Product Description

An introduction to the key debates of Russian history. How did a small principality develop into a vast empire? Why did Russia develop political and social institutions so different from those of the West, which led the country on such a different path in the 20th century? The book relates the facts behind the reputations of tsars such as Ivan the Terrible, whose reign of terror was unparalleled in Russian history until Stalin; Peter the Great, dynamic reformer and dedicated Westernizer; Catherine the Great, the determined young German princess who usurped power and became the archetypal enlightened autocrat; and the weak-willed Nicholas II, a devotee of divine right in a period of devastating change. Here too are the less familiar but equally intriguing personalities who occupied Russia's imperial throne: the territorially-ambitious Ivan III, the warm-hearted and irascible Alexei Mikhailovich, and the reactionary Nicholas I. The book contains timelines which provide at-a-glance guides to the length and decisive events of each reign. There are genealogical trees of the Romanovs and their predecessors, and datafiles for every tsar detailing lineage, wives and children, and place and cause of death. There are over 90 sidebars and special features ranging from the building of the Moscow Kremlin to the lovers of Catherine the Great. The illustrations include portraits of every tsar and key political player, art treasures, architecture, maps and plans.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #344979 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

A Fantastic Book for an Introduction to Tsarism
I found this book to be clear, concise and straight forward. It deals with the lives of the occupants of Russia's imperial throne with an easily understandible style and tone, which is refreshing for a book on the Romanovs. Having said that at times the language is inclined to be clinical and rather too simplistic.

Although this book does deal with the sensational scandals which have often haunted the Imperial Throne, it does not get pulled into the more rediculous of these, such as the obsurd notion thar Catherine the Great slept with horses.

As with most of the books from this series, if you want a good general overview of the subject then this book is ideal but for a more indepth account a book such as "The Romanovs:Autocrats of All the Russias" by W.Bruce Lincoln would make this book appear childish.

Of all the books I have read from this series I enjoyed this one the most. The fact that there have only been a small amount of Tsars, in comparison to other subjects the series have covered works to this books advantage and means that briefness is not a too much of a problem here. I would heartily recomend this book to anyone with a curiousity for Russian Imperial history.

Well worth a place on the coffee table
A good general read, introducing the lineage and history of the Russian royal line. Beautiful pictures, time-lines and clear, informative text make this an ideal coffee table book for those interested in the broad sweep of Imperial Russia's history.