Anastasia: The Lost Princess

by James Blair Lovell

Anastasia--the name has become synonymous with enigma. the story of the youngest daughter of the last Russian czar has become one of the world's most favorite romantic fascinations, and is one of the strangest, saddest, most haunting riddle of the twentieth Did she escape the massacre of the Russian Royal family in 1917?

James Blair Lovell's exhaustive search for the truth culminates in the definitive book, the last word on the mystery of Anastasia. Drawn form eyewitness testimony, medical and scientific study, handwriting analysis, and a cache of thousands of documents, letters, paintings, private photographs, and audio tapes, The Lost Princess separates the facts from the myths, and establishes beyond a shadow of a doubt the identity of the real Anastasia. Filled with romance, intrigue, drama, and startling revelation, it is Anna Anderson's true story.

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

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 1989

Reviews

[Lyd's Archive (7/'15 to 6/'18) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
In James Blair Lovell’s somewhat misinformed biography, he attempts to make a flowing storyline of the life of Anna Anderson, a woman famous for her claim to be Anastasia, youngest daughter of Russia’s Nicholas II. Forensic evidence has now proved that the ex-imperial family of Russia was killed in the early morning of July 17, 1918. It is interesting, however, to see what exactly Anderson’s supporters saw in her that made her seem like Anastasia.

It’s not like Lovell’s story is totally fake, he gets many things right and his facts seem credible for the most part, but everything about this book is in the delivery. Lovell seems to skip over parts and hold quite a bit of bias in that regard, he throws in ideas that make up the spine of his arguments without the evidence he should have.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have come to Anastasia after Helen Rappaport’s The Romanov Sisters, a book written by a more entitled author with likely more research, judging by her professional writing style made of nearly half quotes, but I knew I wanted to finish the book before its due date, so I may be a bit “nit-picky,” as but there are definitely passages worth investigating.
First of all, on the inside jacket, when one reaches the back flap, readers find a list of “attractions the book holds such as “An amazing disclosure that the Czar and Czarina may have produced a sixth child” (my emphasis) and “A sordid tale of treachery involving the unbridled greed of the British Royal family,” that seem to belong more on a tabloid’s headline than on a book’s jacket, and in a way, seem like the very “fictions” which Lovell insists have been “torn away,” or at least a bunch of unnecessary and general big words almost meant to attract the lowest common denominator.

The Main biases, however, seem to be in the characters. Lovell portrays Anderson as a dynamic character who swung between “hysterics and wild accusations” (165) and “childlike lightheartedness,” yet not all the people who walk into her life come to light the same way. Lovell seems to portray all the characters who don't think Anderson is Anastasia as being greedy liars without giving any counterargument. I could have liked this book more, but the author saying that Anderson was Anastasia and vilifying all who disagreed prevented me from doing so.
Recommended as an interesting opinion but not as an unbiased source that is trustworthy over the Anderson debate. For that I recommend The Quest for Anastasia: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Romanovs.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I realize that Lovell's research may seem irrelevant. Our more modernized, conclusive means of verifying bodily remains has proven that all the children of Czar Nicholas were killed with he and his wife, a scene rendered as quite harrowing within the early chapters of this particular book. However pointless nearly five hundred pages may seem with that in mind, the life of this woman and the struggles she faced surely makes for an interesting analysis of all of the historical research and legal proceedings that centered around Anna Anderson's lifelong journey to have herself recognized as the lost Romanov Princess, Grand Duchess Anastasia.

Lovell truly did this woman's life story justice, without ever really taking for granted that her story may not be the truth. He may seem to be taking Anderson's story as gospel, but what he's doing is merely presenting the facts as they could be interpreted. He painstakingly researches all of Anderson's correspondents, allies, contributors, and supporters.

There were decades of arguments with varying Romanov relatives and Bolshevik officials, votes of authenticity from the whole range of different European royals that could qualify for an opinion about Anastasia's fate. It's quite dry reading at times, but easy to keep up with thanks to Lovell's clear, concise prose. There's a fascinating barrage of characters, coloring the whole scope from perfectly malicious maniacs (Youssoupov, anyone) to former servants of the house of Romanov that remain loyal to Anderson their entire lives (Gleb Botkin).

The most disturbing part of this book is that so many relatives, friends, and Russian emigres did in fact believe Anderson; the whole world watched her as her case was argued over decades, while she suffered numerous breakdowns. Onlookers were desperate to believe that the Revolution would not have so violently murdered the entire royal family, and clung to the image of this confused and lost young woman for solace in a war-torn, socially demoralized world. Lovell died before the DNA test results came through, yet fully believed he had done the right thing in telling this woman's story. It is truly a revealing look at the process of untangling a historical mystery. Beware, though: sometimes the details of all the proceedings can seem a bit repetitive!

[McKenzie Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously, this book was written before DNA tests firmly showed that Anna Anderson was not Anastasia Romanov. Despite this, the book was extremely well researched. Yes, it is clear throughout what the writer's opinion is--there was no doubt in his mind that Anna Anderson was who she claimed to be. It makes me wonder what the author would have thought, and if his opinion would have changed, had he lived to see those DNA results.

[Lyd]

I'm not exactly sure how to rate this one, but here are some thoughts
First thing's first, I read this book a good four years ago as a slightly pretentious middle-schooler and I kinda looked at the book just to find all the holes in Lovell's argument. All sources in history, of course, are biased, as my freshman year world history teacher has said, but some particularly so, as the case is with this one. Lovell presents the story of Anderson/ Anastasia Manahan/ whatever you want to call her as entirely true, which most scholars would argue is not the case. If you are interested in looking at it as a primary source for Anderson's side of the story: her mental and legal struggles, financial woes, etc. etc. by all means do so. For a better look at the facts of the case, I would recommend The Quest for Anastasia: Solving the mystery of the last Romanovs which I read about three years ago and enjoyed despite its equally dense accounts of the Anderson legal proceedings

[Alexandra Alexyna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting perspective aldoght to romantic for me

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read 70% of this book without realizing that Anna Anderson has since been proved to be an imposter. Therefore I was captivated with the majority of the book, and then thoroughly disappointed in the rest. The author does a great job giving all perspectives and accounts, and I read that he did actually believe her story until his death. (The DNA results have come after, in more recent years.)

I can credit this book to sparking my Romanov passion and forcing me to tumble down the history rabbit hole. I now have 14 additional books focusing on the Romanovs and/or exclusively Anastasia added to my own bookshelf here on GoodReads, thanks to Lovell's references throughout.

While ultimately I was disappointed in knowing the true story, I was certainly impressed with the thorough reporting job of Lovell and thought the story was well portrayed.

[Abby Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

For most of the book, I was really enjoying Lovell's writing. Despite the fact that well over 90% of his research has long since been disproven and much of this is just brutal defamation of actual Romanov relatives for not accepting an imposter into their fold, slyly accusing them of being money-grubbing jackasses with hearts full of gall and fear, which is pretty sick, I still objectively think most of this was well written and certainly interesting.

Lovell is definitely much more thorough and dynamic than I found Peter Kurth's similar book on Anna Anderson to be on the whole.

Then towards the end, the book stopped being about "Anastasia" at all and changed into a plotting load of claptrap about the possibility Alexandra and Nicholas had a secret daughter they either gave away because she wasn't a boy or had stolen from them while drugged (your typical Soap Opera plot, you know the one). It was just so ludicrous and plodding it dragged the whole book down a star for me.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovell certainly added some interesting interpretations to the mystery of Anastasia. Although the current Duke of Edinburgh has since refuted the claims of a surviving Anastatsia, the fact that the speculation came to such a pitch can be attributed in part to the theories circulating at the time of this book's publication. Lovell reminds us that a great deal of money was at stake for those invested in the identification of Anastasia.
A mystery never to be solved? Perhaps, but an excellent source of speculation.

[Atlantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at a woman (her story well chronicled by the biographer) could be the lost Russian Princess Anastasia; the youngest daughter of the last Russian Czar. Essential reading for anyone interested in the mystery.

[DMuse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when it was first published in 1989, and found it so fascinating, I went on to study Russian history, Russian politics, and the Russian language in college. Definitely one I should reread!

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Anastasia: The Lost Princess by James Blair Lovell, a girl by the name of Anastasia Nikolaevna, is the Grand Duchess of Russia. She is the 4th daughter to the Czar Nicholas the Second and Czarina Alexandra. During the imperial reign of Czar Nicholas the Second and Czarina Alexandra, the family was massacred in the 1917s. After the death of the imperial family, the whereabouts of Anastasia’s body was not found at the time. The people had wondered during the time, if Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia is still alive. This is where the works of James Blair Lovell comes into play. After the unknown whereabouts of Anastasia, James Blair Lovell tries to piece information together to discover the truth about Anastasia’s disappearance. James Blair Lovell does this by interviewing Anna Anderson Manahan, who is believed to be the real Anastasia. The information that Anna Anderson Manahan provided him, with eyewitness testimony, medical and scientific study, handwriting analysis, and a cache of thousands of documents, letters, paintings, private photographs, and audio tapes, will tell the true identity of Anastasia and the facts from the myths. This is a true recounting from the eyes Anna Anderson Manahan. In the book jacket of Anastasia: The Lost Princess, James Blair Lovell has described the book in an enticing way. He annunciates that his work, is “An informed, behind-the-scenes account of the mystics and seers—of whom Rasputin was but the most infamous—who sought to control the Russian Imperial throne; Anastasia’s own chilling account of the imperial family’s last days together, an amazing disclosure that the Czar and Czarina may have produced a sixth child, a sordid tale of treachery involving the unbridled greed of the British Royal Family, the truth about the mammoth Romanov fortune, the first complete survey of all the scientific data which proves that Anna Anderson was Anastasia, and much more.” This statement alone had sparked my interest. Facts and myths have been mixed together over the years that the truth is so obscure. I was interested in the legitimacy of the “legend” of the lost princess, Anastasia. Inside the book jacket, James Blair Lovell had done extensive research had accumulated other data to support his claims of writing the ultimate truth behind the story of Anastasia. To subside my curiosity of the authenticity of the legends of Anastasia retold by many books, I will read the works of James Blair Lovell. Along with the book jacket, the book had appealed to me with its cover artwork. The book itself, is mostly of purple and gold colors; representing royalty. In the center of the cover, a photo of the young Anastasia is framed by the double eagle which was the symbol of the Romanov Dynasty. The cover artwork gives a feeling of royalty and importance, but Anastasia’s photo in the center gives it a mysterious aura. I feel the cover artwork fits the theme of the story, elegant yet with the mysterious air surrounding it. While reading the book, some of the scenes I had really enjoyed reading was the massacre part. I think James Blair Lovell did a fantastic job of capturing the innocence of the family and their last cherished moments together. “The Executive Committee of the Urals Soviet had decided to shoot them. Nicholas turned his back to the detachment and faced his family. “Some witnesses remembered Nicholas making the sign of the cross.” “Ordered the firing squad to get ready. Each one already knew who he was supposed to shoot, and they had been told to fire directly at the heart in order to avoid great spilling of blood and to finish the task as soon as possible. Nicholas said nothing more and turned to face his family again.” The author wrote this scene beautifully depicting how the family had strengthened each other through the rough times that were about to come. Throughout the book, there are pictures that the James Blair Lovell had included. He included pictures of the royal family, and some of the important figures in Anastasia’s life during that time. The pictures helped with the visualization within the story, it had also helped set the tone for the story. The pictures were faded with the colors black and white. Faded photos of the royal family gave off a depressing and dark aura. I was satisfied with most of the story but some parts of the story had disrupted the flow of the story. After the scene where the story transitions to Anna Anderson Manahan, the scene changes to an asylum. The author then goes into details where the presumably “Anastasia” was in the asylum for two years and had been unidentified by the German people. If I could change the ending, I would make it clearer and not just “It is a question no biographer can answer.” I feel like that ending is too vague in a sense. It doesn’t state whether Anna Anderson Manahan was really the Grand Duchess of Russia. In 2007, scientists have found the remains of Anastasia, so Anna Anderson Manahan was really a convincing imposter of Anastasia. I would recommend Anastasia: The Lost Princess to anyone who is interested in a mystery or informative book and would like to know what had actually happened to Anastasia, her true story.

[Faith Muñoz]

I remember reading this as a preteen. Now I realize Anna Anderson wasn't Princess Anastasia but I remember thoroughly enjoying this book.

[Edward · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting in the day.....before DNA proved that Anna Anderson was NOT Anastasia. Back when I read it, Anderson was in the news a lot.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

He makes it sound believable, then you learn they discovered the remains of all eleven bodies and used DNA testing(in three different labs) to confirm it. they also did testing on what is believed to be Anna's DNA and it matches the Polish worker's family. He loses credibility with the accusation Anna made that the Imperial family was raped. There is no information that the family was mistreated to that extent and evidence to show they were given a certain amount of respect even at the end (a request for chairs -at what became their execution- was granted). They were allowed some of their servants, people brought food to them, and the Soviet was aware they might be rescued. They were subjected to restrictions and humiliations, but not violence- well, not until they were shot. I also find it hard to believe the Romanovs would not embrace their granddaughter/niece/cousin, they were a tight-knit family and the children were innocent of the parents' errors. It all sounds believable, but doesn't hold up to scrutiny.

[Yaaresse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this forever ago, and I recall thinking it was complete nonsense, that this woman was absolutely not Anastasia. Evidence later proved that she was not and that the real Anastasia died in Russia. If you read it as fiction, however, it makes for a fascinating story about a woman who is either delusional or a con artist. I do believe the author believed that she was telling the truth. He certainly did his best to try to figure it out.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is Anna Anderson really Anastasia Romanov? Was she, as the lone member of the royal family, secretly spared from execution by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution?

[Courtnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like I said, so far, so good!

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating account of the life and death of the lost Romanov princess, which uncovers several mysteries related to her family. Lengthy at times, but well-researched and comprehensive.

[G. Buckner · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is historically inaccurate and confusing. Although I do believe at least one the Tsar's daughters did escape the firing squad, Anna Anderson's claim was pathetic and unfounded.

[PhilorChelsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm convinced....a good read!

[Courtnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, so good . . .

[Emaline Lapinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

amazing book...loved it until the very end

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Good Book