I'm Happy after buyingThis Alix Nicky Virginia Rounding
More years ago than I would like to report I read "Nicholas and Alexandra" by Robert Msssie. The book is an excellent account of the tragic lives of the final Romanov monarch. Now there is a new popular history on the Romanov dynasty by Virginia Rounding. She is an English scholar who has oveercovered a treasure trove of intimate letters sent between Nicholas II (1868-1918) and his wife Alexandra (1872-1918). Rounding's book is well written and worth reading.
Nicholas II was the last of the Romanovs who ruled Russia from 1613 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. Nicholas was:
1. Very conservative believing in absolute monarchy and the divine right of rulers.
2. Anti-semitic. Pogroms occurred during his reign from 1894-1917.
3. He loved opera especially the works of Richard Wagner. He was also an avid theatre and ballet attenders.
4. Nicholas loved the outdoors and sports including tennis, horseback riding, hunting and mountain climbintg. He was in good physicial condition. Nicholas was polite in social situations though he did have an explosive temper and could be rude and irritable. Nicholas was governed by habit and rigid routine.
5. The czar was often indecisive supporting the viewpoint of the last person to whom he had spoken.
6. He had middlebrow tastes in literature, was widely traveled and was personally kind.
7. Nicholas deeply loved Alexandra and his five children.
8. Nicholas was a strong supporter of the Russian Orthodox Church. He and his family have been sainted by that denomination and icons on the Romanoves are popular in Russia.
Alexandra was born in Darmsrtadt Germany., Her grandmother was Queen Victoria of Great Britain. She spoke and wrote English with fluency. She and her husband conversed in English but also knew Russian, German and French. She was:
1.. Prone to debilitating illnesses and difficult pregancies.
2. She was a strong believer in the spiritual powers of the mad monk Rasputin. This affection led to much criticism. She sought healer Rasputin in an effort to heal her son Alexi.
3.. She was very shy but during World War I was not taciturn in explaining her firm views as to government and military officials. She often dominated the docile czar with her recommendations on matters in which she had no business in delving.
4, Alexandra was accused of being a Geerman supporter during the Great War. This is a canard. Members of her family did fight for Germany but she was a Russian patriot.
5. Alexandra and her four daughters worked hard as nurses during the Great War.
6. Alexandra had a faith in Christ which supported her during the collapse of her world.
The couple had five children: Olga; Tatiana; Marie; Anastasia and Alex the heir to the throne. All were executed along with the parents in July 1918. They were a lovely and kind family who enjoyed spending time together.
Rounding reveals DNA evidence on the corpses of the Romanovs; inclduing the latest research on the health problems of the familyh and includes many letters exchanged among the Romanovs and their family.
Nicholas and Alexandra were deeply in love but proved incapable of governing a modern state leading their downfall and the establishment of the Soviet Union.
This dual biography is a must for students of the Romanovs and Russian history. Well done!
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