The Flight of the Romanovs - A Family Saga (2008)

The most comprehensive history yet of the last years of Russia's imperial family.;Maps; Genealogical Chart; Foreword; Acknowledgments; Part I: Pinnacle; I. Death of a Tsar, March 1, 1881; II. The Muzhik Tsar, 1881-1894; III. Nicholas II: Family and Nation, 1894-1904; IV. A Faltering Monarchy, 1905-1917; V. The Great War, 1914-1917; Part II: Descent; VI. ""The Crown Falls from the Royal Head, "" February 22-March 3, 1917; VII. The First Week of the Republic, March 3-March 11, 1917; VIII. ""The Mood Smells of Blood, "" March-October 1917; IX. Firestorm, October 1917-January 1919; X. ""Open the Gates!"" February 1919-February 1920; Part III. Abyss; XI. Stateless. A saga of love and lust, personal tensions and rivalries, antagonisms and hatreds, The Flight of the Romanovs describes the last century of the Russian imperial dynasty, the Romanovs, from the youth of the future tsar Alexander III in the 1860s until the death in 1960 of his daughter, Olga Alexandrovna, the last grand duchess. John Curtis Perry and Constantine V. Pleshakov use a wealth of previously untapped sources, including unpublished diaries of many of the principal characters, interviews with people who knew them well, and never before published photographs to create a history of a family and a time. Along the way we learn of the relationships between Alexander III and his children, the conspiracy against Rasputin, Duke Dimitrie's affair with Coco Chanel, the hostile behavior of the House of Windsor toward the Romanovs, and the war between the Romanovs and the secret police. Concluding with a discussion of the imperial restoration movement in Russia today, The Flight of the Romanovs is a must-read for anyone interested in the Romanov family, Russian history, and the history of European royalty. A saga of love and lust, personal tensions and rivalries, antagonisms and hatreds, The Flight of the Romanovs describes the last century of the Russian imperial dynasty-a century that saw the greatest social and political upheavals in all of recorded history. Drawing upon a wealth of untapped resources from Russian, British, and American archives, including unpublished diaries of many of the principal characters and never-before-published photographs, Perry and Pleshakov render an indelible portrait of a family and their time, from the youth of Alexander III in the 1860s to the death, one hundred years later, of his daughter Olga Alexandrovna, the last Grand Duchess.Set against the backdrop of this most cataclysmic century, The Flight of the Romanovs is a must-read for anyone interested in this fascinating dynasty, Russian history, and the history of European royalty. Describes the last century of the Russian imperial dynasty--a century that saw the greatest social and political upheavals in all of recorded history. Drawing upon a wealth of untapped resources from Russian, British, and American archives, including unpublished diaries of many of the principal characters and never-before-published photographs, Perry and Pleshakov render a portrait of a family and their time, from the youth of Alexander III in the 1860s to the death, one hundred years later, of his daughter Olga Alexandrovna, the last Grand Duchess. Set against the backdrop of this most cataclysmic century, this book is for anyone interested in this fascinating dynasty, Russian history, and the history of European royalty.--From publisher description Maps Genealogical Chart Foreword Acknowledgments Part I: Pinnacle I. Death of a Tsar, March 1, 1881 II. The Muzhik Tsar, 1881-1894 III. Nicholas II: Family and Nation, 1894-1904 IV. A Faltering Monarchy, 1905-1917 V. The Great War, 1914-1917 Part II: Descent VI. ""The Crown Falls from the Royal Head, "" February 22-March 3, 1917 VII. The First Week of the Republic, March 3-March 11, 1917 VIII. ""The Mood Smells of Blood, "" March-October 1917 IX. Firestorm, October 1917-January 1919 X. ""Open the Gates!"" February 1919-February 1920 Part III. Abyss XI. Stateless. XII. ""We Should Act!""XIII ""Always Be Visible"" XIV. ""Escape Contact with Allies at Any Cost"" XV. The End of the Line XVI. ""Eternal Memory"" Notes Selected Bibliography Index. AT 1:45 ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 1, 1881, Alexis a soldier of the Pavlovsky Regiment who was guarding the squat regimental barracks facing Aptekarsky Lane in St. Petersburg, heard an explosion from the direction of nearby Ekaterininsky Canal.