The Romanov Dynasty

Book Categories: Romanovs, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Alexander I & Alexander II, Alexander III, Nicholas II and Alexandra, Anastasia, Ella, Maria Pavlovna, Other Romanovs, Photos, Revolution, Religion, Faberge, Jewels, Palaces, Russian Royalty, DVDs

Books About the Romanov Dynasty

Romanovs: Autocrats of All the Russias by W. Bruce Lincoln. A history of the Romanov dynasty based on their own writings and those of the people who knew them.

The Romanovs: Ruling Russia 1613-1917 by Lindsey Hughes. Claiming a divine right to reign, the imperial Romanov dynasty shaped the country's history for three centuries.

The Romanov Empire by Alan Wood. The first modern account of the Romanov Empire from its inception to its demise.

Romanovs: Europe's Most Obsessive Dynasty by Oliver Thomson. Delves into the family's lineage. Includes maps and portraits of family members.

Moscow: Splendours of the Romanovs by Brigitte De Montclos. Exhibition catalogue presenting works of art embodying Russia's Romanov dynasty, the splendors of court life, and magnificent palace interiors.

Magnificence of the Tsars: Men's Dress at the Imperial Russian Court 1727-1903 by Svetlana Amelekhina. With photographs of never-before-seen clothing, such as embroidered coats from the wardrobe of Peter II.

Alexander I & Alexander II

Alexander of Russia: Napoleon's Conqueror by Henri Troyat. Biography of Alexander I, one of Russia's most unorthodox tsars.

Imperial Legend: The Disappearance of Czar Alexander I by Alexis Troubetzkoy. Did Russian tsar Alexander I really die in 1825, as history books claim? Not according to this book, which suggests the tsar actually became a wandering holy man.

The Romanovs 1818-1959 by John Van Der Kiste. Explores the lives and reigns of Russia's last dynasty.

Alexander II: The Last Great Tsar by Edvard Radzinsky, translated by Antonina Bouis. Nineteenth century tsar Alexander II freed Russia's serfs, yet launched vicious wars. He was a royal Don Juan, yet fell profoundly in love. This biography raises intriguing questions about palace conspiracies and the hidden romances of the Romanovs.

The Tsar and the President: Alexander II and Abraham Lincoln - Liberator and Emancipator edited by Marilyn Pfeifer Swezey. Nine essays document parallels in the lives of Russia's Alexander II and Abraham Lincoln, both reformist leaders who faced violent dissent. Includes excerpts from letters and more than 50 illustrations related to 19th century Russian-American relations.

Wife & Children of Alexander III

Little Mother of Russia: A Biography of Marie Feodorovna (1847-1928) by Coryne Hall. Biography of Nicholas II's mother.

Once a Grand Duchess: Xenia, Sister of Nicholas II by John Van Der Kiste and Coryne Hall. A biography based on a new archive of letters, postcards, photographs, and other Romanov documents. Xenia was born in 1875. In her later years she became involved in the Anastasia affair, and made unsuccessful attempts to recover Romanov money and land.

Michael and Natasha: The Love and Life of Michael II, the Last of the Romanov Tsars by Rosemary and Donald Crawford. Biography of Nicholas II's younger brother, Michael, and Michael's mistress, Natasha Wulfert. From Alibris.

The Last Grand Duchess by Ian Vorres. Reprint of the official biography of the last tsar of Russia's favorite sister, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, who died in 1960. From Alibris.

Books About Nicholas & Alexandra
Books About Anastasia and Anna Anderson

Elizabeth Fyodorovna (Ella)

Ella: Princess, Saint and Martyr by Christopher Warwick. Elisabeth of Hesse, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, married Grand Duke Serge Alexandrovich, younger brother of Tsar Alexander III. After the assassination of her husband she became a nun. Murdered during the Russian Revolution, she was canonized as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Elizabeth, Grand Duchess of Russia by Hugo Mager. Biography of Alexandra's sister, who was the wife of Grand Duke Serge. From Alibris.

Most Beautiful Princess by Christina Croft. Novel that follows Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia, sister of the last Tsarina, through intrigues, war and revolution, and the tragedy of her horrific murder.

The Romanov Bride by Robert Alexander. Novel about Russia's Grand Duchess Elizabeth, also known as Ella, who was the wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich and sister of tsarina Alexandra.

Maria Pavlovna

Education of a Princess by Maria Pavlovna, Grand Duchess of Russia. Maria Pavlovna, the daughter of Grand Duke Paul, was a cousin of last tsar Nicholas II. This is the first volume of her memoirs, published in 1930. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Princess in Exile by Maria Pavlovna, Grand Duchess of Russia. The second volume of Grand Duchess Marie's memoirs, published in 1932. From Alibris.

Other Romanov Books

Princess Victoria Melita: Grand Duchess Cyril of Russia, 1876-1936 by John Van Der Kiste. Biography.

White Crow by Jamie H. Cockfield. The life and times of the Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich Romanov: 1859-1919. A political liberal, he fought for reform from within the system, and even participated in discussions of a palace coup. Exiled to Vologda after the Communist seizure of power, he was shot in 1919.

Gilded Prism: The Konstantinovichi Grand Dukes & the Last Years of the Romanov Dynasty by Greg King and Penny Wilson. About the accomplishments of the Konstantinovichi family. No other branch of the Romanov Dynasty reached such height or left such lasting legacies.

The Boy Who Would Be Tsar: The Art of Prince Andrew Romanoff by Andrew Romanoff. The author, a grandnephew of Russian tsar Nicholas II, grew up at Windsor Castle in London. This book chronicles his childhood through his eccentric folk-art drawings.

Romanov Autumn: Stories From the Last Century of Imperial Russia by Charlotte Zeepvat. This book is recommended by Royalty.nu visitor Nancy O., who says it's "wonderfully enlightening and very easy to read. It explains a lot about the personalities and the intermarriages, the different palaces and Russian history. It's a book I'll keep forever and go back to time and again, I'm sure!!" Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Imperial Dancer: Mathilde Kschessinska and the Romanovs by Coryne Hall. Biography of a great ballet dancer who was the mistress of future Russian tsar Nicholas II. She later became the mistress of two Grand Dukes and married one. From Alibris.

The White Night of St. Petersburg by Prince Michael of Greece. Fictional account of the life of Russia's Grand Duke Nicholas, whose affair with an American courtesan and implication in a plot to steal family jewels led the emperor to banish him.

Photos of the Last Romanovs

The Camera and the Tsars: The Romanov Family in Photographs by Charlotte Zeepvat. An album of pictures, the majority of which are previously unpublished. Includes formal portraits, photos taken at weddings and other family gatherings, and pictures of the family members at ease.

Revolution & Fall of the Monarchy

Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War by Robert K. Massie. Vividly describes turn-of-the-century European royal families and their role in WWI.

King, Kaiser, Tsar: Three Royal Cousins Who Led the World to War by Catrine Clay. The story of Britain's George V, Germany's Wilhelm II, and Russia's Nicholas II. They were tied to one another by history, and history would ultimately tear them apart.

The Flight of the Romanovs: A Family Saga by John Curtis Perry and Constantine V. Pleshakov. The history of the last Romanovs, from Alexander III to Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna.

A Concise History of the Russian Revolution by Richard Pipes. A complete account of the Bolshevik revolution, not only the political and military events but also social, industrial and agricultural changes, the policing of thought, art, religion and literature, and the drive to export Communism.

The Fall of the Romanovs: Political Dreams and Personal Struggles in a Time of Revolution by Mark D. Steinberg, Vladimir M. Khrustalev and Elizabeth Tucker details the arrest, imprisonment and assassination of Nicholas II and his family.

The Shadow of the Winter Palace: Russia's Drift to Revolution, 1825-1917 by Edward Crankshaw. The century of Russian history leading up to the October Revolution in 1917 is chronicled in stunning detail, covering four tsars and a host of revolutionaries who set the stage for the Communist takeover.

The Fall of the Russian Monarchy by Bernard Pares. The story of the Russian Revolution from the vantage point of its most famous victims -- the Romanov family. It describes the reign of Nicholas II from his accession in 1894 until his murder, along with the rest of his family, in 1918. Out of print, but available from Alibris.

Revolutions and the Collapse of the Monarchy: Human Agency and the Making of Revolution in France, Russia and Iran by Zhand Shakibi. Why were Louis XVI, Nicholas II, and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi all overthrown? This is a comparative study of the implosion of the monarchical regimes in Bourbon France, Romanov Russia, and Pahlavi Iran.