The Romanovs

1613-1918

By: Simon Sebag Montefiore

Narrated by: Simon Beale

Length: 28 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

The Romanovs were the most successful dynasty of modern times, ruling a sixth of the world's surface for three centuries. How did one family turn a war-ruined principality into the world's greatest empire? And how did they lose it all?

This is the intimate story of 20 tsars and tsarinas, some touched by genius, some by madness, but all inspired by holy autocracy and imperial ambition. Simon Sebag Montefiore's gripping chronicle reveals their secret world of unlimited power and ruthless empire building, overshadowed by palace conspiracy, family rivalries, sexual decadence, and wild extravagance, with a global cast of adventurers, courtesans, revolutionaries, and poets, from Ivan the Terrible to Tolstoy and Pushkin to Bismarck, Lincoln, Queen Victoria, and Lenin.

To rule Russia was both imperial-sacred mission and poisoned chalice: Six of the last 12 tsars were murdered. Peter the Great tortured his own son to death while making Russia an empire and dominated his court with a dining club notable for compulsory drunkenness, naked dwarfs, and fancy dress. Catherine the Great overthrew her own husband (who was murdered soon afterward), enjoyed affairs with a series of young male favorites, conquered Ukraine, and fascinated Europe. Paul I was strangled by courtiers backed by his own son, Alexander I, who in turn faced Napoleon's invasion and the burning of Moscow, then went on to take Paris. Alexander II liberated the serfs, survived five assassination attempts, and wrote perhaps the most explicit love letters ever composed by a ruler. The Romanovs climaxes with a fresh, unforgettable portrayal of Nicholas II and Alexandra, the rise and murder of Rasputin, war, and revolution - and the harrowing massacre of the entire family.

Dazzlingly entertaining and beautifully written from start to finish, The Romanovs brings these monarchs - male and female, great and flawed, their families and courts - blazingly to life. Drawing on new archival research, Montefiore delivers an enthralling epic of triumph and tragedy, love and murder, encompassing the seminal years 1812, 1914, and 1917, that is both a universal study of power and a portrait of an empire that helps define Russia today.

©2016 Simon Sebag Montefiore (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"In another great work of history, Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem, tells the bloody and decadent stories of the 20 tsars and tsarinas of Russia's last imperial dynasty. The Romanovs is like 20 gripping novels in one." [ Sunday Express (London)]

"Simon Sebag Montefiore's The Romanovs is epic history on the grandest scale...A story of conspiracy, drunken coups, assassination, torture, impaling, breaking on the wheel, lethal floggings with the knout, sexual and alcoholic excess, charlatans and pretenders, flamboyant wealth based on a grinding serfdom, and, not surprisingly, a vicious cycle of repression and revolt. Game of Thrones seems like the proverbial vicar's tea party in comparison.... Reading Montefiore's excellent account, it is hard to imagine how the monarchy could ever have survived under their catastrophic leadership." (Antony Beevor, Financial Times)

"An impressive book that combines rigorous research with exquisite prose." [Gerard de Groot, The Times (London)]

Fantastic!

Got a bit tedious in spots....but sticking with it was worth it an informative entertaining history about the Romanovs.

Excellent for Russophiles

I have a strange connection to Imperial Russian history. I feel very drawn to it and attached to it. Enter Ancestry.....there’s a reason; I have Russian/Ukrainian in my DNA. I find myself listening to this over & over. Love the Robert Massie books as well.

Dense and fascinating

Dense and fascinating. At times tedious but fascinating in its grand picture. The procession of Romanov family figures get a bit overwhelming at times but is undoubtedly a worthy read.

long but what a story!

Sweeping, comprehensive, amazing and intriguing story! However the narrator spoke too fast for me to understand. Slowing down read speed to about 0.85 was perfect!

I loved it!

I learned so much. Some
people complained about the fast pace but just consider it an introduction to 600 years of a family not a deep dive in to each generation. The book definitely makes me want to know more.

A detailed history

The narrator remains fresh and clear through the many hours of this detailed telling of a family of power. The many Russian names get a bit muddled owing to the writing. But it's a compelling tale.

Excellent book.

This book was excellent. Great history but it read like a novel . I would highly recommend it.

Intimately detailed story

This in-depth view into the lives of the Romanovs as well as the surrounding political and social climate of the times in Russia and it’s peoples was engrossing. The narrator could slow down a bit as there is lots to absorb and process with its meaning laden sentences.

A Great history

A great history of a family that continues to captivate the world due to their fateful end. The performance is great, but the organization of the book into small 7-9 minute segments is odd, considering that each section is labeled a chapter. Makes it hard to keep up in the book.

history nerds with a taste for soap operas

What made the experience of listening to The Romanovs the most enjoyable?

Another far more professional reviewer used the term "gossipy" about this book and it's a great description for this account. It's not that difficult to make Russian aristocracy interesting....people thrust into situations they didn't choose, with only as much control as they can manage to wrangle/strangle from any given political/social/familial situation, plus a propensity for either extreme chastity or promiscuity. Everyone is violent. Everyone. Gender roles are broken over a bloody thigh.

What did you like best about this story?

The author does a great job sticking to the historical facts while keeping all the juicy bits and adding humorous commentary.

What about Simon Beale’s performance did you like?

I enjoyed the timbre of his voice, and he pronounces all those Russian names with nary a stutter.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The demise of the final Romanov family group is horrific and he does not mince detail (nor should he). There is graphic violence that really happened to real people and it's hard to imagine at moments. The squeamish might be off-put, but honestly it's important to be reminded of how horrible people can be when given the opportunity.

Any additional comments?

A great way of digesting several centuries of Russian history through the lens of a single family's influence and power.