The Fate of the Romanovs - Paperback

by Greg King (Author), Penny Wilson (Author)

Abundant, newly discovered sources shatter long-held beliefs

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 revealed, among many other things, a hidden wealth of archival documents relating to the imprisonment and eventual murder of Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their children. Emanating from sources both within and close to the Imperial Family as well as from their captors and executioners, these often-controversial materials have enabled a new and comprehensive examination of one the pivotal events of the twentieth century and the many controversies that surround it.

Based on a careful analysis of more than 500 of these previously unpublished documents, along with numerous newly discovered photos, The Fate of the Romanovs makes compelling revisions to many long-held beliefs about the Romanovs' final months and moments. This powerful account includes:
* Surprising evidence that Anastasia may, indeed, have survived
* Diary entries made by Nicholas and Alexandra during their captivity
* Revelations of how the Romanovs were betrayed by trusted servants
* A reconstruction of daily life among the prisoners at Ipatiev House
* Strong evidence that the Romanovs were not brutalized by their captors
* Statements from admitted participants in the murders

Front Jacket

Rumors, mysteries, and tales of horrifying privation and torture have echoed through the years, inspiring wild speculation and fantastic claims of the " truth" of the final days of Russia' s Tsar Nicholas II and his family. Now, in the first comprehensive account of their imprisonment and murder since the family' s remains were enshrined in St. Petersburg, The Fate of the Romanovs challenges earlier descriptions of these events with a wealth of fresh evidence and a careful re-examination of established facts.

Drawing from more than 500 previously unpublished documents, authors Greg King and Penny Wilson make compelling, controversial revisions to commonly held beliefs. They reveal that the family was not treated in a barbaric fashion during their captivity, but rather with a great deal of civility. They also dispel the legend that the family members remained devoted to each other throughout their ordeal; months of uncertainty and anxiety led to a slow but inexorable disintegration of family bonds.

This vividly narrated expose delves deeply into the long-secret archives of the Russian Revolution to discover that Lenin did not order the family' s execution- as had been previously thought- and to reveal who actually made the decision and how it was carried out. Secret documents also disclose that the KGB orchestrated the 1978 " discovery" of the Romanov grave and that the Soviet government had known of its existence from the beginning.

Most shocking of all is the confirmation that two of the tsar' s children may have escaped execution and that the fabled Grand Duchess Anastasia could well have been one of them. Shocking inanother way is the revelation of successful efforts of Imperial hangers-on to barter for their own freedom using the Romanovs' vast cache of jewels.

Every claim and assertion in this startling new report is supported with copious documentary evidence from multiple sources. The authors cite many accounts from those closest to the actual events, including memoirs by the commandant of the Ipatiev House in which the family was imprisoned; Victor Netrebin, who participated in the murders; Bolshevik officials who revealed the betrayal of the Romanovs by their servants; and a physician who was given access to the Imperial prisoners. They also quote the statements of guards Alexei Kabanov and Alexander Strekotin and draw information from Romanov family papers, including personal letters and documents on the fate of the Romanov remains.

Supplemented with numerous, never-before-published photos and a helpful cast of characters numbering in the hundreds, The Fate of the Romanovs explodes myths, confirms long-dismissed theories, solves mysteries, and poses intriguing new questions about events that, though they occurred nearly a century ago, continue to fascinate the world.

Back Jacket

Acclaim for The Fate of the Romanovs

"A startlingly revisionist history of the last months of the Imperial family that compellingly destroys the tired old romantic cliches."
--Financial Times

"The Fate of the Romanovs is both encyclopaedic and compelling."
--Evening Standard

"This book is sure to become the standard for which all future books on the Romanovs will be based."
--Marlene Eilers, author of Queen Victoria's Descendants and publisher of Royal Book News

Based on a careful analysis of more than 500 previously unpublished archival documents, The Fate of the Romanovs shatters the mythology surrounding the murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family in 1918 to present the most extensively researched and current examination of one of the twentieth century's most gruesome and controversial events.

Author Biography

GREG KING is the author of five previous books and the forthcoming The Court of the Last Tsar: Pomp, Power, and Pageantry in the Reign of Nicholas II. A noted historian on Imperial Russia and the Romanov Dynasty, he is a frequent contributor to television specials in the United States, Canada, and Britain.

PENNY WILSON is a historian who specializes in Russia's late Imperial period. The authors' Web site is thefateoftheromanovs.com.