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    The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg
    The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg
    The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg

    Written by Helen Rappaport

    Narrated by Anne Flosnik

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Helen Rappaport, an expert in the field of Russian history, brings you the riveting day-by-day account of the last fourteen days of the Russian Imperial family, in this first of two books about the Romanovs.

    The brutal murder of the Russian Imperial family on the night of July sixteenth to seventeenth, 1918 has long been a defining moment in world history. The Last Days of the Romanovs reveals in exceptional detail how the conspiracy to kill them unfolded.

    In the vivid style of a TV documentary, Helen Rappaport reveals both the atmosphere inside the family's claustrophobic prison and the political maneuverings of those who wished to save-or destroy-them. With the watching world and European monarchies proving incapable of saving the Romanovs, the narrative brings this tragic story to life in a compellingly new and dramatic way, culminating in a bloody night of horror in a cramped basement room.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJun 14, 2017
    ISBN9781541475724
    Author

    Helen Rappaport

    Helen Rappaport was born in Bromley, Kent, and studied Russian at Leeds University, before working as a translator and copy editor. She has been a full-time writer for more than twenty-three years, and in 2003 discovered and purchased an 1869 portrait of Mary Seacole that now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, sparking a long investigation into Seacole’s life and career.

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    Reviews for The Last Days of the Romanovs

    4/5

    116 ratings19 reviews

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    • 5/5
      A warning to the evils of of jewish bolshevism. What was done to Russia and to this family was horrible, and for nothing much more than evil pleasure.
    • 4/5
      Being an exhaustive account of the Romanov family's imprisonment and execution. Despite the book's compact physical format, It is difficult to imagine a more definitive treatment of the matter; I have rarely read any book which rivals this avalanche of minutiae. To cite a few of the many available examples, the reader shares an inventory of the family luggage, various opinions on which medicines were most effective at treating the Czar's hemorrhoids, the names of the scrubwomen who cleaned the family's floor as well as two schoolboys who got in trouble for throwing rocks at the house in which the Romanovs were imprisoned, and how many eggs the guards' commandant ordered in on the morning of the execution. The book's organization is idiosyncratic but appropriate; each chapter bears a date, but that usually serves only to prompt the author's riffings on some event, usually quotidian, which occurred that day, and off she goes on backstory such as mini-biographies of each member of the family, what the Soviet leadership in Moscow was thinking, or the fitful interest among the Allied powers' governments in attempting the family's rescue. There are a lot of balls to keep in the air, but the author, a splendid writer, pulls it off nicely. This book is a treasure for the Romanov obsessive; others might be content with something a little less daunting.
    • 1/5
      Poorly researched, many errors and a contributor to yet more myths and lies
    • 3/5
      3.25 starsThis book really does focus on the last two weeks of the lives of Tsar Nicholas II and his wife and children (4 daughters and 1 son) as they were imprisoned and later murdered. It does back up in time, though, to detail how they got where they were. There was a lot more politics in the book than I’d expected, so that was not as interesting to me as the parts that did focus on the family itself. I will say, though, that this seemed really well researched, with a lot of primary sources being used, most notably (I think) writings by the last head guard of the Romanovs in Ekaterinburg (Yakov Yurovsky), who was also one of the main murderers. This book may have included the most detailed description of the murders themselves, likely due to the writings of Yurovsky.
    • 5/5
      This is a fascinating book. It is tragic, it is depressing, it is informative, and it is extremely well-written. When I was adding Rappaport's earlier book to my LT page, [The Race to Save the Romanovs], I realized I had to put this one on hold from my library because she is such a good writer.We all know the story of the murder of Nicholas and Alexandra and their children, and the now-debunked mystery of Anna Anderson. What I didn't know were other particulars: how old the daughters were, what exactly happens to the human body with hemophilia, and what the final days of the Romanovs were like. Rappaport breaks down the final two weeks into separate dates, either what happened on that day within the Romanov household or on the decision-making by Stalin and the executioners, and that includes giving them a history and names. Her research is as meticulous as the information gleaned from credible sources yields. The royals were daily humiliated by their guards, Alexandra was loathed by her family and her subjects, and neither she nor Nicholas did anything to try to change how they ruled in the face of a changing world. And the young daughters who had no chance to be brought into society, and their spoiled younger brother are also discussed in great detail.And the murders were horrific. Yes, I flipped to the back soon after I started because I already knew the ending, or at least I thought I did. What should have been a quick execution became a bloodbath, and the horror that the young women especially must have faced is unimaginable. Then came the disposal of the bodies, and the Romanovs were the lucky ones of the royal line. But it is a gripping and well-written account of this chapter of history.
    • 3/5
      Decent historical account of the last fourteen days of the Romanov family. The author doesn't hold back with the grisly details, which was fine with me.

      However, the book dragged in places for me when describing some of the long term politics leading up to the death of the Romanovs and the war history (both the Bolshevik revolution and WWI). I found myself skimming those parts to get back to what interested me more.

      Overall worth the read.
    • 4/5
      Everyone knows the rough story of the Romanov's and most people have at least a passing familiarity with the story of Anastasia. This book didn't deal with the myth, only briefly mentioning it near the end of the book after the facts were covered. The book deals with the Romanov family's imprisonment in the city of Ekaterinburg, a Bolshevik stronghold and their stay in the 'House of Special Purpose' which would eventually be the site of their slaughter. Each chapter covers a day - explaining the events that were happening around them, including foreign reports and the diplomatic efforts at getting their freedom (and the botched efforts and occasional lack of action by certain governments.) or at least reporting what was going on. There are brief mentions of Rasputin and his influence over Alexandra, and the history of the family and their personalities. For example, it was fascinating that Maria was the only one of the women who didn't have as many jewels in her outfit because they didn't trust her after she had had a relationship with one of her previous captors.

      The book is concise, and doubly tragic because of it. The harshness of their environment and living conditions wasn't over blown, and the worsening in conditions and the cool way the executioners decided their fate, and planned it, carried it out and disposed the body was terrifying tbh. The actual execution though was awful - the cool way they lined them up and made them wait, came back and read the order, came back and read the order, then pulled the gun and shot Nicholas once, before the rest of the executioners all reacted and shot him as well, then turning to Alexandra and the rest of the family and shooting indiscriminately. Then, because they were mostly untrained, and many of them drunk, they hadn't killed them cleanly and attempted to bayonet them as well only to be prevented because of the jewels sewn into the clothes. The execution of 11 people took more than 20 minutes, and even then they still didn't kill one of the girls cleanly and she woke up screaming when they tried to move her body and had to be killed again. The most tragic aspect though was the description of how the young boy died.

      The execution was supposed to be 'clean', but it was anything but and the attempts at destroying the corpses using acid, grenades and burning them were only partially successful such was the squad's incompetence. The real tragedy is that the Czechs were less than 20 miles away when the executioners acted.

      It's just a tragic story and made doubly so because when you take away the politics, you really were just left with a regular family who would have been content with exile. This is definitely worth a read if you're interested in that period. Other books would maybe give a more vivid background on the extreme complexities that condemned them but this gives enough background to get an appreciation about it and concentrates more about the human issues.
    • 5/5
      An account of the last two weeks of the lives of the Romanovs and the details of their executions and their aftermath, plus an epilogue on subsequent attempts to get at the truth of what happened. The book conveys very well the grim atmosphere of impending disaster as the days tick by, combining necessary background detail of the evolving political and military situation, with personal details about the inhabitants of the Ipatiev House. Unlike nearly all other accounts of the Romanovs, the daughters are treated as four individual different young women, not some ethereal collective representing innocent femininity, and we also get to hear about the background of Dr Botkin as well as that of Yurovsky and the other leading killers. The account of the actual murders is very graphic and horrific. A near perfect, concise account of these events and the main related issues.
    • 5/5
      Compelling and very informative
    • 4/5
      I have for many years had an inordinate interest in the events surrounding July 17, 1918. On May 7, 2004, I read the fictional The Kitchen Boy, and while it was good reading I thought it would have been better if it had been wholly true. This book is purportedly wholly true and it makes for a compelling read. It has a good bibliography, but deliberately has no footnotes. The author does not even indicate things about which there is dispute so there is no way to check as to what she relates. Outside of this glaring defect the book is a good one. The site where the Czar and his family were murdered now has on it a cathedral!
    • 5/5
      Excellent book, much like the page turning pot boiler but it was real.
    • 5/5
      This book is a fascinating combination of true-crime reporting and historical biography, made possible by some pretty impressive research work. For obvious reasons, the Soviet state did its best to hide the truth about what really happened to the imperial family, where, and when. They did so not only by destroying the evidence, but by actively promoting disinformation, false or mistaken "eyewitnesses," and even taking advantage of the claims of "Anna Anderson," all of which still bedevil attempts to get to the bottom of these events.Much of the virtue of this book is described in the Note on Sources at the end, where Helen Rappaport describes her use of Soviet and Russian sources, many of which have not only never been available in the West, but in fact have seldom attracted notice beyond Ekaterinburg/Sverdlovsk. Although I admit to not being up to speed on all the literature on this topic, it's hard to believe there could be as complete or as thorough an investigation of the murder of the Romanovs, making use of these resources, available in English. That makes this essential reading for anyone with an interest in the Russian dynasty, in the red revolution, or in the dynamics of early Soviet government.Though the Romanov family's final days, and ultimate slaughter, are of course the focus of this book, the book also contains well-done biographical portraits of the Tsar, Tsaritsa, the four grand duchesses, and the Tsarevich Alexey that remind us the family's destruction was not only a political act but a crime against individuals (the family plus their retainers, eleven souls in total). That all makes for a book that is notable, not only for its research, but also for its storytelling. I definitely recommend it.
    • 4/5
      This is a fascinating account, told in meticulous detail, about what exactly the title of the book is: the last days of the Romanovs. It was obviously well researched, but frankly what struck me most was the vicious and cruel way that the Romanovs were ultimately disposed of. It's as if they were, to the Communists, evil incarnate, not to be accorded any humanity whatsoever.
    • 4/5
      Helen Rappaport does an excellent job with the very last days of the Romanov family. I'd recommend this book to anyone familiar with the story and era. However, for those not familiar with the story and this era in history, I would strongly suggest they read Massie's Nicholas and Alexander first then Rappaport's The Last Days of the Romanovs for a truly complete overview of early 20th century Europe and Russia as well as the political and social circumstances that led to the Romanovs days in Ekaterinburg.
    • 4/5
      I freely admit to not knowing all that much about the Romanovs or their time in history. Though I must mention that my favorite Disney movie growing up was "Anastasia." I loved the idea that the girl had somehow survived the massacre.This book is an eye opening look at what really happened, and not only that, what lead up to the deaths of the Romanovs. While at times, some of the information got a bit much to handle, for the most part it was very informative. I would eagerly recommend it to those who want to learn about the Romanovs.
    • 3/5
      This didn't seem to add any new information to the body of study on the Romanov assassinations. Regardless, even though the outcome is obvious it was still thoroughly researched and made for compelling reading.
    • 4/5
      A romance, a family saga, a murder mystery, and a political thriller - all of these descriptions aptly fit the story of the last Russian Tsar Nicolas Romanov and his family. Many novelists and historians have written about the family, the individual members, the time period, and even the tragic love story between Nicholas and Alexandra. Like many historical tales, the lives and deaths of the Romanovs are shrouded in myth, mystery and legend.Helen Rappaport’s new book Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg tells the story of Russia’s royal family at Ipatiev House in July 1918 - the last residence they occupied and where they spent their final hours. It is different not only in tone from other books, but also in the specifics it addresses. She takes great effort to individualize the family members and to remind us that while royal they were people with hopes, fears and dreams. Sheltered and protected all of their lives, removed from the everyday world and hardships of ordinary Russians the family is caught in a frightening situation without the normal trappings of their wealth and privilege. While ruling Russia the Romanov’s preferred to live simply but by virtue of their rank were entitled to opulent surroundings of their own choosing. When held by the Bolsheviks the family had no choice in their lodgings nor did they have access to their prized personal belongings or usual complement of staff. Taken from their palatial home and with hopes of being exiled the family instead are captives in five gloomy rooms. Alexy, the heir to the throne has a fatal, painful disease and his four sisters are spending their teen years not in happy youthful exuberance but in fear and with no chance to explore relationships with the opposite sex (one exception is noted in this book). Born a royal, the Tsarina is ill and perhaps a bit of a hypochondriac she is completely devastated, fearful and unprepared by the turn of events. The Tsar, always a simple and kind man who prefers exercise to affairs of state is beginning to realize that his family will not be rescued. Eyewitness accounts and a new look at the hierarchy for implementing the death penalty for the Tsar and also for the entire family is exposed by Rappaport. She also delineates why the family was included in the death sentence. Anyone who has read or seen anything about the Romanov family knows that the basement killings in July 1918 were brutal, but nothing compares to the vivid writing in this book. Nothing. But, as horrible as the deaths may have been, it is the daily life of the Romanov’s during their time in Ekaterinburg that brings heartbreak to the reader. All the windows in their rooms were sealed so there was no light from windows – nor any chance of a cool breeze. Royal dignity was displayed when even small joys were taken such as the Tsar’s daily newspaper.Nicholas believed he was chosen by God to rule Russia. His flaw is perhaps thinking he knew what his people wanted and needed when in reality he did not nor could he understand the suffering in his country. The deaths of the Romanov family are a Russian tragedy as well. A tragedy, however, that now seems to have closure with the identification of the remains of the bodies. Rappaport’s book does an excellent job of tracing the culpability of their deaths something that has long been in question. The research efforts that went into writing this book are very apparent. The way the research is used, however, is where the author distinguishes herself as a writer. Rappaport tells the story of the Romanovs last days as a reporter but with an historian’s eye and heart. Facts are meshed with personalities to provide a full complement of the actual events at Ekaterinburg. This story has been told before in bits and pieces but never the ending and never so fully and perhaps never so well.
    • 5/5
      Advanced Readers CopyThis book was amazing. I have read several books on the fate of the Imperial Family, and as other reviewers have mentioned was not at first sure if yet another biographical account of the final days of the family was needed. I was proven wrong.I found Rappaport to be an excellent historian. Her use of primary sources and other previously published works melded into an easy to read and informative history of the final days of the family at Ekaterinburg. The book was divided into chapters each ostensibly designed to reflect one of the last fourteen days of life for the family, and to define the family as individuals peculiar to their place and time. The sections of the book dealing with the actual murders and the aftermath of the disposal of the bodies are described in vivid detail. These portions are extremely graphic, and are among the first that I have read that made me actually feel the real presence of reader within the context of the non-fiction narrative, much as a reader of fiction might feel. This book made me feel, and that to me is a significant achievement for words on a page.Rappaport also did a favor to those who had some knowledge of the Imperial Family prior to the reading of this volume. While spending some time describing and talking about the the vast machinations of the extended Royal Family and Imperial network as a whole, she limited these entries to only what was needed for logical flow of the narrative. The book does an excellent job of humanizing the Imperial Family. We learn the hopelessness of the eldest daughter Olga, the resigned faded specter of the Empress Alexandra, and the acquiescence and acceptance of his fate by the Czar himself.Overall this book far exceeded my expectations.
    • 4/5
      The Last Days of the Romanovs is the story of the last fourteen-ish days of the lives of the Romanov family during their stay at Ipatiev House (aka “The House of Special Purposes”) in Yekaterinburg (oddly, Rappaport spells it as “Ekaterinburg” here), up until their murder two weeks later, on July 17th 1918. It may be a nonfiction account, but parts of this book read as though they’re fiction.Each chapter ostensible covers each day leading up to the murders, but the author gives her reader a lot of background information on the Revolution, the Romanov family, and the people involved in their demise. It’s a pretty readable book in the sense that the prose is fairly straightforward, and there are no footnotes to bog the reader down. Rappaport portrays the Romanov family sympathetically, as a group of people victimized by circumstance and out of control of their own destinies. There was a lot of interesting information here; for example, I didn’t know that the Romanovs were so fluent in English (though it shouldn’t be surprising, considering George V of Britain was Tsar Nicholas’s cousin, and that Queen Victoria was Tsaritsa Alexandra’s grandmother). The book is accompanied by two sets of reproductions of photos.My only complaint about this well-written book is Rappaport’s rather bizarre transliterations of Russian names (I only have a year of college Russian under my belt, and that years ago, but I’m still puzzling over why the author chose to spell the Tsarevich Alexei’s name as Alexey, or why she chose to spell commandant Avadeyev’s name as “Avdeev”).