Product Description

Abundant, newly discovered sources shatter long–held beliefs

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 revealed, among many other things, a hidden wealth of archival documents relating to the imprisonment and eventual murder of Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their children. Emanating from sources both within and close to the Imperial Family as well as from their captors and executioners, these often–controversial materials have enabled a new and comprehensive examination of one the pivotal events of the twentieth century and the many controversies that surround it.

Based on a careful analysis of more than 500 of these previously unpublished documents, along with numerous newly discovered photos, The Fate of the Romanovs makes compelling revisions to many long–held beliefs about the Romanovs′ final months and moments. This powerful account includes:
∗ Surprising evidence that Anastasia may, indeed, have survived
∗ Diary entries made by Nicholas and Alexandra during their captivity
∗ Revelations of how the Romanovs were betrayed by trusted servants
∗ A reconstruction of daily life among the prisoners at Ipatiev House
∗ Strong evidence that the Romanovs were not brutalized by their captors
∗ Statements from admitted participants in the murders

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #92755 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 672 pages

Review
The family members of Nicholas II, Russia′s last tsar, were executed in July 1918, soon after the Bolshevik Revolution –and the speculation as to what exactly happened hasn′t died out during the past 85 years. In this comprehensive volume of one of his tory′s great intrigues, independent scholars King and Wilson stoke the flames of controversy with a creative theory: Lenin and the other Bolshevik rulers in Moscow didn′t give the orders to kill the tsar′s family, as has been believed. This wasn′t out of any sympathy for Nicholas and his family–in fact, the authors point out that Lenin was perhaps the epitome of realpolitik, allowing little emotion in his political decisions. Using an intriguing reading of the Russian archives, the authors argue that Lenin preferred a trial to an execution for fear of antagonizing the Germans, whom he wanted to appease in order to consolidate his own grip on power. Instead, it was local Bolsheviks in Ekaterinburg, where the royal family was held, who made the decision to go ahead and execute Nicholas and his family. The executions were blamed on Lenin because it served as a convenient myth for those lamenting the f all of the Romanov dynasty. While the book is somewhat longer than necessary, those fascinated with the case will find it worthwhile. (Sept.) (Publishers Weekly, July 28, 2003)

King (The Man Who Killed Rssputin) and Wilson, a historian specializing in Russia′s late imperial era have written a graphic compelling reconstruction of the fate of the last tsar and his family and a detailed account of the case′s developments in 1989–2001. Rather than blame the murders directly on Lenin, King and Wilson devote half of their account to proving that the Ural Regional Soviet decided on its own to murder the family, informing Lenin and the Presidium days later. The book′s second half examines the wildly contentious "discovery" and identification of the royal bones in 1989, even though the Soviet government knew where the mass grave was all along. The disastrous exhumations made identification of the 11 sets of bones nearly impossible–a problem that was compounded when American forensics experts looked into the matter and failed to find the bones of two of the children. This account of the Romanovs′ last days is far more graphic than Mark Steinberg and Vladimir M. Khrustalev′s The Fall of the Romonovs, but Chapter 21 drops an unexploded bomb: "The evidence, as it now stands, does not support any such conclusions about the possible deaths of either Grand Duchess Anastasia or Tsarevich Alexi.... (I)t is at least possible that one or more of the victims remain alive." This opinion is supported only by the lack of physical evidence and seems to run counter to the authors′ description of the murder scene earlier in the book. However, the exhaustive documentation and notes and readable style make this book necessary for academic and public libraries. – Harry Willems, Southeast Kansas Lib., Iola (Library Journal, September 15, 2003)

"...I was pleasantly surprised: this complex, fascinating work based on new archives...compellingly revisionist..." (Daily Mail, 16 November 2003)

"...The Fate of The Romanovs is both encyclopaedic and compelling..." (Evening Standard, 17 November 2003)

"...the resulting book is a masterpiece of historical research..." (The Good Book Guide, January 2004)

"...the two authors have turned their investigations into a murder–mystery tale..." (South Wales Argus, 27 December 2003)

"...makes for fascinating reading...an erudite retelling of a story that refuses to die..." (Fortean Times, January 2004)

"A startlingly revisionist history of the last months of the Imperial family that compellingly destroys the tired old romantic cliches and recreates the Tsar and the commissars as real characters." (The Financial Times)

"...a startlingly revisionist history of the last months of the Imperial family that compellingly destroys the tired old romantic clichés..." (Financial Times Magazine, 20 December 2003)

"...The cold eye of reason combs through the evidence delivering astonishing details about the demise of the Romanovs..." (Good Book Guide, March 2004)

Review
"those fascinated with the case will find it worthwhile." (Publishers Weekly, July 28, 2003)

"...King and Wilson have written a graphic compelling reconstruction of the fate of the last tsar and his family." (Library Journal, September 15, 2003)

"...I was pleasantly surprised: this complex, fascinating work based on new archives...compellingly revisionist..." (Daily Mail, 16 November 2003)

"...The Fate of The Romanovs is both encyclopaedic and compelling..." (Evening Standard, 17 November 2003)

"...the resulting book is a masterpiece of historical research..." (The Good Book Guide, January 2004)

"...the two authors have turned their investigations into a murder–mystery tale..." (South Wales Argus, 27 December 2003)

"...makes for fascinating reading...an erudite retelling of a story that refuses to die..." (Fortean Times, January 2004)

"A startlingly revisionist history of the last months of the Imperial family that compellingly destroys the tired old romantic cliches and recreates the Tsar and the commissars as real characters." (The Financial Times)

"...a startlingly revisionist history of the last months of the Imperial family that compellingly destroys the tired old romantic clichés..." (Financial Times Magazine, 20 December 2003)

"...The cold eye of reason combs through the evidence delivering astonishing details about the demise of the Romanovs..." (Good Book Guide, March 2004)

Evening Standard, 17 November 2003
"..The Fate of The Romanovs is both encyclopaedic and compelling.."

Customer Reviews

Forever fascinating
The last of the tsars, his wife and children and the last members of his household were executed in July 1918. Ever since controversy surrounds these events: Who is to blame? Who has to take responsibility? Did somebody survive(Anastasia)? Have the remains been found? Bolsheviks and monarchists alike used the brutal murder for their own propaganda purposes - bloody Nicolas versus saintly Nicolas! Propaganda, fabrications, lies, the need of justification and a lot of emotions seem to make it nearly impossible to get to the truth as everybody involved to date seems to have a hidden (and sometimes not even that) agenda.
King and Wilson try to cut through all of this web and suddenly the lines between friends and foes blur, the persons involved emerge as human beings and not just as tools of one or the other political ideology. 600 pages might be heavy reading for some, but I enjoyed every page!! Of course the findings and the conclusions will be - as usual - debated, rejected or welcomed, but future works will have to deal with King and Wilson's findings and future works - I am sure there will be some the subject matter is far too fascinating - will have to take this into account. So properly this book will not be the last word on the execution of the imperial family, but it is properly the best to date.
While reading sometimes one wonders whether anybody really wants to learn the truth?! Why is that - after 85 years. I suppose that it proves the theory right that a nation's wounds are healing very slowly if the past not dealt with. This proves to be an obstacle for the future. Think of more recent situation where nations have to go through a very difficult healing process. (Nazi-Germany, Franco-Spain, Apartheid in South Africa, Military dictatorships in South America and the like). Properly in Russia that has not even started. A lesson to be learned?

The Fate of the Romanovs by King and Wilson can only be recommended. Read it!!!

Complex & Well Researched
Given the complexities of Russian Politics between the reign of the last Tzar and modern times, this book, which compares closely information discovered and released throughout this time period, is understandably large and complex. Thankfully, it is however written in an accessible style, allowing the reader to become familiar with the events of 1918 in a political environment filled with Royalists, Communists, Menshaviks and Bolsheviks not to mention the Red, White and Czech military powers and the varying political and military interests of Great Britain, Czechoslovakia and Germany.

"The Fate Of The Romanovs" follows the story of the Tzar, Emperor Nicholas II, and his family, from his abdication in the face of the rising Soviet republic, to the massacre of him and his family in the basement of the "House Of Special Purpose" in Ekaterinburg. The book then proceeds to analyse two major themes arising from this incident. Firstly, the various analyses done on the remains of the bodies over the years with various improving levels of scientific advancement to try to establish the true identity of some of the remains. Secondly, a look at the folklore and political propaganda built up during the cold war that changed the idea of the Imperial family from an autocratic dictatorial ruling elite to a gentle family brutally murdered. It is of course true that they were brutally murdered, and their story is indeed a sad one, partucularly for the children; full of hope of freedom right until the last moment.

I only have the following minor criticisms: Firstly, that for a Western European audience, there are obviously a lot of unfamiliar and similar-sounding names which can be hard to keep track of as it is, without the author's style of referring to people interchangebly by either title, first or last names. Secondly the unusual style of throwing in discriptive prose in the middle of technical information. The author is often particular in describing fine details, such as duty lists of guards, specific dimensions of each room in a house, technical names of guns people are holding, and the like. However this is often punctuated suddenly by descriptions of crisp autumn leaves and tyres crunching on gravel. It's no major issue but it often affects the flow of his particular reportage-style of writing. Finally, I was disappointed with his avoidance of the whole episode and controversy of Anna Anderson's emergence claiming to be Anastasia.Whilst not completely overlooked, it's hardly mentioned and certainly not investigated. It appears that the situation remains with the Americans believeing that Anastasia's body is the missing one, and the Russians believing that Tatiana's body is the missing one.

In summary, a really interesting, well-researched and resourced book on a most complex era of Russian history and one of the most emotive political stories in the world. It exposes the deep familial links between the European monarchies, and explains the incoherence of the early Soviet regime and the various factions within and outwith it. Ultimately it records the last tragic months of a young family on the road to their doom, and how the population subsequently changed its opinion of them.

A must-read for all Romanov junkies!
Being completely interested in the Romanov history I read this book late 2003. Three years further down the line, out of all Romanov-history/biography books that I own and have read, this one I would definately point out as a "Must-read". Also due to its detailed description of facts, the research that has been done on this subject and also the scientific point of view I would highly rate this.
Being Belgian I was living in the UK at the time I read this book. In this story I discovered something of which I had no knowledge prior to this time : that some of the "real" relicts of the Tsar's family were kept in a Russian Orthodox Church near Brussels (Ukkel). The relicts would've been "buried" inside one of the Church's wall. Though the book didn't really tell me the exact location of where to find this I dug myself into it, in finding out myself. Then flew over to Brussels for a weekend, went to the Church to find it ... closed. No way had I come all this way to find a closed church. Until I found somebody, a Russion person related to this Church. After explaining my intents, that I would love to visit inside the Church to have a look at their "Official Marblestone" inscriptions on the wall relating to the complete Romanov family, this person was so kind enough to open the Church for me.
I could not believe my luck!
Now, if the contents of a book/history can make me do all this, that's when it is a good book for me indeed ...I've gained extra knowledge due to this book.
I can highly recommend this to all Romanov-junkies :)