that delve into what is happening with the Romanovs (the tsar, his wife, and his four children) during their last months of captivity. These were well-written, and walk a fine line by humanizing the royal family but also noting the Tsar's failures that led to this point. The Bolsheviks are well-deserved bad guys here, but at the same time the Tsar is not presented as an unalloyed good guy, either.
The ending leaves room for more interesting alternate history, and I'm looking forward to reading it.
*There is a character named Chekhov in the story. Hmmm...
December 16, 2023
The Romanov Rescue by Tom Kratman, Justin Watson, and Kacey Ezell (Baen 2021) depicts an alternate time line where Imperial Germany trains and outfits a bunch of White Russian POWs for a daring raid to rescue the imprisoned Royal Family.
I enjoyed the focus on the training and logistics of the rescue plan, and that takes up the bulk of the book. The actual rescue is only a few chapters. The Reds are appropriately evil. The Romanovs, including Nicholas, are depicted with nuance. There's a little too much rape, for my tastes, but in all it was an enjoyable read.
I bought this book because I'm working on my own zeppelin adventure story and I wanted to know how to re-launch a zeppelin that landed in the wild with no replacement hydrogen. I searched the stacks at my three local colleges and borrowed books through interlibrary loan, but couldn't find the answer. The novel shows the difficulty of landing a zeppelin in Nowhere, Russia, but we don't see it take off. My suspicion is that it's not possible and that's why the authors skipped it. If I hadn't been focused on that detail, I doubt I would have noticed.
The book is clearly set up for a sequel or series. Here's hoping that we'll see more some day.
Five Stars
I enjoyed the focus on the training and logistics of the rescue plan, and that takes up the bulk of the book. The actual rescue is only a few chapters. The Reds are appropriately evil. The Romanovs, including Nicholas, are depicted with nuance. There's a little too much rape, for my tastes, but in all it was an enjoyable read.
I bought this book because I'm working on my own zeppelin adventure story and I wanted to know how to re-launch a zeppelin that landed in the wild with no replacement hydrogen. I searched the stacks at my three local colleges and borrowed books through interlibrary loan, but couldn't find the answer. The novel shows the difficulty of landing a zeppelin in Nowhere, Russia, but we don't see it take off. My suspicion is that it's not possible and that's why the authors skipped it. If I hadn't been focused on that detail, I doubt I would have noticed.
The book is clearly set up for a sequel or series. Here's hoping that we'll see more some day.
Five Stars
November 30, 2021
A good booK
A good book. A little slow with the mushy stuff. But you have a start of a great story line.
A good book. A little slow with the mushy stuff. But you have a start of a great story line.
January 13, 2022
In 1918, the Russians overthrow their tsar in the revolution, but the Germans plot their own counterrevolution, which hinges upon the rescue of the royal family, the Romanovs. The plan starts with Daniil Kostyshakov, who hides in a hay bale as he attempts to escape prison. When that fails, he’s recruited by Major General Hoffmann to kick off the daring rescue, which involves elaborate zeppelin aviation and harrowing heroics. The most compelling character is Tatiana Romanov, the deposed princess, who is stripped of both her ignorance and innocence as the harsh realities of war and treachery bear down. She combats these hardships with admirable strength, kindness, and love for her family.
The story is often longwinded, with bursts of explosive action and political intrigue peppered in, and many characters lack development. However, this alternate history employs vibrant steampunk vibes and aptly captures the uncertainties of the tumultuous era, as well as the courageous desperation of the world-weary men and women involved. Fans of detailed and technical military fiction will enjoy this, as well as those who appreciate real historical figures as characters.
(This review was originally written for Library Journal magazine.)
The story is often longwinded, with bursts of explosive action and political intrigue peppered in, and many characters lack development. However, this alternate history employs vibrant steampunk vibes and aptly captures the uncertainties of the tumultuous era, as well as the courageous desperation of the world-weary men and women involved. Fans of detailed and technical military fiction will enjoy this, as well as those who appreciate real historical figures as characters.
(This review was originally written for Library Journal magazine.)
August 17, 2022
I should have read the back flap. An author who describes himself as “a political refugee and defector from … the People’s Republic of Massachusetts” was never likely to be someone whose work I enjoyed.
The passages with the actual royal family aren’t bad, but if they comprise even 10% of the book, I’d be surprised. (Not going to count pages, sorry) The rest of it is waaayyy too much military detail for my taste.
If you like detailed military history, this might appeal to you. Not my cup of tea.
The passages with the actual royal family aren’t bad, but if they comprise even 10% of the book, I’d be surprised. (Not going to count pages, sorry) The rest of it is waaayyy too much military detail for my taste.
If you like detailed military history, this might appeal to you. Not my cup of tea.
January 6, 2022
I absolutely loved the premise of this book. The story of the Romanov family and their fate is one I have always found both tragic and moving. I’ve often pondered the question “What if someone could have saved them?” If you’ve ever had similar thoughts… this book is for you. In some ways, the death of the Romanov’s was also the official death of the nineteenth century, with all its codes and ideals. In its wake came the terror, genocide, and state-sponsored savagery of the twentieth. If someone had managed to—as Churchill put it—“strangle Bolshevism at its birth”, one has to wonder if all that could have been averted.
A few disclaimers up front. The book has its share of graphic violence and could have done without its profanity and sexual content, in my humble opinion. This is something I’ve come to expect from a lot of authors in the alternate history genre, such as Robert Conroy, but I question whether it is, in fact, an accurate portrayal of the time period; this era was, after all, just a decade or two removed from the end of the Victorian Age, and I feel like the attendant moral code would have retained strong lingering influence over people’s lives and conduct. Just my opinion, and I’m sure there are those who’d disagree.
That being said, this book features an accurate, even-handed treatment of history and the individuals involved, making only a slight divergence that forms the basis of its storyline. I think we need a lot more fiction dealing with the horrors of communism in general and this dark chapter of Russian history in particular. I was glad to see that the author fully portrays the monstrous natures of Lenin, Trotsky, and the Bolsheviks were while also addressing the darker aspects of Czar Nicholas’s reign. Each historical character is well-drawn, vivid, and three-dimensional. The POV scenes of Tatiana and Alexei Romanov were moving almost to the point of tears and fully capture their family’s real-life tragedy. That this was done in a piece of military genre fiction made it even more impressive.
There was a lot of highly technical military content that went over my head, but the parts I understood gave me goosebumps (in a good way). The heroes’ mission drives them to develop their timeline’s version of hostage rescue team tactics. From a storytelling and thematic standpoint, I found that simply beautiful.
At the risk of some spoilers, I found the ending a little disappointing. Not all readers will feel the same, but it seemed a bit too “Honor Harrington”-esque to me. In fairness, my opinion toward it softened on a second reading (the first was at midnight before bed).
A few disclaimers up front. The book has its share of graphic violence and could have done without its profanity and sexual content, in my humble opinion. This is something I’ve come to expect from a lot of authors in the alternate history genre, such as Robert Conroy, but I question whether it is, in fact, an accurate portrayal of the time period; this era was, after all, just a decade or two removed from the end of the Victorian Age, and I feel like the attendant moral code would have retained strong lingering influence over people’s lives and conduct. Just my opinion, and I’m sure there are those who’d disagree.
That being said, this book features an accurate, even-handed treatment of history and the individuals involved, making only a slight divergence that forms the basis of its storyline. I think we need a lot more fiction dealing with the horrors of communism in general and this dark chapter of Russian history in particular. I was glad to see that the author fully portrays the monstrous natures of Lenin, Trotsky, and the Bolsheviks were while also addressing the darker aspects of Czar Nicholas’s reign. Each historical character is well-drawn, vivid, and three-dimensional. The POV scenes of Tatiana and Alexei Romanov were moving almost to the point of tears and fully capture their family’s real-life tragedy. That this was done in a piece of military genre fiction made it even more impressive.
There was a lot of highly technical military content that went over my head, but the parts I understood gave me goosebumps (in a good way). The heroes’ mission drives them to develop their timeline’s version of hostage rescue team tactics. From a storytelling and thematic standpoint, I found that simply beautiful.
At the risk of some spoilers, I found the ending a little disappointing. Not all readers will feel the same, but it seemed a bit too “Honor Harrington”-esque to me. In fairness, my opinion toward it softened on a second reading (the first was at midnight before bed).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2021
Walking one night on a snowy road in a ruined Polish town, Max Hoffmann, of the German General Staff, one of the primary architects of Germany’s World War I victory over Russia, comes face to face with the monster Germany has created in the former Russian Empire. In the cities of European Russia, Lenin’s Bolsheviks, with the aid of Hoffman and his friends, have seized power. In a tiny town in Siberia, the former Emperor, his wife, their four daughters, and one very sick boy, await their executioners.
Hoffmann, however, with the quiet backing of Germany’s Kaiser, is going to rewrite the script. He’s tapped Captain Daniil Edwardovich Kostyshakov, late of the Russian Imperial Guard, now an unwilling guest of the Kaiser, to recruit a small band of other Russian prisoners, to penetrate deep into Siberia, and once there, somehow pull off the rescue of the Romanovs, of Russia, and of the world.
The Romanov Rescue follows the resourceful and loyal Kostyshakov and his small but splendid little battalion on what sometimes seems a hopeless quest. They have to improvise new weapons, essentially discover special operations warfare, and plan their mission, mostly by guesswork, without detailed information on how the captives are being held and guarded. Kostyshakov and friends face a battle on an unknown field, and the need to win it without harm to the Imperial prisoners. More, they have to find the Romanovs before they can even begin to rescue them, and work out how on earth they can even get to Russia, let alone all the way to Siberia. All this must be prepared quickly and in secret, and at the risk of being thwarted by spies and traitors.
Zeppelins, cool firearms, pirates, train robbers and betrayal all await, on the long trek through the chaos of the dying Russian state. Lenin, Trotsky and other Bolsheviks make their appearance, conveying well both the absoluteness and madness of their plans for Russia and the world. At the end of the line, in Siberia, wait the trapped and lost royalty, coming to terms with their lost past and probable grim future, their vile Bolshevik captors, and guards conflicted by their mission, and by exposure to the human side of once hated and feared rulers, who dread the approach of civil war. Finally, a battle deep in Siberia (with a twist or two) for the future of everything.
Buy your Zeppelin ticket, some good vodka, put on the Russian Army tunes, and read this book! There’s even room for a sequel, and I for one am good for it when it arrives.
Hoffmann, however, with the quiet backing of Germany’s Kaiser, is going to rewrite the script. He’s tapped Captain Daniil Edwardovich Kostyshakov, late of the Russian Imperial Guard, now an unwilling guest of the Kaiser, to recruit a small band of other Russian prisoners, to penetrate deep into Siberia, and once there, somehow pull off the rescue of the Romanovs, of Russia, and of the world.
The Romanov Rescue follows the resourceful and loyal Kostyshakov and his small but splendid little battalion on what sometimes seems a hopeless quest. They have to improvise new weapons, essentially discover special operations warfare, and plan their mission, mostly by guesswork, without detailed information on how the captives are being held and guarded. Kostyshakov and friends face a battle on an unknown field, and the need to win it without harm to the Imperial prisoners. More, they have to find the Romanovs before they can even begin to rescue them, and work out how on earth they can even get to Russia, let alone all the way to Siberia. All this must be prepared quickly and in secret, and at the risk of being thwarted by spies and traitors.
Zeppelins, cool firearms, pirates, train robbers and betrayal all await, on the long trek through the chaos of the dying Russian state. Lenin, Trotsky and other Bolsheviks make their appearance, conveying well both the absoluteness and madness of their plans for Russia and the world. At the end of the line, in Siberia, wait the trapped and lost royalty, coming to terms with their lost past and probable grim future, their vile Bolshevik captors, and guards conflicted by their mission, and by exposure to the human side of once hated and feared rulers, who dread the approach of civil war. Finally, a battle deep in Siberia (with a twist or two) for the future of everything.
Buy your Zeppelin ticket, some good vodka, put on the Russian Army tunes, and read this book! There’s even room for a sequel, and I for one am good for it when it arrives.
December 6, 2025
Two stars because the Romanov children needed rescuing and I'm glad someone finally did it, if only in fiction. The main plot was carefully constructed but not particularly memorable, and overshadowed by the interludes showing events from the Romanovs' perspective.
I found this remark by the author to be particularly ham-fisted and disconnected from reality: "We encourage the reader, especially the reader who retains some sympathies for socialism, to look over the Nexmuse pictures of the Romanov children, and then to realize how they were killed." Equating socialism with bolshevism is a fallacy that is far too common among the politically ignorant and a clever rhetorical trick used with great success by those who would like to deny the poor a seat at the economic table. Then again, an author whose bio describes himself as a "political refugee and defector from the People's Republic of Massachusetts" probably doesn't stand much of a chance of getting the nuance right.
There's a sequel in which Tatiana is the figurehead of a White Russian counterattack against the Reds. That sounds intriguing too, but this novel's combination of unmemorable narrative and ideological baggage makes me hold back. Maybe I should write my own.
I found this remark by the author to be particularly ham-fisted and disconnected from reality: "We encourage the reader, especially the reader who retains some sympathies for socialism, to look over the Nexmuse pictures of the Romanov children, and then to realize how they were killed." Equating socialism with bolshevism is a fallacy that is far too common among the politically ignorant and a clever rhetorical trick used with great success by those who would like to deny the poor a seat at the economic table. Then again, an author whose bio describes himself as a "political refugee and defector from the People's Republic of Massachusetts" probably doesn't stand much of a chance of getting the nuance right.
There's a sequel in which Tatiana is the figurehead of a White Russian counterattack against the Reds. That sounds intriguing too, but this novel's combination of unmemorable narrative and ideological baggage makes me hold back. Maybe I should write my own.
July 25, 2022
The book came off has an alt-history but it missed the point it rushes into the changed with no build-up or alt-events that lead to the divergent timeline be made. It only show the after events has they come up the crazy plan.
Has the story shows it over done in a bad way(ex. The Romanov family weren’t beening hidden secretly at all the weeks it toke to find them was just the author being idiotic in chacther building wants). The story had a theme going with where if one gos good another gos bad and reputed thee out the story that it got old like the soliders planning the mission just when they think they havevevery thing they relished they didn’t why they just didn’t ask the Germans for a supply specialist is bound me.
Then finale don’t get me started on the beginning and end. It was annoying has the cover shows a zeppelin making us think there’s going cool usage but most break down or it only has a single ch of usefulness at all which ruined the all the hype fore it. An finale the ending was an open ending type with no explanation of what’s going to happen next are if there is going to be a secound book which really ruined the lady hope I had for this read.
Has the story shows it over done in a bad way(ex. The Romanov family weren’t beening hidden secretly at all the weeks it toke to find them was just the author being idiotic in chacther building wants). The story had a theme going with where if one gos good another gos bad and reputed thee out the story that it got old like the soliders planning the mission just when they think they havevevery thing they relished they didn’t why they just didn’t ask the Germans for a supply specialist is bound me.
Then finale don’t get me started on the beginning and end. It was annoying has the cover shows a zeppelin making us think there’s going cool usage but most break down or it only has a single ch of usefulness at all which ruined the all the hype fore it. An finale the ending was an open ending type with no explanation of what’s going to happen next are if there is going to be a secound book which really ruined the lady hope I had for this read.
January 19, 2022
The world of alternate history is very light on WWI alternate history, and stories from the much ignored (until 1917 anyway) are sadly very rare! Enter THE ROMANOV RESCUE, which promises an intriguing tale of what might have been.
I was quite excited to read this one as, for the reasons above, there is little enough written in the way of WWI alt-history, and pretty much nothing concerning Russia! The story is an audacious tale of attempting to rescue the Russian tsar and his family, German help, and a recruited battalion of Imperial Guards. It certainly has its moments of daring do, but it does have a bit of bloat which could easily have been cut. The ending is as exciting as promised, and has quite a few real shocks! Certainly an interesting story.
I was quite excited to read this one as, for the reasons above, there is little enough written in the way of WWI alt-history, and pretty much nothing concerning Russia! The story is an audacious tale of attempting to rescue the Russian tsar and his family, German help, and a recruited battalion of Imperial Guards. It certainly has its moments of daring do, but it does have a bit of bloat which could easily have been cut. The ending is as exciting as promised, and has quite a few real shocks! Certainly an interesting story.
December 5, 2025
Tom Kratman, Justin Watson, and Kacy Ezell team up to bring out an alternate history tale of what the world might have been if any of the Romanovs had survived the massacre by the Bolsheviks. They postulate that a German general has grown alarmed about the menace growing in the East and finds a willing Russian officer to mount a rescue mission using an army of former Russian prisoners and a Zeppelin. Per Usual for a Tom Kratman book there is plenty of space given to detailing training and laying the groundwork for the all-out assault that finishes the book. And of course there is a sequel!
January 9, 2022
Tom Kratman, Justin Watson, and Kacey Ezell wonder what would have happened if Germans at the end of World War I decided to send a small expedition of rearmed Russian prisoners to rescue the Tsar and his family before they were murdered. The Romanov Rescue (hard from Baen) involves a spare Zeppelin, a bunch of captured arms, and a lot of daring. The tale is well researched and feels as thought it might have been real.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press
December 31, 2021
Good Alt-History with credible scenario and protagonists BUT too much time and pages spent on the details of small-arms training and the logistics. The actual operations rather flash by.
Still I am keen for the next installment.
Still I am keen for the next installment.
March 22, 2022
If you like extreme detail in your alternative history then this is a four star read but if that level of detail turns you off then this may be a slog. Also you will learn more about obscure Russian units of measurement than you may care to.
August 18, 2024
As a fan of alternate history and 20th century history, I quite enjoyed this book. I concur with other reviewers that the middle section describing the training regime may be overly detailed, but for me personally, I found the overall ahistorical setting sufficient to warrant a 5-star rating.
January 5, 2022
Excellent work from the authors.
January 25, 2022
Ok but not great
I just didn't like it much. Not a patch on Freehold or the Weapon. Convoluted and didn't really flow. And none of the characters appealed.
I just didn't like it much. Not a patch on Freehold or the Weapon. Convoluted and didn't really flow. And none of the characters appealed.
March 20, 2022
Fun read
Good characters. Not sure on the history but this is a pretty enjoyable read. I would like a second book.
Good characters. Not sure on the history but this is a pretty enjoyable read. I would like a second book.
November 24, 2024
A very interesting tale of a notable part of modern Russian History. Very detailed and complex but still engaging.
July 26, 2022
Set in 1918 during the Russian Revolution, this novel is structured as a heist novel, the treasure they want is the Romanov family. We get a mess of tech goodies to gaze at, some very obscure known mostly to gun nuts. There's a series of training exercises with the gadgets and the the action begins. The action bits are decent but the characters are very flat and are inconsistent. Part of this may stem from having three authors. Another ugly bit is the trope that there's no democracy in SF, the rescuers are members of the Whites, Royalists, people who are pure of heart, not bandits or worse Bolsheviks. To create drama and motivation the authors rely on rape, most of the women in this book experience it.
Finally at the end one author makes the comment in the afterword that people with sympathies for socialism should read about the Romanov massacre, which after writing an alternative history about Russia, you don't know the difference between socialists and radical communists? I will also point out that Death Squads are quite popular in countries with far right politics. Thinking about Tsar Nick the clueless and his belligerent cousin Kaiser Willy makes me a bit sick. If their countries had been better led, we may have not had two world wars and a cold one.
Finally at the end one author makes the comment in the afterword that people with sympathies for socialism should read about the Romanov massacre, which after writing an alternative history about Russia, you don't know the difference between socialists and radical communists? I will also point out that Death Squads are quite popular in countries with far right politics. Thinking about Tsar Nick the clueless and his belligerent cousin Kaiser Willy makes me a bit sick. If their countries had been better led, we may have not had two world wars and a cold one.
February 7, 2022
Buckle up boys and girls you’re going to get a lecture on communism in part by a guy who thinks that Massachusetts is an inch away from raising the red flag and forming into Soviets!
With a naive view of history three people who’ve spent their lifetimes suckling at the teat of the United States military budget are here to give the tired harangue of “socialism bad!” in a world too cute to exist.
It used to be that hardened reactionaries didn’t even pity the Romanovs which illustrates the sort of idiocy American political discourse has fallen to. If that wasn’t enough the book contains several appendices one of which weeps over the poor Romanov children who were apparently lured to their deaths by promises of candy and bayoneted.
Why the Tsar’s little brats deserve our tears but the state sanctioned pograms, the gunning down of women and children in front of the Winter Palace on the Tsar’s orders, or the other callous actions by the Romanovs don’t is the real mystery of the text. An explanation for that seemingly warrants a sequel but the writing in this book is too atrocious as is.
With a naive view of history three people who’ve spent their lifetimes suckling at the teat of the United States military budget are here to give the tired harangue of “socialism bad!” in a world too cute to exist.
It used to be that hardened reactionaries didn’t even pity the Romanovs which illustrates the sort of idiocy American political discourse has fallen to. If that wasn’t enough the book contains several appendices one of which weeps over the poor Romanov children who were apparently lured to their deaths by promises of candy and bayoneted.
Why the Tsar’s little brats deserve our tears but the state sanctioned pograms, the gunning down of women and children in front of the Winter Palace on the Tsar’s orders, or the other callous actions by the Romanovs don’t is the real mystery of the text. An explanation for that seemingly warrants a sequel but the writing in this book is too atrocious as is.
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