Tsar: The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra

Tells the story of Nicholas and Alexandra from beginning to the tragic end.

This is truly the best Romanov book ever made. Not only does it cover everything from Nichols and Alix's meeting to the controversial bones found in Ekaterinburg, it offers a wide variety of beautiful images of the Romanov family and the beautiful palaces. The most luxurious is without a doubt the Catherine Palace. My favorite part of the book is where Peter Kurth gives a balanced unbiased account on Anna Anderson, who may or may not have been the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaevna, despite damning DNA results which supposedly proved her not just an imposter, but a Polish farm girl born in the late 19th century who was 5'6 and wore a size '39 shoe and could not have posessed such intimate knowledge of the Romanov family's stay in Tobolsk which was later confirmed by Charles Sydney if she were indeed an imposter. This is the ultimate, true book on the Romanovs.

I've watched the documentaries and I've read bits and pieces here and there, but I was more interested in the people behind the huge murder mystery. This book is an awesome combination of personal photographs, royal portraits, letters, diary entries, and facts. I plunged into this book and had most of it read by the next day after I had gotten the book. I found it increasingily hard to finish though; whether it was the subject was getting just too difficult to bear or the story was dragging on at that point, I'm not sure. The personalities of the family really came out as they told the story of their lives in their own words. I picked this book by the sheer shock of the beautiful photos, but I was drawn in by the story. This is a great book and jewel among other Romanov books.

This large coffee table style book is essentially a visual record of the last Russian Tsar and his family. It features page after page of large photos - the famous black and white family album shots, many not-so-famous pictures of the family at home and their friend and relatives. These are interspersed with colour photographs of relevant locations (e.g. Alexander Palace, site of the former Impatiev House), which are absolutely stunning purely from a visual point of view. Photos of personal objects that belonged to the family - jewelery, letters and toys are also included. Along with the photos, there is an accompanying text that tells the basic story. It covers the Romanov saga right from Nicholas and Alexandra's childhoods, to their marriage, children, Rasputin, the revolution and the modern day sequel to their story. It is not an academic work, and the information is broad and somewhat lacking in detail. For information on the last Tsar, there are numerous biographies which would serve the inquiring reader better.But as I said, this is a coffee table book for the lay person.It is like the "creme caramel" of the Romanov library. Rich, indulgent, a must have, but definately not the main course.

I've read about the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II, and his family for years, but I never felt like I really understood their lives and their lifestyle until I bought and read this book. The text is an interesting historical summation, but it doesn't reveal anything your average student of Russian history wouldn't already know. What is so special about this book is the pictures. Beautiful full-color photos of the magnificient palaces and locations frequented by the Russian royal family are displayed next to a comprehensive collection of historical photos from the era. In addition to the classic royal portraits you have probably seen, there are many candid photos of the family going about their daily life. Frequently, a historical picture is shown next to a gorgeous contemporary photograph of the same locale. For example, a black and white photograph of two of the Grand Duchess rowing past the "children's island" at Tsarkoe Selo is shown with a brilliantly colored picture of the same spot as it looks today. Thanks to these beautiful photographs, I have a whole new appreciation of the incredible luxury of the royal surroundings, and what a grand contrast it must have been to the lifestyle of the average Russian peasants.

Even if this book would have been compiled with absolutely no text, I still would've bought it for the photos alone. The only way to describe it is an extremely rich and lush indulgance. One of life's few not-so-guilty pleasures.The comparison photos add a new touch to an 'old' story; it helps a person to put things into proper perspective. The pictures alone tell their own tale; the text gives us no new information and is often somewhat melodramatic. In short, it's really not needed- especially for someone who's well-versed in the tragic story of Tsar Nicholas II and his family.But oh! Those photos!