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About the Author

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 show more 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) show less

Includes the names: Helen Rappapot, Helen Rappaport

Works by Helen Rappaport

Associated Works

The Cherry Orchard (1904) — Translator, some editions — 1,993 copies
Ivanov (1969) — Translator, some editions — 168 copies

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Reviews

4.5 stars, this is fascinating and detailed and so sad. I would have liked some perspective from the peasants and lower class of the country regarding their feelings towards the Romanovs, as they are painted quite innocent and gentle here. I don't doubt that they were, and their time helping in the hospital is admirable, but I wonder how much privilege they realized they had.
Anastasia was a favorite movie when I was little, so this is even more sad knowing it is all fiction.
½
 
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KallieGrace | 45 other reviews | Jan 18, 2024 |
Read by Xe Sands
"Princess Diana's of their time"
a story of the Romanovs girls and their family.
 
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cfulton20 | 45 other reviews | Nov 13, 2023 |
I was a bit disappointed. The book describes at length the events and the perspective of the Queen and the Royal Family but does not put in perspective of the evolution of Royal versus parliamentary power in Britain . I think that the fact that Victoria more or less stood back from active involvement on government for 15 years and more allowed the British Constitution to develop towards the constitutional monarchy of today.
Early in the book there is discussion of Albert intervening in foreign policy decisions to avoid a war with USA over trade blockades during the civil war. By the end of Victoria's reign it would have been inconceivable that the monarch would have this role. This was not discussed in book.… (more)
½
 
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stanleykaye | 9 other reviews | Jun 24, 2023 |
at times, the writing flowered into something cinematic...not on the tragic _Zhivago_ scale, but the quotidian, devastating intimacy of a lost Sofia Coppola mash-up: the homely insularity of _The Virgin Suicides_ in a_Marie Antoinette_ setting. I wished, throughout, that SCoppola would option this book; it might seem a retread, but--oh my stars--how I would love to see that movie.

(otherwise, I was, of course, dismayed by own interest, however pedestrian, in a royal family. in exile, evidently, Nicky read aloud _The Scarlet Pimpernel_, and really, if I have to choose, I'm def Team Death To The Aristos/Long Live The Republic...and then I remember that the brutality of the Reds ruined Marxism for everybody. the idea that we have to choose murder along with humane government is ridiculous/why we can't anything nice.)… (more)
 
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alison-rose | 45 other reviews | May 22, 2023 |

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Daisy Goodwin Foreword
Karen Cass Narrator
Lauren Harms Cover designer

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