The Romanov sisters : the lost lives of the daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra
Summary
"They were the Princess Dianas of their day--perhaps the most photographed and talked about young royals of the early twentieth century. The four captivating Russian Grand Duchesses--Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Romanov--were much admired for their happy dispositions, their looks, the clothes... Full description
Summary: |
"They were the Princess Dianas of their day--perhaps the most photographed and talked about young royals of the early twentieth century. The four captivating Russian Grand Duchesses--Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Romanov--were much admired for their happy dispositions, their looks, the clothes they wore and their privileged lifestyle. Over the years, the story of the four Romanov sisters and their tragic end in a basement at Ekaterinburg in 1918 has clouded our view of them, leading to a mass of sentimental and idealized hagiography. With this treasure trove of diaries and letters from the grand duchesses to their friends and family, we learn that they were intelligent, sensitive and perceptive witnesses to the dark turmoil within their immediate family and the ominous approach of the Russian Revolution, the nightmare that would sweep their world away, and them along with it. The Romanov Sisters sets out to capture the joy as well as the insecurities and poignancy of those young lives against the backdrop of the dying days of late Imperial Russia, World War I and the Russian Revolution. Rappaort aims to present a new and challenging take on the story, drawing extensively on previously unseen or unpublished letters, diaries and archival sources, as well as private collections. It is a book that will surprise people, even aficionados"--Provided by publisher. |
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Item Description: |
"First published in Great Britain under the title Four Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Romanov Grand Duchesses by Macmillan, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. |
Physical Description: |
xviii, 492 pages, 14 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm |
Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 451-467) and index. |
ISBN: |
9781250020208 (hardback) 1250020204 (hardback) |
Author Notes: |
Helen F. Rappaport was born in 1947 in Bromley. She is a British historian, author, and actress. She studied Russian at Leeds University where she was involved in the university theatre group and launched her acting career. After acting with the Leeds University theatre group she appeared in several television series including Crown Court, Love Hurts and The Bill. In the early nineties she became a copy editor for academic publishers Blackwell and OUP. She also contributed to historical and biographical reference works published by Cassell and Readers Digest. She became a full-time writer in 1998, writing three books including An Encyclopaedia of Women Social Reformers in 2001, with a foreword by Marian Wright Edelman. It won an award in 2002 from the American Library Association as an Outstanding Reference Source. Her 2008 book Ekaterinburg: The Last Days of the Romanovs received many positive reviews in both the UK and US where it became a bestseller. Her titles include: Joseph Stalin: A Biographical Companion, Conspirator: Lenin in Exile, Magnificent Obsession; Victoria, Albert and the Death that Changed the Monarchy, and Capturing the Light: The Birth of Photography. In 2014 her title, The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra made The New York Times Best Seller List. (Bowker Author Biography) |