Peter Kurth (2) (1953–)

If you only have time to read one book regarding The Romanovs, Russian history, and the Russian revolution, this should be the one!

Lush in photography, rich in detail, stunningly organized and exquisitely written, this is a gem which chronicles the opulence of the Romanovis and vividly contrasts this to the brutal massacre that ended their lives and the rule of the Tsars of Russia.

The author and photographer show the before and after of the lush tranquility of summer and winter palaces and show more of yachts and compare this with the captivity of the royal family at Ekaterinburg and their murder in the basement of the "house of special purpose".

I've read a lot of Russian history, yet this book contained tidbits I didn't know. For example, the precursor and ominous signs which pointed to a doomed ending were rife from the beginning.

The shabbily erected accommodations for the populous during the coronation celebration left hundreds dead and trampled as peasants fought for souvenir mugs and beer and wine to fill them.

Knowing this event had occurred, still, the fantastic over-the-top coronation ball occurred, leaving a very bad perception from the start.

Warned of Alexandra's dangerous obsession with the mad monk Rasputin, Nicholas passively ignored the possible repercussion.

Involvement in WWI was disastrous as once again Nicholas' passivity and lack of leadership played a major role in the downfall of him and his family.

Hiding his son Alexi's hemophilia from those who could have had sympathy again proved an inability to judge the masses.

I highly recommend this coffee table style book. show less

I decided to read this book even knowing that, in 2007, DNA evidence proved that Grand Duchess Anastasia was killed in 1918 and her remains buried with those of her brother. I was interested, firstly, in the story of Anna Anderson. Secondly, I wanted to gain insight into how and why she was believed or refuted. This book is very well researched and written in an accessible, engaging style. I got a sense of the political and monetary stakes, and also a deep dive into the emotional life of Ms. show more Anderson. I learned about the German legal system and saw how the Tsar and his family lived in captivity. So, I'm glad I read it and found it worthwhile even though I knew the ultimate conclusion show less

This lovely coffee table sized book contains hundreds of archival photographs taken by Nicholas and his family, as well as modern day shots of many of the residences and other locations related to the tsar. The text focuses on the personalities of Nicholas and Alexandra, the out of touch nature of Nicholas’ rule, and the tragic imprisonment and execution of the royal family. Not particularly well-researched, the text should serve as an embellishment to the photos, not as an authoritative show more history. But the beautiful photographs make the book well worth picking up, even if only to browse for an afternoon. show less

I don't think I would have liked Dorothy Thompson very much. She makes me tired. She was always the most and the best (fill in your own superlative): I'm sure she was always the brightest woman in the room--the most accomplished, the smartest, the one with the greatest career, etc.

Dorothy was a scholarship student at Syracuse University (Class of 1914). She and the other girls at the school felt they had a social obligation to their education--they owed something. She became a journalist show more who was "an avid student of the politics of chaos, eager to learn and tireless in her effort to find the story behind the story." She was hired by the New York Herald-Tribune to write a column "On the Record," "largely on account of her opposition to the New Deal." She was given an office, a secretary, two months' annual vacation, and "a guarantee to write as I please, provided I remain within the canons of good taste and within the libel laws." By 1939 she was making, in 2006 dollars, an estimated million and a half per year, "from all sources." She wrote the column until 1957.

"She was filled with contempt for the 'adolescence of American males.' High school boys, she called them, hopeless as lovers, all scared of their wives, undeveloped, childish, arrested. The whole damned country is full of impotent men. Afraid of emotion." Having said that, the biographer makes clear that Thompson preferred the company of men to women. Kurth says that she often treated the women around her as "ciphers"; wives of her colleagues and unofficial advisors sat out many an even [in her apartment] "in a cold fury" while their husbands formed a ring, literally, at Dorothy's feet." Yet despite her described contempt for American men, Dorothy's second husband wasn't exactly a real catch. He was the writer Sinclair (Red) Lewis, who was also a full-blown falling-down drunk--and everyone who knew him knew it. He asked Dorothy to marry him on the first day they met, and they had a chaotic marriage until their divorce 12 years later. Why do women like her marry men like him?

Dorothy was a complete dynamo, and it's easy to imagine that she had no use for people who weren't as driven as she was. She definitely would have been the sort of person who didn't suffer fools. This is from 1938: "I am living on quantities of adrenaline. The fury I feel for appeasers, for the listless, apathetic, and stupid people who still exist in this sad world!" Along with "adrenline," Dorothy was also living on speed--Dexadrine pills and a variety of "uppers" that her doctors gave her to function in her high-pressure world. Not to mention the cigarette smoking. Everyone smoked back then, but I think it's difficult for us in 2010 to appreciate the extent of the smoking: incessant, greedy, uncontrollable, crushing one half-smoked cigarette and immediately lighting another--smoking 3 and 4 packs a day, smoking literally everywhere. Dorothy also, as mentioned in another review, drank her fair share, and I'm guessing she also needed some sort of downer(s) to help her sleep at night after being hopped up all day on the uppers.

Politics was a huge part of Dorothy's life, and Kurth does a good job of discussing her as one of the most influential women of her time.

I like biographers who don't feel the need to present a "happy-face" version of their subject, who aren't afraid to look at the complexities of a person's personality. Kurth does a good job of that with this very complex woman. As I said, I doubt that I would have liked Dorothy, but I really enjoyed Kurth's biography. It's well-researched and complete with good notes and sources. show less