Nikolajs II

by Edvard Radzinsky, Эдвард Радзинский

Russian playwright and historian Radzinsky mines  sources never before available to create a  fascinating portrait of the monarch, and a  minute-by-minute account of his terrifying last days.  

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Russia, Russian History, Biography Memoir, Romanovs

486 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1992

About the author

Radzinsky (Russian: Эдвард Радзинский) is an author of more than forty popular non-fiction books on historical subjects. Since the 1990s, he has written the series Mysteries of History. The books translated to English include his biographies of Tsars Nicholas II and Alexander II, Rasputin, and Joseph Stalin. His book Stalin: The First In-depth Biography Based on Explosive New Documents from Russia's Secret Archives discusses a number of well known controversies about Joseph Stalin, including the existence of a fuller text of Lenin's Testament, the alleged involvement of Stalin as an agent of the Tsarist secret police, and the role of Stalin in the death of his wife and the murder of Sergey Kirov. According to Radzinsky, Stalin was poisoned by order of Lavrentiy Beria. His book includes an interview with a former bodyguard of Stalin, who stated that on the night of Stalin's death, the bodyguards were relieved of duty by an NKVD officer named Khrustalev. This same officer was briefly mentioned in Memories, the memoir of Stalin's daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva. Radzinsky also supported the hypotesis by Viktor Suvorov that Stalin had prepared a preemptive strike against Nazi Germany

Reviews

[Maziyar Yf · Rating 4 out of 5]

آخرین تزار ، کتابی ایست از ادوارد راژینسکی ، نویسنده ، مورخ و پژوهشگر سرشناس روس که کتاب های راسپوتین و استالین ، پیشتر از او به فارسی ترجمه شده اند . آخرین تزار ، به تازگی ، توسط نشر ماهی و با ترجمه خانم میترا ناظریان منتشر شده . کتاب 544 صفحه به همراه 24 صفحه عکس تاریخی سیاه و سفید دارد . همانگونه که از نشر ماهی و خانم نظریان انتظار می رود ، ترجمه و ویرایش کتاب عالی و بدون نقص است ، گرچه فونت کتاب ، کمی کم رنگ و جنس کاغذ هم اندکی نازک به نظر می رسد .

محتوا کتاب
همانگونه که از نام کتاب مشخص است ، کتاب به به زندگی و مرگ نیکلای دوم، آخرین تزار روسیه، می‌پردازد. نویسنده از دوران تزار اصلاح طلب ، الکساندردوم ، پدربزرگ نیکلای و سرنوشت نافرجام او شروع کرده و سپس به پدر تزار یعنی الکساندر سوم که بر خلاف پدر خود تزاری محافظه کار و ضد اصلاحات بوده پرداخته . نیکلای کاملا تحت تاثیر پدر خود ؛ تزاری ضد اصلاحات و سخت طرفدار شرایط موجود بوده . وضع موجودی که قابل کنترل و یا ادامه دادن نبوده و با لجاجت تزار ، سرانجام به فاجعه ختم شد .
کتاب راژینسکی را می توان به چند بخش مختلف تقسیم کرد:
دوران کودکی و جوانی نیکلای دوم این بخش به دوران کودکی و جوانی تزار، تربیت و شخصیت او، نقاط قوت و ضعف ، و تناقضات شخصیتی و آمادگی نیکلا برای به قدرت رسیدن پرداخته ، به قدرت رسیدن نیکلای دوم ، بخش دیگری از کتاب است که نویسنده چگونگی به قدرت رسیدن نیکلای دوم، شرایط روسیه در آن زمان، و چالش های پیش روی تزار جوان را بیان کرده . ازدواج با آلکساندرا فیودوروفنا ، شاهدخت آلمانی و نوه مادری ملکه ویکتوریا و عشق آتشین آن دو تا زمان مرگ ، تولد پنج فرزند آن ها و دخالت های بی شمار ملکه در امور مملکت ، رابطه میان ملکه و راسپوتین و دربار ، رابطه میان فرزندان و تربیت ولیعهد بیمار هم بخش دیگری از کتاب است .
دوران بیست ساله حکومت نیکلای ، سرشار از حوادث و وقایع تاریخی بسیار مهم بوده که برخی از آنها به سقوط نیکلای و رومانوف ها ، سرعت و شتاب دادند . شکست در جنگ با ژاپن ، جنگ جهانی اول که فاصله زیاد روسیه با اروپا را نشان داد از آن جمله بودند . شکست در جنگ ژاپن ، نارضایتی ها را تشدید کرد و نقش مهمی در انقلاب اول در 1905 داشت . جنگ جهانی اول هم سبب نارضایتی بیشتر سربازان و پیوستن آنها به انقلابیون شد . آشکار بود که تزار دیگر راه نجاتی ندارد . اما این وقایع تاریخی در کتاب ، نمود چندانی پیدا نکرده اند . شاید این حوادث چنان عظیم بوده و چنان در آینده روسیه و جهان نقش بزرگی داشته اند که نویسنده ترجیح داده از کنار آنها گذشته و کتاب خود را به نقش نیکلای و خانواده سلطنتی محدود کند .
انقلاب 1905 و تبدیل استبداد تزاری به یک حکومت دموکراتیک و سپس تلاش تزار برای کسب مجدد قدرت و سرکوبی انقلابیون و چالش تزار خودکامه با سرگی ویته نخست وزیر طرفدار اصلاحات و البته دخالت های همیشگی و احمقانه ملکه و تشویق تزار برای مخالفت و مبارزه با مجلس موسسان هم بخش دیگری از کتاب است که نویسنده به آن پرداخته . نیکلای میان دو انقلاب ، نیکلا در جنگ جهانی اول ، انقلاب روسیه ، دستگیری و بازداشت تزار و خانواده سلطنتی و سرانجام اعدام آنها هم بخشهای مهم دیگری از کتاب هستند .
تصویری که نویسنده از تزار نشان داده ، انسانی ضعیف و ناتوان ، نسبتا سست عنصر و بی اراده ، به شدت تحت تاثیر ملکه اما نه چندان خون ریز و نسبتا مهربان است . مجموعه این صفات ضد و نقیض به مخالفان تزار کمک کرد تا سلطنت 300 ساله رومانوف ها را پایان دهند . مقایسه صفات تزار با لویی شانزدهم ، آخرین پادشاه فرانسه ، شباهت های مهمی میان آن دو را نشان می دهد . هر دو ناتوان و بی اراده ، تحت تاثیر همسران خارجی سخت منفور ، تلاش بسیار برای مبارزه با اصلاحات مانند برکناری موسیو نکر در فرانسه و سرگی ویته در روسیه و سرانجام اعدام هر دو پادشاه به همراه خانواده را می توان بخشی از شباهت های انکار ناشدنی دو پادشاه دانست .
سبک نویسندگی راژینسکی را می توان یکی از نقاط قوت کتاب دانست ، او با استادی ، سطح هیجان را در کتاب بالا نگه داشته . کتاب او بر خلاف دیگر کتاب های خارجی ، خشک نبوده و هیچ گاه خواننده را خسته نمی کند . نویسنده در هر واقعه ای کوشش کرده تا از زوایای گوناگون به موضوع نگاه کند تا این گونه شاید خواننده با دیدگاه های مختلف آشنا شود . گرچه در فصل آخر کتاب ، این نگاه های گوناگون با روایت راویان و اعدام کنندگان تزار و بررسی شایعات مختلف همراه شده تا چگونگی اعدام خانواده سلطنتی و سپس دفن و سوزاندن آنها کمی آشفته شود .
در پایان ، با وجود قیمت بالای کتاب ،آخرین تزار را باید کتاب تاریخی جذابی دانست که راژینسکی تلاش کرده خلاصه ای از وقایع مهم سالهای پایانی سلسله رومانوف ها را هم بیان کند .

[Bob Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago, but had to pull it off the shelf for the book I'm finishing writing; Time Patrol: Ides of March, because one of the six missions in my book is on 15 March 1917. The day Nicholas II abdicated. This book is an extraordinarily detailed account of how the events unfolded. Some don't believe the author's claim that the execution of the family was ordered by Siberian Bolsheviks, but new evidence supports that.

While I'm focusing on only one day, and not even on the Tsar, but rather the Tsarina in the Alexander Palace with her four daughters and son, what really strikes me the more I research, is how that abdication might be the most significant events of the 20th Century if you look at long term impact. Even to this day. It's definitely in the top 5.

Also, while he focuses on the Tsar, I'm fascinated with Rasputin's role via the Tsarina.

Actually, the icon that was supposedly on Rasputin's body, signed by the Tsarina and her four daughters has intrigued me. No one seems to know where it ended up. Which is, of course, fodder for fiction.

If you want a detailed breakdown of the breakdown of Tsarist Russia, this a very worthwhile book.

[Shiva Mr · Rating 5 out of 5]

از نظر محتوا کتاب بسیار فوق العاده ای هست که زندگی پر فراز و نشیب و پایان شوم نیکالای و خانواده اش را به خوبی ترسیم می کند.ترجمه اثر عالی است. نویسنده کتاب ادوارد رادزینسکی، در موسسه بایگانی اسناد و تاریخ تحصیل کرده است و به دفترهای خاطرات نیکالای و همسرش آلکساندرا و همچنین به ((اسناد و مدارک و منابع رمانف ها)) که به قول خود نویسنده اسناد خونین هست و در بایگانی مرکزی انقلاب اکتبر جمع آوری شده، دسترسی داشته است. از این رو منبع معتبری است و یک اثر بی نظیر برای علاقه مندان به تاریخ روسیه می باشد.

[Mahshad Sabri · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب مفید و جالبیه، ولی یک سری ایرادات به نویسنده وارده: یکی از اصلی‌ترین مسائلی که دائم بهش برمیخورید اینه که نویسنده یک جورایی دوست داره سقوط امپراطوری رمانف‌هارو به ازدواج آلیکس و نیکولای ربط بده و همه چیزرو گردن خشک‌مذهبی، خرافات و اخلاق عجیب ملکه بندازه. قطعا حضور چنین ملکه‌ای و دخالت‌های توقف‌ناپذیرش در همه‌ی امور و رسوایی‌هایی که راسپوتین برای خانواده سلطنتی به بار آورد در سقوط بی‌تاثیر نبود ولی شکست در جنگ با ژاپن، جنگ جهانی اول و لجاجت نیکلای در مقابل اصلاحات هیچ نقشی نداشتن؟ اصلا شما کی در تاریخ دیدین که سقوط یک امپراطوری یا پادشاهی یک عامل داشته باشه؟ هیچ‌وقت! گاه‌گاه هم میبینید که نویسنده از عینی‌نویسی و ابژکتیویته با دلسوزی‌ش برای تزار و خانواده‌‌ش فاصله میگیره که برای یک کتاب تاریخی خیلی کمک‌کننده نیست، مخصوصا اواخر کتاب که نویسنده انگار داره با خودش حرف میزنه و میگه اگه نتونم کتاب رو تموم کنم چی؟ اصلا نپسندیدم و به همین خاطر یک ستاره کم کردم.
قدر مسلم اینکه حمایت بی‌قید و شرط ملکه از راسپوتین روز به روز خانواده‌ی سلطنتی رو بیشتر منفور کرد، جوری که تقریبا تمام راه‌ها رو برای اینکه انگلستان (عموزاده‌ها)بعد از انقلاب برای نجاتشون تلاش کنه یا توسط نیروهای وفادار و اعضای سابق گاردسلطنتی فراری داده بشن رو بست، همونطور که نویسنده بارها میگه تمامی این تلاشها محکوم به شکست میشد چون خانواده‌ی سطلنتی بیش از حد منفور بود. جالبه که ملکه با تنها کسی که میتونسته واقعا نجاتشون بده (اسقف هرموگین) به این دلیل که زمانی مخالف راسپوتین بوده، همراه نمیشه‌ و به تزار میگه دکش کن!
نکات جالب دیگه‌ای که بهشون برخوردم مربوط به نیکلای میشد. طبق حرف نویسنده، نیکلای در حساس‌ترین روزها و ساعات منتهی به انقلاب میزنه به دشت و دمن و به تلگراف‌هایی که بهش هشدار میدادن خطر جدیه و احتیاج به اقدام فوری و انتصاب یک نفر به عنوان نماینده برای مدیریت بحران هست، جواب نمیداده! نویسنده نوشته نیکلای وقوع انقلاب رو حتمی میدونست ولی علاقه‌ای نداشته با کشوندن راسپوتین به محاکمه‌ای که مجلس خواستارش بود قلب ملکه رو بشکونه (دقیقا در همین حد!) و از طرفی میدونسته با این کارش باید دور سلطنت رو خط بکشه و نیکلای بین سلطنت و ملکه، ملکه رو انتخاب میکنه! میره سرگرم پیاده‌روی و اسب‌سواری میشه و منتظر میمونه تا هر اتفاقی باید بیوفته، بیوفته!
نکته‌ی دوم اینکه نیکلای همه چیز رو در دفتر خاطراتش مینوشته، طی دوره‌ی حبسشون در خانه‌ی ایپاتیف، خودخواسته در دفترش مینویسه کسانی باهاش تماس گرفتن که گفتن قصد دارن خانواده‌ی سلطنتی رو فراری بدن. نیکلای با اینکه میدونسته دفاترش توسط نگهبان‌ها و عوامل بلشویک خونده میشن این رو در دفترش ثبت میکنه و عمدا مدارک لازم برای بلشویک‌ها برای متهم کردن خانواده‌ی‌ رمانف‌‌ها به توطئه برای فرار رو به دستشون میده. باز هم طبق حرف نویسنده نیکلای این کار رو از عمد و برای مردن خودش انجام داده، البته به این امید که با مرگ اون خانواده‌ش رو آزاد کنن.
در نهایت از ترسویی و محافظه‌کاری بلشویک‌ها و تلاششون برای ازبین بردن مدارک تاییدکننده‌ی دستور قتل رمانف‌ها توسط لنین و بقیه‌ی رفقا به تفصیل صحبت میشه و نویسنده کاملا توضیح میده چرا و چطور کل این جریان به عمد پیچیده‌سازی شده و به حد و حدود افسانه‌ای رسیده.
قطعا اطلاعات کل کتاب رو نمیشه در یک ریویو نوشت ولی اگر توجهتون به خانواده‌ی آخرین رمانف جلب شده یا داستان‌های آنا اندرسن، آناستازیای گم‌شده و افسانه‌های پیرامونش براتون جالب بوده از خوندنش لذت میبرید.

[Wendy · Rating 1 out of 5]

While providing a tidbit here and there that I wasn't aware of, this book was distasteful to me. It reads like a sensationalist journal rather than a historian's account. The Massie book on Nicholas II was much more concise and professional, and much less hysterical--Massie was not looking for strange patterns and mysticisms, as Radzinsky seems to have been. Skip this one, as it is not really worth your time, and offers very, very little new on a subject that has been written on by many others.

[Steven Godin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really the book I thought it would be. I'd hoped for a nuts and bolts biography written in Radzinsky's words only, not the words of others; including documentation and first hand accounts surrounding the slaying of Tsar Nicholas II & his family, along with lots of handed down recollections and secrets from Russians at the time, which I read with a pinch of salt, as who knows whether really true of not. The book is said to unearth things that have remained hidden all these years, but the way I see it most was simply speculation; I mean, for one thing, would you trust the words of convicted criminals? Nicholas's diary entries sourced for the book did get me closer to the man he was, but did I come away fulfilled at the end? No. There is even suggestion that two family members may have survived the execution on that fateful day in July 1918, kicking off the whole conspiracy theory angle. The book is described as having the epic sweep of Tolstoy and the disturbing insights of Dostoevsky: great way to sell the book, but it's only the latter for me, as I didn't find it epic and sweeping at all as the writing was wildly uncontrolled for the most part, thus it struggled to hold my attention fully. The reviewer Wendy is spot on saying it's more like a sensationalist journal rather than an historian's account: I wanted the historian's account. Didn't hate it, but it's somewhere between 2 and 3 stars overall, unfortunately.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back when I was a real person, I lived in Bloomington, Indiana, and I used to trawl all the town's bookstores looking for books about Nicholas, with whom I became fascinated during the summer of 2008 and outright obsessed with over the course of 2009. Caveat Emptor was a great place to go because I always found heaps of Russian books there; a George R.R. Martin lookalike manned the counter, and the entire place was floor to ceiling with books, an entire maze of bookshelves placed as close together as possible. Although R.R. Martin's doppelganger tended to price these things rather high, I scored plenty of great stuff including The File on the Tsar and Massie's Nicholas and Alexandra, both completely stuffed with newspaper clippings and magazine articles about the Romanovs.

Tucked inside The File on the Tsar, between the endpaper and the back cover, I found a three-page folded article from a 1992 issue of People magazine, a review of this book. Well, of course I immediately set out to get it from the library, but it was still awhile before I got around to reading it. I was not disappointed. Not only is it one of the best books I’ve ever read about Nicholas II, but it's the only one I'm aware of actually written by a Russian.

Э́двард Станисла́вович Радзи́нский was born in Moscow on September 23, 1936. It seems obvious he was deeply involved in the theater throughout his life, the son and son-in-law of playwrights and husband of an actress, and he is himself a playwright as well. However, I hazard to say he is mainly known as a very popular author of history. A historian by training, he has written some 40 books, including biographies of famous Russians that include a level of research English-speaking writers have not been able to accomplish. (I have also read his The Rasputin File, and it was an eye-opener!) His theatrical background helps him produce dramatic and highly-readable material, and his Russian nativity gives him the ability to find and incorporate rare historical documents.

I can tell you that most biographies of Nicholas II, being written by the fascinated English and skeptical Americans, simply repeat one another and a few haphazard translations of mid-20th-century sources. Not so with Mr. Radzinsky. His bibliography is a mass of Cyrillic primary sources.

By a huge margin, The Last Tsar is the fairest portrayal of Nicholas II I have ever read, and fairness is the most important factor when it comes to Romanov biographies. Also: something that is very difficult for Americans or "westerners" to grasp, but Russia is part of the East. They simply don't think according to the same pattern we do. American biographers can look at this action of Nicholas', at this response of the people, at this situation that the government had to deal with, and they connect A to B and conclude C like any logical western thinker would.

But in the old colloquialism, in the east, you can't get thar from here. A doesn't wind up at C by way of B. Maybe B is unrelated, and C turns out to be the result of D. Romanov biographies are full of gross assumptions by westerners that this behavior was perceived as this; that action was a reaction to that; but Radzinsky applies his Russian brain to the source documentation and sets out the most likely state of affairs. He becomes our bridge, explaining Russian cause and effect for us.

In short, this biography has everything going for it -- Russian primary sources, Russian interpretation of Russian behaviors, and dramatic prose that brings it all to life. The book itself, translated from Russian into English (lest I belabor the obvious), is occasionally quirky in its word choice, but on the whole, this book is as exciting and readable as any novel with the extra spice of the fact that it's all true. Despite the fact that it came out in the early 90s, it continues to hold up as the best and most complete Nicholas II biography available today.

Thanks, whoever left that People book review in the copy of Nicholas and Alexandra I bought. My life would not be complete without this biographical masterpiece.

[Doronike]

Gribēju godprātīgi pielikt punktu lasīšanai par Nikolaju II ar kādu krievu autoru darbu, bet Radzinskis nebija laba izvēle. Nu faktiski man jau bija tādas aizdomas, tikai laikam jau vajadzēja pārliecināties pašai. Es lasīšanā tiku diezgan tālu, bet nu tās gaudas par cara ģimenes bojāeju bija nepanesamas. Tiek izmantota katra iespēja iekunkstēties par viņu ļauno likteni. Jā, gals bija nelabs, bet nu tādēļ jau nevajag pārstāt censties kaut cik objektīvi vērtēt Nikolaja II valdīšanas laiku. Izskatās, ka daudzu autoru prātus ir aizmiglojusi traģēdija, un nav brīnums, ka cars tagad ir oficiāls pareizticīgo svētais.

[Denis · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest books about Russia's past history. Surprisingly very moving, but also very well written, this massive book is filled with such extravagance, drama, love, adventures and heartbreaks of all kinds that it reads more like fiction than real history - and yet, everything is true, to the last details (and Radzinsky has done an amazing research job). Truly a superb book, one of the very best and most interesting written about this period. Radzinsky remains impartial and objective, and he does show how life at the court of Russia, the influence of the empress, the errors of the tsar could only end in disaster, yet it's hard not to feel some kind of sympathy for the royal family - especially for the children. The horrific ending is narrated like a thriller and is mindboggling, even when one already knows what happened. The book echoes the tragedy of a doomed family as well as the tragedy of an entire nation.

[Arman Soltani · Rating 4 out of 5]

آخرین تزار
نوشته ادوارد راژینسکی
ترجمه میترا نظریان

کتاب آخرین تزار،هیمنطور که از اسمش پیداست،سرگذشت آخرین پادشاه خاندان رومانف،نیکلای دوم است.نویسنده منبع اصلی کتاب رو خاطرات نیکلای و همسر اون، الکساندر فیودوروفنا قرار داده.این موضوع هم نقطه ضعف و هم نقطه قوت برای کتاب محسوب میشه.نقطه ضعف کتاب محسوب میشه چون از اتفاقات روسیه در دوران پادشاهی نیکلای از جمله انقلاب 1905،روسیه در جنگ جهانی اول و مهم‌تر از همه انقلاب روسیه و سرکار اومدن لنین و یارانش اطلاعات بسیار کمی دریافت می‌کنیم و اصلا تصویری از این اتفاقات برای خواننده ساخته نمیشه و از طرفی درمورد جزئیاتی در کتاب نوشته شده که نسبت به موضوعاتی که از اونها نام بردم کم اهمیت تر هستن.اما نقطه قوت کتاب محسوب میشه چون کاملا خواننده با شخصیت تزار و خانواده‌اش آشنا میشه و به شناخت خوبی از شخصیت اونها میرسه.
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اما فصل آخر کتاب که به سرگذشت تزار بعد از انقلاب روسیه و تبعید او به سبیری تا مرگ اون نوشته شده،فوق العاده بود.نویسنده کتاب،با استفاده از مدارک و خاطرات محرمانه اشخاص مختلف(از جمله قاتلین و دست اندرکاران قتل او)یک روایت جذابی از این برهه حساس از زندگی تزار و خانواده‌اش ارائه میده.راژینسکی،مثل یک فیلم سینمایی،با جزئیات کامل از دوران تبعید تزار در سیبری،انتقال اون به خانه ایپاتیف(آخرین محل سکونت تزار و محل قتل او)،دوران سکونت تزار و خانواده‌اش در این خانه،شب قتل خانواده تزار و ماجرای دفن اونها،نوشته.
در آخر اگر درمورد انقلاب روسیه می‌خواید مطالعه کنید این کتاب رو به شما توصیه نمی‌کنم.اما اگر نسبت به شخصیت تزار و مخصوصاً سرگذشت اون بعد از انقلاب روسیه،کنجکاو هستید،حتما بهتون پیشنهاد میکنم این کتاب رو مطالعه کنید.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this quite a while ago, but I really enjoyed it. Based largely on documents released by the Russian government during the 90's and on journals entries from members of Nicholas II and his family, the author simultaneously unravels and adds to the mystery surrounding the last years of the tsar's life and the execution of his family during the Russian revolution.

[Miriam Reeves · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was filled with great facts and history but it was poorly written. Even History books should keep our attention shouldn't they?

[Terry Bonner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a totally engaging biography. I could not put it down. The Nicholas who emerges in these pages is both despicable and sympathetic. He is a nebbish placed by a capricious fortune at the vortex of history. He is a basically decent man who occupies a corrupt, indecent office. His naivete is both endearing and criminal. Radzinsky is no apologist for the unfortunate last of the Romanovs; neither is he judgmental, at least in regard to Nicholas himself. The Tsarina, on the other hand, suffers at the hand of the biographer. She is petty, demanding, hysterical, Machiavellian and thoroughly Teutonic. Radzinsky quite obviously points to her neurotic religiosity as the true nail in the coffin of Tsarist Russia. If Nicholas displays poor political judgment, he is nonetheless a good human being. The Tsarina, on the other hand, is prideful, sanctimonious and outrightly shrewish. The Tsar truly loves her and, so much as it is possible for Alexandria, the love is reciprocated. Her guilt at producing a hemophiliac heir leads her to the very edge of madness and Russia to the cusp of a long-fomenting revolution. Even though the story is familiar, this masterful biography -- originally written in Russian during the brief opening of the Cheka's extensive archives during Yeltsin's time of Perestroika -- is utterly absorbing. It is Radzinksy's skill in recreating the hundreds of bit players in this court drama which makes it so compelling. If you read only one book on the Russian revolution during your lifetime, make it this one. You will appreciate what happened, why it happened, and how it was inevitable. And, I might add, you will find yourself cheering when Nicholas abdicates, and weeping when the Royal Family is executed. This is biography at its best.

[Robert Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great follow-up to Robert Massie's Nicholas and Alexandra. It's written in a quirky Russian style, a bit difficult to get into...but ultimately it pays off handsomely by telling the story of the last days of the royal family from a decidedly Russian point of view.

[Maan Kawas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unforgettable, wonderful, powerfully written and vivid, but disturbing and touching book! The best I have ever read so far about the last tsar, Nicholas II and his family. The book is filled with detailed information based on documents, research, investigations, meetings, first-hand witnesses’ information, and personal diaries. I loved so much the insertion of some extracts of the Tsar’s and the Tsaritsa’s letters and diaries. The book reveals the good, gentle, kind, but weak and spineless character of the last Tsar, who was a pious, religious, tender and loving person and father, but a shy and weak Tsar. Unfortunately, Nicholas II came as a tsar to the throne of a wide empire upon the early and unexpected death of his father. Unprepared, with the lack of experience, coupled with his gentle and shy personality led to his and his family’s tragic end. I loved so much reading the extracts from Tsar Nicholas II’s diary and letters, and I loved his acceptance of the hard times (God’s will), ordeals, and severe fate, holding his cross with patience and humility. The book shows that there are key qualities and characteristics a sovereign must have, as being a ruler or a sovereign is a highly demanding role that is filled with huge challenges and risks. Moreover, the book shows the power of the situation on one’s actions and behaviors, the impact of the social pressure, the cruelty of man to man, and man’s strategies to cope with threat and challenges, and the impacts of one’s beliefs on his behavior and actions. Finally, it is a great book and a compelling reading.

[Dawn Tessman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The true story of the last Russian tsar as written by a Russian playwright/historian. In a word, maddening.

As I read the book, I appreciated the author’s insights into the Russian political mind. Additionally, I strongly feel the author deserves recognition for his exhaustive efforts to uncover the facts of what happened to the Romanovs by poring through endless amounts of previously-classified documents and sitting through countless interviews. That said, the writing style made the book a chore to read. I grew tired of the constant sensationalism and foreshadowing by end of chapter one and the story did not pique my interest again until about page 360-something. And, while I can understand the author’s desire to include a wink-and-nudge bit about Anastasia’s potential escape from death to add a little romance and mystery, I cannot excuse him from leaving out the truth that the woman referenced in the book was denied a connection to the Romanovs through DNA testing in 1984, years before the book was published. In short, well-researched, but poorly written and the attempt at ending the book on a cliff-hanger was unnecessary.

I have heard great things about Radzinsky. Unfortunately, this was just not the clear, concise, chronological history of Nicholas II’s reign that I was seeking. On to Massie’s version...

[JPK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I unfortunately couldn't finish this book. It is well written and intricate. Shines a new light on the assassination of the Romanov family. However, the characters are awful. One has trouble sympathizing with the not-so-bright tsar Nicolas and his neurotic wife. Past half of the book, one can't help shaking the feeling that the Romanovs are responsible for their own plight, knowing what was coming to them yet choosing to remain indolent and pray instead. Tsar Nicolas is blindly and stupidly pious. He is an incredibly frustrating protagonist. One hopes for the Romanov children to escape their parents' mess, but in the end they are the true victims of their parents' stupidity.

[Lili Kyurkchiyska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Радзински умее да поддържа напрежението в разказа, докато ни превежда из потайните руски архиви (царски, съветски и съвременни), събирайки парче по парче пъзела на една мистерия, която и до днес занимава света. Светът поглъща жадно всяка сензация - а цареубийствата не се случват всеки ден. Само дето личността на Николай - добрият съпруг, любящият баща, симпатичният събеседник - разваля цялата драма, на която хората се надяват. Объркала е и сметките на революционерите - от тираноубийци ги е принизила до обикновени екзекутори на деца и старци.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Lots of facts and history to plow through but totally worth it. Uncovers true historical facts of what really happened to the Romanov's. The first time some of these documents have been published from the Russian archives. If you love Russian history or have an interest in the Romanov's I highly recommend it.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This book had a lot of info. I had no trouble following along with the first half, which was mostly explaining family relations (there is a nice little family tree diagram at the front) and stories from when Nicholas was born up until he took the throne. Then the story moved into quotes from his diary and her diary, and their letters to each other when he was away. Reading the excerpts from the diaries while in exile was interesting. It was when the book moved into all the political names and parties that I started to get a bit lost. All the names started to look the same from page to page, so I was constantly flipping back to see if that was the same guy from this and that, etc. (Example: Lukoyanov & Lyukhanov...two totally different dudes). Also, the author didn't help matters by jumping between using first names and last names.

The end of the book was hard to read, in a different sense. The whole read is building up to the execution, and then to read first hand accounts is just surreal and very sad. The author left the book open a bit because the mystery had not yet been solved (this was 1992) which led me to do a little internet research. Discoveries have been made in just the past 3 years! It takes away the mystery of it all (I'm a fan of some of the conspiracy theories) but glad that we finally know once and for all what happened almost 100 years ago.

p.s. the reason I picked this book - I saw the title and I've always found the Anastasia/Anna Anderson story fascinating, so I opened this book to see if it was about her dad. The first page stuck under the cover and someone had written on the title page "Nancy - Hope you like it - It is an OK book/ Lot of detail - God Bless! Ed Thrift, Jr. 8/26/92." Weird! So then I had to read it. This idiot then wrote on page 376 "Stop/ Ed T. 8/26/92 I am getting bored." He was getting bored at the most interesting part of the book!!! Crazy I tell you.

[A.J Jennings · Rating 1 out of 5]

At first I was excited to read this book because it's written by a Russian author and so many of the books on Imperial Russia and the Revolution that I've read are written by English or American authors. But unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. I'm not sure if it's due to Radzinsky's attempt to write an almost novelized account as a playwright or a bad translation but I found the language to be very disjoined and hard to follow.

At times the author stops the text to foreshadow the eventual fate of the Romanovs which became annoying at times. For example the multiple harkening backs to Empress Alexandra's ancestry to Mary Stuart which had no relation to the text or the multiple flashforwards to a person's eventual fate later in life. It felt quite sensationalist which at times relies on speculation on a lot of rumors and possibilities of what might have happened such as a lot of conspiracies. The text itself did not flow smoothly from narration to diary entries and quotes which made it hard to read. I'm a reader who likes the author to get to the point and keep it simple, I don't like a ton of flowery language or descriptions.

I try not to DNF books as it makes me feel guilty, but I was recently reminded of the 50 page rule and at over page 200 I just wanted it to be over so I can move on. Since I have already read many books on the Romanovs and the Russia Revolution such as Nicholas and Alexandra, The Romanov Sisters, A People's Tragedy, Micheal and Natasha, etc I don't think there is a lot of new information for me to struggle the rest of the book for.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I noted somewhere before, I continue to be fascinated with the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, with the whole history of the Russian czars and with the arrest and deaths of the last Czar, Nicholas II, and his family.

Rather than a dry history, Radzinsky uses documents that were opened from archives, personal histories & diaries from those individuals involved in the Romanov assassinations and from Nicholas & Alexandra themselves to create a very good study of what actually happened to Nicholas II and his family. After having read through the end, I was left with a vivid picture of what were the final days of the Romanovs. His research seems to be incredibly thorough.

Radzinsky is a playwright; his book comes out not in a general tone most often taken by historians -- it is very readable. Thank God there was a family tree showing both Nicholas & Alexandra's families in the front cover; I would have been totally lost without it. As it was, I probably should have xeroxed it instead of flipping back to it time after time, because I really needed it. I think it probably could have also used a map.

While the book has a few problems, overall it was very well done & a very welcome addition to my history library.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an odd book. While Radzinsky's digging in the newly-opened Soviet archives provides fascinating information, I had some problems with the book. He has a habit--which grows annoying--of constantly making reference to tragic future events while narrating peoples' lives. He also indulges in a fair amount of speculation about events and people's thoughts and feelings. The closing section in which he tries to find out about the final days of the Romanovs is especially confusing---leaving this reader unsure of what he himself believes. It would be fine if he explained what was definitely known and what was still a mystery but all the conflicting narratives and his own speculations just makes a mishmash. Lastly, he assumes a lot of knowledge of Russian/Soviet history making for a confusing read for anyone who lacks it. Worth reading anyway, though, for the glimpses he provides into the archives.

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this such an interesting read on the history of Nicholas the II... I learned a lot about Russian history that I never knew before, and thoroughly enjoyed this read... and yes... His last days were terrifying.

[Dee Mellott · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent read...

[Brian Bigelow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did find the writing a bit tedious at times. Nonetheless, I continued on.
This book is a very in depth look at the last days of the last Czar, Nicholas II. Did think it was very well researched.

[Ryan Strimple · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first began researching the Romanovs, I discovered this book and read some reviews about it. I had just finished Nicholas and Alexandra as well as The Romanovs: The Final Chapter by Robert Massie. Therefore, I didn’t place this one high up on my list. Alas, I was at a used bookstore recently and found a copy for $2. So here we are.

I enjoyed this book. I even learned quite a few more details that have been curiously absent from more modern Romanov works. At the time of this publication (1992), the main burial site had just been discovered (in 1991). You can imagine the speculation and mystery then. This is one reason why I enjoyed this book. It serves as a time capsule sealed by what was known at the time.

Radzinsky’s prose is definitely unique and the way he tells the story follows suit. He uses many diary excerpts from Nicholas, Alexandra, and even the children to assist in creating the timeline of events. He describes sitting in Moscow, handling these recently declassified documents that the world has never seen. I appreciated these details and sensed his enthusiasm and excitement when uncovering the missing pieces for the first time.

Another very different aspect of this text is the casual implication of the insider plots of the police and Cheka in a large amount of these historical events. Let’s start with the assassination of Alexander II, Nicky’s grandfather. Radzinsky implies that this was carried out by members of the police because the monarchists were terrified of the constitutional form of rule Alexander II supported and advocated for. Ironic that years later his grandson is murdered in a basement for preventing such a thing.

Additionally, the implication that the Cheka was behind the soldier letters being smuggled into the Ipatiev house. They were creating these monarchists plots to rescue the family to cover the eventual murder. They felt they needed a justification to get Moscow (Lenin) on board. Sure, there were concepts of plans to rescue them, but none were ever truly possible.

The only parts I felt were questionable was the end with the suggestions that Alexei and Anastasia had made it out alive. However, if we read this within its historical context, this was simply part of the mystery then. The two additional bodies would not be discovered until 2007. So, as a Russian playwright, it is expected for Radzinsky to lean into this drama to further intoxicate us with the unknown.

Overall, Radzinsky does a great job of forming the timeline, telling the story through diaries and primary sources never before seen by researchers. Yes, he dabbles in the theories that somehow a couple of them made it out. But as we all know now, everyone perished that night. I found his unique prose entertaining, it was an easy read. I felt like I was next to him in Moscow experiencing handling and reading the diaries. It might not be the first book I’d recommend on the Romanovs, but it’s certainly worth a read.

[Natasha Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

«Когда-то он сражался с империями – с Японией, Германией, Австро-Венгрией. Теперь он сражается за разрешение открыть окна в комнате.»

Плакала много раз над этой книгой, рыдала на взрыв - тоже было. Много эмоций, судеб людей, переворотов и заговоров. Это жизнь, это его величество История.

Но почему история должна быть написана кровавыми чернилами на лицах людей, проложена костями детей, голодом и несправедливостью? Мало кто может ответить на этот вопрос. Мы должны учиться у нашей истории, чтобы не совершать подобных ошибок, но почему эти ошибки должны быть допущены in the first place? (Прошу прощения, не могу на русском фразу подходящую вспомнить).

Много книг мною перечитано про Царскую Семью, про Последнего Русского Императора, про горячо Любимого мною Царя Батюшки Николая Второго. Книга Радзинского - это как вишенка на торте, вобрала в себе самое, самое сокровенное (переписка с супругой и детьми, его дневники), она показала историю Никки с пелёнок, освещая события не только с одной стороны, а с очень многих. Иногда события описаны так, что мы представляем себе счастливую семью, но вот прыгает повествование и мы уже видим их окровавленные тела в подвале Ипатьевского дома…

Эта книга умеет убеждать. Она умеет убеждать читателя в мыслях и словах автора. Например, я никогда настолько сильно не чувствовала неприязнь к Императрице. Алекс, урождённая , внучка великой королевы Виктории всегда вызывала во мне жалость, это было всегда, так оно и осталось и так оно и будет, но вот про откровения с Распутиным я не всё, как отказывается, знала. Распутин - великий провокатор, отъявленный грешник, который устраивал пьяные оргии в столице, не скрываясь ото всех. И факт, что Алекс доверилась такому чудовищу - говорит о полном отчаянии матери больного ребёнка. Как она мудро могла манипулировать Никки, боже мой. Я осознаю, что мой Император был достаточно слабовольный человек, ослеплённый любовью к супруге, он был готов пойти на очень многое. И, как следствие - отказ от престола, арест, казнь всей семьи.

Придумать, а «что бы было бы если…» можно, но Историю уже не изменить. Возможно, если Николай был бы более настойчив, непреклонен и дальновиден, то трагедии можно было бы избежать. Однако, окружение Царя играет не менее важную роль

Если Вы всё это прочитали, то заслужили моё уважение, спасибо.

Отзывы я пишу для себя, чтобы уловить свои неуловимые мысли до/во время/после прочтения/прослушивания книги. А когда таких книг в год 70+, то нужно всё документировать, иначе в голове сумбур и ураган.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book very much! I like the authors writing style. It reads like a novel, but it is non-fiction. I appreciated the family tree at the beginning of the book and the map that was given. I would have liked to know a bit more about Rasputin, but I have ordered his book The Rasputin File. This is my first book related to the Romanovs and the Tsars. I am looking forward to reading more about the Russian leaders. This was a great book to read for my first. The novel like reading made the topic very interesting and I enjoyed learning. Mr. Radzinsky has inspired me to learn more about the Romanovs.

[Jānis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grāmata tāda nedaudz izstiepta, bet tajā pašā laikā ļoti interesanta. Nenormāli sen nebiju neko lasījis par 5. gada revolūciju, par pirmā pasaules kara pārmaiņām un tā laika pārmaiņām pasaulē vispāŗ.

Runa ir par Nikolaju II - pēdējo Krievijas caru, par viņa dzīvi un viņa ģimenes bojāeju, kurā, kā izrādās (es to nezināju), savu pirkstu ļoti pat pielikuši tieši latvieši.

Īstenībā grāmatā aprakstītas drausmu lietas, taču tā ir vēsture un to ir vērts izlasīt.