Edvard RadzinskyThe Last Tsar: The Life and Death of Nicholas II

In the early hours of 17 July 1918, on the orders of Vladamir Lenin, Nicholas Romanov, the former Tsar of Russia, his wife Alexandra, their five children [Olga aged 22, Tatiana 21, Marie 19, Anastasia 17 and Alexei 13] and four of their servants were executed in the cellar of the Ipatiev House in  Ekaterinburg , Russia. As dawn approached, the bodies were thrown onto the back of a truck and driven to a forest on the outskirts of town... What happened to those bodies? How had the Tsar, his family and their retainers come to be murdered in such terrible circumstances? Why was Nicholas II, a man who ruled over one of the largest empires the world has ever seen, fated to be "The Last Tsar"?Written by the Russian playwright and historian Edvard Radzinsky, this fascinating book, first published in English in 1992, is the culmination of over twenty years of research and investigation into the life and death of Nicholas II. Radzinsky was first drawn into  The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra  as a young student by his landlady, Vera Leonidovna. She had been a high society beauty in pre-revolutionary St Petersburg and had moved in the same circles as the Tsar and his court. Her insightful recollections feature heavily in Part One of the book where she vividly describes the gradual disintegration of a society on the verge of a catastrophic revolution. A world of plots, intrigues and conspiracies where sedition is widespread and an out-of-control Department of Police is using agents provocateurs, spies, agitators and secret policemen to stir up the very revolution it should be trying to suppress.Amidst all this chaos stands the Tsar, Nicholas II. Both Nicolas and his wife Alexandra were prolific diarists and Radzinsky skilfully uses edited extracts from their diaries to illustrate their characters and personalities. This is a sympathetic way of introducing the reader to the Tsar and his family and one which allows people to draw their own conclusions about them. From these diary extracts two things become clear. Firstly, that Nicholas and Alexandra were passionately in love with each other for their whole lives  ] and, secondly, that Nicholas was totally unsuited to being Tsar. It was a role he neither wanted nor enjoyed. His diaries show a family man with a fatalistic temperament very much under the influence of his strong-willed wife. A religious man, Nicholas believed he was carrying out his God-given duty to steer his country and his family through troubled times. However, as Radzinsky repeatedly illustrates, Nicholas' love for his family was also one of his greatest weaknesses as he was prone to put the interests of his wife and children before those of the country he ruled. Indeed, the so-called 'Holy Devil'  Rasputin  was only granted access to the Imperial family [where his presence scandalised society and nourished the revolution] because his ability to heal the Tsar's haemophiliac son Alexei made him indispensible to the Tsarina, whose superstitious nature he was then able to manipulate for his own ends.A "superstitious nature" seems to be something the Tsarina shared with many Russians and one of the strengths of this book is that Radzinsky, being a Russian himself, understands this and he is at his best when evoking the sense of mysticism that pervaded Tsarist society. Superstitions, omens, signs, portents and quackery abounded during the reign of Nicholas II and Radziinsky highlights some very strange coincidences in the Tsar's life - and death - which defy rational analysis and only add to the mystery surrounding this tragic family. Mystery which only deepens as the family are confined in their palace in Tsarskoe Selo and then taken, via Tobolsk, to their final destination in Ekaterinburg - an arduous journey during which all manner of plots and conspiracies to help or hinder the Tsar are revealed to have taken place. As the brutal murder of the family approaches their voices grow ever fainter as Radzinsky brings the recollections of those involved in the planning and execution of their murder to the fore. He includes numerous, detailed accounts of the execution itself, quoting extensively from the various witness statements and testimonies of those present in that awful half-cellar on that fateful night.I've read numerous books on the Romanovs and, for me at least, this is one of the very best. While the profusion of Russian names means this is certainly not a quick read, it is a very worthwhile one, the culmination of years of painstaking research. Just before Radzinsky finished this book the remains of the Tsar, Alexandra, three of their daughters and their four servants were discovered in a concealed pit just outside of Ekaterinburg and they have since been buried in the St Peter & Paul Cathedral in St Petersburg. The remains of the other two children were not found until 2007 and were not formally identified [as Tsarevitch Alexei & Grand Duchess Marie] until 2008, 16 years after the publication of this book. To Radzinsky's great credit events since 1992 corroborate much of what is contained in The Last Tsar as the book is heavy on evidence and light on speculation. Nearly 20 years after its publication "The Last Tsar" has stood the test of time and should be on the reading list of anyone interested in the Romanovs or the Russian Revolution.

An interesting read. Not exactly what I was hoping for.This really is the story of Nicholas and almost the whole book is devoted to him and his character, or lack of it.I would have liked a little more information about the causes of the Russian Revolution and why the people turned so quickly on Nicholas and his family.It is, however, written in a quite unique and enjoyable style, as if Mr Radzinskii is telling you personally the story.I enjoyed it.

Solid account of enormously important moment in world history. Many personal recollections, well detailed research. Interesting new facts. Good read for anyone interested in Russian history. At just 1p plus postage, for a book in very good condition, its unbeatable value!

Very happy I’d been after this book for a long time.

Perfect!!!

Prompt delivery...fantastic book

Captivating read!

Fabulous story. I loved this book.