The Romanovs: Autocrats of All the Russias

Bruce Lincoln's passion for russia comes thru clearly in this lengthy account. It is a Bio of the Romanov's and a survey history of Russia. Now and then the transitions are a bit odd, but in fairness I could not see a better way than that which he chose. There is just so much included that some back and forth in time is inevitable. Despite the almost certainty that the biological Romanovs died out when Catherine the Great ascended the throne, he gives the full story of the autocracy to it's sad and violent end.

This is a great history of the Romanov dynasty that teeters between biography and the novel. In some places, it is literally a page-turner. It's not as analytical as some historical texts, but Lincoln provides more than enough information to allow the reader to make his/her own decisions. Every detail is perfectly groomed for presentation, and few stones are left unturned. This book is accessible (ie, those with little background in Russian history will find it intriguing and highly readable) and informative. The only complaint I have is that, occassionaly, it jumps around in time in peculiar ways (but this is not something that really causes one to get lost or confused).