The Romanov dynasty ruled Russia for a little over three hundred years and its name and story exerts a lasting fascination. In recent years attention has focused almost exclusively on the dynasty's dramatic end and this book seeks to widen the picture, drawing material from the last century of imperial rule. It was a compelling time and a time of contracts, when the Tsars reached the peak of their wealth, their president, and their power, yet also faced the growth of forces which would destroy them. -Preface

Nicholas was born to be a soldier, and it was the only life he wanted. Too young to have felt the tensions that led to the murder of his father, Tsar Paul, he was the product of a secure childhood in an unusually united family. -Chapter 1: The Other Nicholas and Alexandra