The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, And The Fall Of Imperial Russia (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
Every year I tell my 7th graders the story of the last tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, and his family. Every year they are mesmorized by the tale and want to hear more. The reason that junior high students sit on the edge of their seats as they listen to a story about a family that died almost 100 years ago is that fiction writers couldn't possibly dream up the complex web of conflicts as well as the engrossing characters that populate this true tale. When I heard that this book was being released, and that it was written by the highly respected Candace Fleming, I knew I had to track down a copy fast.Nicholas II inherited the largest kingdom in the world as well as an incredible fortune. He was married to a German princess and had four beautiful daughters. At a time when a male heir was needed for succession, he and his wife finally had a son. The only catch was that this son would suffer from Hemophilia, a genetic blood disorder for which there still is no cure. His illness would have the royal family call upon the ambitious monk Rasputin, who overindulged in all earthly pleasures. When World War 1 breaks out and Russian casualties mount, Nicholas heads to the front to lead. He leaves behind his wife Alexandra, aided by Rasputin, to rule. The death toll of Russian soldiers continued to mount as food and goods ran scarce on the home front. The German born princess and incompetent Rasputin who did nothing to ease the people's suffering drew the public's scrorn. The country was ripe for revolution. Vladamir Lenin, a communist would seize this chance and work to topple the monarchy. The tsar would lose not only his kingdom, but everything. I loved this book! You not only got all the inside dish on what really happened to the roayal family but Fleming also included information on how the revolution came about as well as primary sources about what life was like for average Russian citizens during the rule of the tsar. I learned new information about how the tsar conducted himself behind the scenes, more about the tsar's children, as well as what happened to the family's remains after they were executed. I loved hearing about how the tsar's children were as students. It was also cool that Fleming mentioned a former U of I proffesor of mine, Dr. Steinberg, in the acknowledgements. Dr. Steinberg was fantastic and definitely increased my interest in Russian history. I'm so happy that Fleming wrote this book. Now after I present the story of Nicholas II and his family, I will now include a book talk about Fleming's book at the end of my presentation. I have no doubt my students will be anxious to snatch up a copy to read more about this fascinating true story. My knowledge of Russian history was pretty limited. This book is a very quick read on the reign of Nicholas II. I should read reviews by historians to see what they say about the book, but it kind of makes me think this is the "Cliff's Notes" version of that time period. All is true and correct but there are many more details of history which could have been included. However, it does a lot in just 253 pages; background on Nicholas and Alexandra, how they met and eventually married, the Romanov's family life, the economic and political situations up to the tsar's abdication, the Provisional Government, Russia's part in WWI, the Bolshevik takeover, the tsar and his family in exile and finally, their murders. It is well researched. There are direct quotes from the tsar's family as well as a number of other historical figures (based on diaries and historical documents). That adds a lot to understanding and appreciation of what it must have been like. It is quite amazing to see how little prepared Nicholas was to be tsar and also, how isolated and ignorant he was of what was happening in his own country. He loved Russia but was incapable of stepping up and being a leader. Amazing too, how Alexandra was also so ill suited to being the wife of a tsar.
What do You think about The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, And The Fall Of Imperial Russia (2014)?
This is an excellent introduction to this material for someone in middle or high school.
—sarahrm24
Some debate over whether this is YA or children's. Either way, fabulous!
—danipiva
Fascinating, concise account of the Romanov family.
—LynnaL
