The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia

De: Candace Fleming

Narrado por: Kimberly Farr, Eugene Alper, Mark Deakins, Julia Emelin, Gleb Kaminer, Rustam Kasymov, Paul Michael, Stefan Rudnicki

In this “superb history” (The Wall Street Journal), award-winning author Candace Fleming tells the extraordinary true story of Russia’s last royal family—and transports readers back to a time when both a bloodline and an empire came tumbling down.

“Has all the elements of a fictional thriller . . . woven into a fascinating work of history.”— The Washington Post

WINNER: Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature and Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Nonfiction • A Robert F. Sibert Honor Book • A YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award Finalist • A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Century

He was Tsar Nicholas II of Russia: the wealthiest monarch in the world, who ruled over 130 million people and one-sixth of the earth’s land surface, yet turned a blind eye to the abject poverty of his subjects.

She was Empress Alexandra: stern, reclusive, and painfully shy, a deeply religious woman obsessed with the corrupt mystic Rasputin.

Their daughters were the Grand Duchess Olga, Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia: completely isolated and immature girls who wore identical white dresses and often signed joint letters as OTMA, the initials of their first names.

Their only son was Tsarevich Alexei: youngest of the Romanovs, heir to the throne, a hemophiliac whose debilitating illness was kept secret from the rest of the world.

Candace Fleming deftly maneuvers between the plight of Russia’s poor masses and the extravagant lives of the Romanovs, from their opulent upbringings to the crumbling of their massive empire, and finally to their tragic murders. Using captivating photos and compelling first-person accounts throughout, The Family Romanov is history at its most absorbing.

Reseñas de la Crítica

Kirkus starred review, May 15, 2014:
“A remarkable human story, told with clarity and confidence.”

Publishers Weekly starred review, April 28, 2014:
“A wonderful introduction to this era in Russian history and a great read for those already familiar with it.”

Booklist starred review, June 1, 2014:
"For readers who regard history as dull, Fleming’s extraordinary book is proof positive that, on the contrary, it is endlessly fascinating, absorbing as any novel, and the stuff of an altogether memorable reading experience."

The Horn Book starred review, July/August 2014:
"Fleming has outdone herself with this riveting work of narrative nonfiction that appeals to the imagination as much as the intellect."

School Library Journal starred review, June 2014:
"This is both a sobering work, and the account of the discovery of their bones and the aftermath is at once fascinating and distressing. A solid resource and good recreational reading for high school students."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books starred review, September 2014:
“With comprehensive source notes and bibliographies of print and online materials, this will be a boon to student researchers, but it’s also a heartbreaking page-turner for YAs who prefer their nonfiction to read like a novel.”

Good expansion of popular understanding

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the Romanovs would not be ill-served to listen to this audiobook. It's engaging, well-written, and well-performed.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's hard to pick a favorite character in a historical work but I suppose Czar Nicholas qualifies as my favorite character, despite being hopelessly out of his depth.

Which character – as performed by Kimberly Farr and Various – was your favorite?

I liked her voice for diary entries.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Much of the book was wholly unsurprising. We've heard all the tragic points before. But I think what was most moving was the execution.

Any additional comments?

This is yet another example of a ruler with a good reputation being completely responsible for the total lack of preparedness of the next ruler, which ends in disaster. (Louis XVI comes to mind.) Czar Nicholas was awful - but he was awful largely due to the fact that his father did absolutely nothing to prepare him for ruling a nation.

Excellent!

One of the best books I have ever listened to and read. Just came back from St Petersburg a month ago and wish I had read this before I went.

Their humanity really stood out; Thank you Candace.

Candace Fleming gave me an overview history of this time period in Russia, based on this family.

Astonishing

this book had me on edge, from me only knowing the cartoon movie about Anastacia and not really knowing the Romanov family history, this book really informed me of the Russian history... I was amazed at the detail of events that happened to this family and how destroyed and destructive Russia was until the fall of the royal family.. I would definitely recommend listening to this book.. even hearing what was written from the diaries of the royal family and other who interacted with them was interesting and touching..

best historical book I've read so far!

although the narrator sounded like a robot half the time, the book drastically contrasted that with it's story like depictions. This made the reader feel emersed in the story, made it seem like it was happening right before their eyes.