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Publisher's Summary

The Romanovs were the most successful dynasty of modern times, ruling a sixth of the world's surface. How did one family turn a war-ruined principality into the world's greatest empire? And how did they lose it all?

This is the intimate story of 20 tsars and tsarinas, some touched by genius, some by madness, but all inspired by holy autocracy and imperial ambition. Montefiore's gripping chronicle reveals their secret world of unlimited power and ruthless empire building, overshadowed by palace conspiracy, family rivalries, sexual decadence and wild extravagance and peopled by a cast of adventurers, courtesans, revolutionaries and poets, from Ivan the Terrible to Tolstoy, from Queen Victoria to Lenin.

To rule Russia was both imperial-sacred mission and poisoned chalice. Six tsars were murdered, and all the Romanovs lived under constant threat to their lives. Peter the Great tortured his own son to death while making Russia an empire and dominated his court with a dining club notable for compulsory drunkenness, naked dwarfs and fancy dress. Catherine the Great overthrew her own husband - who was murdered soon afterwards - loved her young male favourites, conquered Ukraine and fascinated Europe. Paul was strangled by courtiers backed by his own son, Alexander I, who faced Napoleon's invasion and the burning of Moscow, then went on to take Paris. Alexander II liberated the serfs, survived five assassination attempts, and wrote perhaps the most explicit love letters ever written by a ruler.

The Romanovs: 1613-1918 climaxes with a fresh, unforgettable portrayal of Nicholas and Alexandra, the rise and murder of Rasputin, war and revolution - and the harrowing massacre of the entire family. Written with dazzling literary flair, drawing on new archival research, The Romanovs: 1613-1918 is at once an enthralling story of triumph and tragedy, love and death, a universal study of power and an essential portrait of the empire that still defines Russia today.

©2016 Simon Sebag Montefiore (P)2016 Orion Publishing Group
Historical Royalty Europe Russia
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What listeners say about The Romanovs: 1613-1918

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Profile Image for Shane

Thorough History

This book was a really fantastic look at a topic not known by most of the historically literate west. The author does a fantastic job at explaining this usually new material in a way that, while detailed, is easy to follow. Although there were times when the amount of names got confusing, the narrative was so centered around the important characters, that confusion was kept to a minimum.

This book did not propose any groundbreaking insights or controversial theories, but rather it told a long, detailed story well. It is one of the best books I have listened to on Audible to date.

8 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Gregory

Really enjoyed it

I wasnt sure I would like the narrative style of this series, but I ended up quite enjoying it. The story itself is amazing, it has everthing. I went on a journey, culminating in tears at the end, so involved I had become without even realising.

4 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Allyson

exceptional

what a tale. no hollywood producer could come up with a storyline like this. informative. entertaining. riveting

4 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Gaetano

Fantastic

I listen to audiobooks as I drive, I found myself driving around the block some days instead of going straight home, just because I wanted to keep listening.

3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Niall Cunniffe

Good Book, but struggled to follow sometimes

A good story, worth telling but i did struggled with the similar sounding russian names.

Alexander Suvorov should a book of his own

1 person found this helpful

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Profile Image for AM
  • AM
  • 22-03-2018

The glory, the grandure and the mayhem!

Would you listen to The Romanovs: 1613-1918 again? Why?

Yes - I'll be listening to this book over and over, down through the years - can't get enough of it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Romanovs: 1613-1918?

Getting more of an understanding of the era of Catherine the Great

What about Simon Russell Beale’s performance did you like?

Everything

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The lot.

Any additional comments?

No

1 person found this helpful

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Profile Image for Jonah gunn

Well written but too much irrelevant detail

A detailed personal history of Russia's most powerful family. Beginning in the time of troubles the narrative takes us all the way to the execution of the royal family in 1918. Unique among historical works of Russia in English, it centres its perspective firmly in the court life of the Russian aristocracy. Momentous upheavals such as the Enlightenment, the French revolution, Napoleon's rise and fall, as well as later events such as the Crimean War, the rise of the industrialised West and radical revolutionary movements are all seen through the eyes of the Romanovs.

Inevitably, the narrative slows down throughout the nineteenth century and on the eve of revolution. Alas, I was hoping for greater detail in the earlier years of the Romanov dynasty.

I take issue with the endless narrating of personal liaisons, scandals and court gossip. I found myself lost going from one mistress and confidant to the next. The amount of names to memorise without substantial character investment turned the book somewhat into a grind.

The changing nature of Russian court culture is glanced on but not taken with greater care. The European turn of Peter the Great is touched on but I would have liked further inspection of this change. The world of feudal boyars, and intimidating long bearded patriarchs seems to give way to a libertine French inspired court of the 18th century without much notice. These cultural changes I would have expected more thorough analysis.

The work lacks a cohesive broader interpretation of the Romanov dynasty within the longue duree of Russian history, European royalty and Autocracy. Aside from the opening and concluding remarks, I was lost as to the nature of Romanov power and legitimacy. Questions raised at the beginning, such as if, or how autocracy and modernity are compatible were not adequately investigated. I sensed as if the author in writing the later history of the Romanovs simply acquiesced to the contemporaneous view that Russia was in a state of reactionary backwardness in need of liberal democratic reform. This conflicts with subsequent Russian history such as the autocracies of Stalin or indeed of Vladimir Putin today, who wield absolute power in Russia with a far more advanced social and economic system that the Romanov could ever dream of. Although the author notes the contemporary autocracies of China and Russia, he does not resolve this fundamental question of power.

Overall, an in depth book of the personal lives of the Romanov dynasty but somewhat lacking in developing from this an analysis of Russian culture, history and the nature of modernity and autocracy.


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Profile Image for Anonymous User

Extraordinary

Enthralling. An extraordinary panoply of power ambition, vision, pettiness and incompetence. While the end was shocking and sad, I didn't have much sympathy for Nicolas II, or Empress Alexandra. The times simply moved too fast for their limited vision and capacity. I could say much more.

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Profile Image for Marianna Koulias

A captivating account of Russian history

This is a complex history, told brilliantly through the narration of private letters between the Romanovs themselves and with their contemporaries. Although the story of the end of the Romanovs has been told many times, you will enjoy the detail (and debauchery) of this account and the political struggles of the period.

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Profile Image for Anonymous User

Listening for the second time!

If, like me, you are fascinated by this topic- you will not be disappointed with this book! The narrator is excellent, and the book itself is amazing. Detailed, without being too heavy. I couldn't stop listening! 10/10!

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  • Carmen PF
  • 21-09-2018

Great book, not so great reader

The book is fantastic, and I am sure it will become a classic on Russian history. Mr Sebag Montefiore has done a great work: he combines detail, research and historical accuracy with amenity and readability.
Alas, the listening experience is botched by the performance of the reader; he has quite a curious diction, where he rathers splutters words. It is specially annoying in a book like this, where foreign names abound. I’ve had to check plenty of them. He also has an unsteady reading pace, where he suddenly accelerates and one word seems to crash into the next one. A pity.

2 people found this helpful

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  • Mikael
  • 06-12-2017

Great book.

Very fascinating story and good performance overall. Could have been a little less about the last tsars.

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  • Joseph
  • 20-08-2017

informative history of the Tsars

good narration. kept me interested till the end. highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Russian history

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  • Martin Grobler
  • 30-06-2017

Definitely not a waste of my time

You have to be interested in the history to enjoy this book as the story can get a bit long winded at times.

I however thoroughly enjoyed it. The writer brought various sources of information together to create a seamless story that flows together. Well done!

I leave having learnt significantly about Russian culture and the history of governance behind it as well as the individuals that shaped it.

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  • Jorge
  • 21-06-2017

Thorough, interesting and well narrated

The Romanovs is a thorough description of ancient and modern Russia through the eyes of autocracy. Very well narrated.

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  • Andrew
  • 07-12-2016

Pretty good

As a Russian I enjoyed this side look to the events of our history. However, there were some small differences with the version I (and all other in my country) know from Russian historians. Still very much worth it though.

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  • H L Condliffe
  • 03-06-2016

Fantastic content and narration

Fantastic if you have even the slightest interest in Russian history. Yes, the narrator speaks quickly but it's well over 24 hours long, there's so much content he has to! So much interesting detail, never boring, and I've learned so much. I love this audio book and would thoroughly recommend.

18 people found this helpful

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  • Eileen Montador
  • 19-04-2016

Russia understood?

Easy listen to a very complex story. Beautifully told, I might have found it a challenge to read, but on this format, splendid.

14 people found this helpful

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  • Nephrite
  • 09-04-2016

A very interesting story told poorly

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No because as much as I love the Russian history depicted in this book, the narrator was reading the book far too fast. it quite often sounded like I had accidentally increased the speed of the narration on the Audible app.

It is somewhat disappointing since the narrator sounds incredibly bored even when it is discussing some of the most exciting parts of the history be they murders or intense political plans for succession or peace after a long war.

What other book might you compare The Romanovs: 1613-1918 to, and why?

The comparison might seem odd but the closest comparison I can think of is SPQR: A History Of Ancient Rome. The reason is simply that it takes an interesting and engaging historical story and makes It sound boring. In fact SPQR is more interesting as its author attempts to give their opinion on events rather than simply reel them off like it is required for an assignment.

If this book were a film would you go see it?

I'm not sure about a film but I have seen the author discuss various topics in television documentaries for the BBC. Those are much more engaging because it is clear that the author finds the topics personally fascinating and he attempts to explain why events happened or what could have happened if things had been different.

19 people found this helpful

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  • Paul
  • 30-06-2016

Long, complex but ultimately rewarding

Long listen but covers vast swathes of history with a myriad of characters which can at times be difficult to follow. However it's worth keeping at it as there are some fascinating insights into Russian and global history, beyond the caricature and myth which was hitherto my only notion of the of the Romanovs.

5 people found this helpful

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  • MR A M INNES
  • 04-05-2016

Classic history book.

Loved it. Very enlightening history of last Royal family. So much murder and treachery both home and abroad. And the legacy of their deaths that makes current political situation in Russia what it is now, tyrannical.

10 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for PHILIPPE DE SPOELBERCH
  • PHILIPPE DE SPOELBERCH
  • 25-03-2016

just an executive summary of an amazing period

What made the experience of listening to The Romanovs: 1613-1918 the most enjoyable?

the subject is amazing. How could people endure this sytem so long.

What did you like best about this story?

a detailed view into the less glorious habits and most basic instinct of the Russian people of the time. Fascinating but not really important for someone intersted in the history of the time.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

more than matched, went too quicly for such a story

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Disgust

Any additional comments?

I did not expect this from Sebag Montefiore, after all his other books. The reader was much too quick; I think that the audiobook would be more convincing if the reader was to pause more often. Possibly he did not do justice to the author.

8 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Ms. T. L. Robinson
  • Ms. T. L. Robinson
  • 31-05-2017

Superb.

A wonderful and detailed history of the Romanov's. beautifully narrated,so full of information highly recommend.

2 people found this helpful

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  • Mignonne
  • 15-03-2016

Disappointing in form and narration

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

As it stands it is simply a litany of dates, atrocities and unmemorable Russian names

Would you ever listen to anything by Simon Sebag Montefiore again?

no

How did the narrator detract from the book?

He spoke far too quickly and indistinctly, making it very difficult to follow

What character would you cut from The Romanovs: 1613-1918?

Among the thousands? And not any of the Romanovs, surely.

11 people found this helpful

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  • Mr
  • 30-04-2016

A great story - a great tale - an apalling telling

If you could sum up The Romanovs: 1613-1918 in three words, what would they be?

History, Tragedy and Epic

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Romanovs: 1613-1918?

The opening juxtaposition of the end and the start of the Romanov rule

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Simon Russell Beale?

Anyone who has energy. The languid, overtly reverential tone is appalling. Martin Jarvis, Robert Glennister, anyone other than SRB. I would never ever download another book narrated by him. Totally ruined a great piece of writing and an epic biography with his languid detached style.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No - with this narrator couldn't even get through it - so read it instead.

Any additional comments?

Hate to be so negative about what is a good book - just so undercut by the narrator.

4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Profile Image for Monika
  • Monika
  • 18-04-2016

Not really overwhelmed

Would you try another book written by Simon Sebag Montefiore or narrated by Simon Russell Beale?

I have heard a lot of good about Montefiore and started reading his Jerusalem sometime ago. To my great surprise the book that should be very interested and seemed well narrated turned out to be a challenge. The same goes with this one - it should be very interesting and somewhat it is not.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Well, it is not I guess a narrator's fault as there was a person responsible for pronounciation listed in credentials but believe me, the Russian names in this audiobook are hadly recognisible for someone who is a Slav (I'm actually a Pole and I was taught Russian for 8 long years). The person responsible for pronounciation certainly did a lousy job. And I'm really curious what Khrushchev would sound like in this interpretarion

Any additional comments?

The most interesting parts for me were those concerning Alexander II and Alexander III. These two tsars are the ones I know least about, so I had to take Montefiore's text at face value - and then it was quite enjoyable.

4 people found this helpful

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