John Curtis Perry

If you’re new to the late Romanovs this book may be a little dense: so many Grand Dukes to keep track of! But if you’ve read several books & know the last 2 generations of the family fairly well, this book is like the richest of chocolate cakes: deliciously dense & full of nothing but goodness. There are amazing, gossipy stories on nearly every other page that fill in so many relationship subtleties (did you know Princess Paley hated Dmitri? Me neither!). This book also brings to life show more obscurer members of the family that maybe you’ve read of but find hard to place in the family tree. Now, for instance, I know exactly where Uncle Bimbo & Nikolasha belong & I know enough about them that they feel like individuals to me.

The major Romanovs are here too, of course: Nicky, Alex, Minnie, etc., but it’s the material on the lesser known family members that makes this book unlike any Romanov history I’ve read. Highly recommend if you know a bit about the family; don’t recommend as your first or second book on them (probably too confusing). show less

An exhaustive biography of an entire dynasty, this narrative begins with Nicholas I and works its way through WWI, the Bolshevik revolution and the eventual dissolution of the line. Though grim, this history will capture the imagination. The author draws the reader into the time, bringing the setting to life with striking detail. Reads like a novel more than a textbook.

This very readable history of Singapore provides a comprehensive history of the development of the city-state as well as a nice overview of the maritime industry and the trade routes that Singapore depends upon. The depiction is overwhelming positive with critical comments reserved for the very end of the book.

A brief overall history of the Romanov Dynasty in Russia before the Revolution in 1917. The family history is outlined very well, and each family member and their relationships with one another is profiled. Parts are a little bland, but for an overview, I thought the story was conveyed well.