it took only the introduction to enslave me, and I have spent the last week or so neglecting practically everyone except for Montefiore's variously ruthless, despotic, sexually voracious, bibulous, unstable, addlepated, and gifted Romanovs. The author's ease of manner, his limber way with historical intricacy and statecraft, and his connoisseur's appreciation of personality, foible, and family unpleasantness – all that – render the familiar territory fresh, and the less-familiar memorable.
...erudite and entertaining...Drawing on a wide array of Russian sources, Sebag Montefiore paints an unforgettable portrait of characters fascinating and charismatic, odd and odious.
Coming from the notable historian of Stalin, such aphorisms carry much weight. One may wish for more of them, as well as more overall context, more grounding of the events in the general cultural and economic climate, which is touched upon infrequently and briefly. But, perhaps inevitably in a study so concentrated, Montefiore’s approach favors facts over analysis and atmosphere. The facts themselves, many of them results of original research, are fascinating enough to speak for themselves, although there are occasional dry patches...Overall, while not the easiest introduction to the subject, this monumental work is an essential addition to the library of anyone interested in Russian history and the doomed dynasty of Romanovs...
No author on Russia writes better than Mr. Montefiore, whose perceptiveness and portraiture here are frequently sublime...Intentionally or not, the overall effect of Mr. Montefiore’s bravura freak-and-peep show is to exoticize Russia and the Romanovs...That said, much of the book is a marvelous read, and the last third, from fin de siècle insanity to revolutionary cataclysm, is dazzling. Now everything coheres because there is a frame: impending doom. The pages on Nicholas II and Alexandra are perhaps the best ever, economical in expression, simultaneously poignant and trenchant.
Simon Sebag Montefiore’s The Romanovs: 1613-1918 poses some initial challenges for the general reader, for whom it’s written. At 784 pages (including appendices, maps and illustrations), and covering 20 monarchs, it’s wonderfully written and fascinating down to the last footnote — but daunting...His style is polished, lively, informed. His gift for the defining detail is indispensable in a book like this one, which brings into play dozens of key figures and their unique story lines.
