The Romanovs: the Final Chapter

Here's a few items of note:

- A previous reviewer said that Massie does not explain what happened to the last two bodies, presumably of Alexei and either Anastasia or Marie, but in fact, Massie does with quotes of Yurovsky's writings on page 31 and again on page 68. By burning the two bodies and spreading the ashes and embers around, their remains were not preserved like the remaining nine bodies by being entombed in clay, so the final two missing family members in all likelihood will never be found. Another reviewer wished they had a family tree to keep the Romanovs straight. In my edition of "Nicholas and Alexandra", there is a family tree that shows all of Nicholas II's brothers and sister and one could make a photo copy from that book and add in all the nephews, nieces, cousins, etc.

- Also, since this book was published in 1995, a few things have happened in Russia regarding the Romanovs. On July 17, 1998, Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, three of their children and four family servants were buried in the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in St. Petersburg. The Russian Orthodox Church still questions the legitimacy of the bones as being the Tsar but the church did partake in the funeral march and burial. In a poll taken at the time, only 47 percent of Russians believed they remains were of Nicholas II and his family. And in 2001, the Dowager Empress Marie Fedorovna, was exhumed in Denmark and reburied alongside her husband, Tsar Alexander III, in the same cathedral.


Nobody does the Romanovs better than Massie   August 26, 2003
Cynthia K. Robertson (beverly, new jersey USA)
23 out of 24 found this review helpful

Nicholas and Alexandra is the definitive book about the last rulers of Russia, and Robert Massie's The Romanov's: The Final Chapter is a fitting sequel to this venerable book. N & A ends with the execution of Nicholas and his family, but we discover in The Final Chapter that much has happened since the original was published in 1967. Lots of new information has become available due to perestroika, the fall of the Soviet Union, the opning of many long-sealed records and archives, and a renewed interest in the monarchy. All of these changes make us realize that there are many more chapters to the Romanov story, and this book is filled with mystery, tragedy, science, bickering, intrique, and above all, a profound sadness.

We read about the discovery of the Romanov remains and how and why this was kept secret for so long. We learn about the DNA testing to determine the authenticity of the remains and the subsequent fighting over that. Of course, there is the problem of the two missing skeletons and the controversy this causes. We are introduced to a number of Romanov imposters including Anna Anderson. We learn about the fates of the true surviving Romanov's and their battle over who should be claimant to the throne. We also are informed of the destruction of the Ipatiev House by Brezhnev so that it wouldn't become a monarchist shrine. And finally, we hear about the rumors of a vast Romanov fortune that is supposed to be in foreign banks and has never been found.

Since this book has been published, the Romanov remains have finally been reburied in St. Petersburg. But even this could not be accomplished without the bickering of the surviving Romanov's (as characterized in The Final Chapter). Some of them even boycotted the event. It is not always a pretty story.

The Final Chapter is also filled with fascinating tidbits of information. For instance, Prince Philip (husband of Queen Elizabeth) provided blood samples for DNA analysis as his grandmother was the Empress Alexandra's older sister.

All in all, this is a fabulous book! Those who expect this to be a boring, dry history will be pleasantly surprised. No author has told the Romanov story with as much style, passion and completeness as Robert Massie. It is no wonder that the story of Nicholas and Alexandra refuses to die, and why new generations of readers become enthralled with this tragic story--even 85 years after their deaths.


A "sequel" that addresses three issues of the Romanovs   February 23, 2005
Raul Vasquez (Chicago, IL)
18 out of 19 found this review helpful

Robert K. Massie does it again by writing a superb "sequel" to his 1967 historical account "Nicholas and Alexandra". The book "The Romanovs: The Final Chapter" was written in response to the affirmation of the discoveries of the bones of the Romanov family. The book is divided into two parts. The first part addresses the discovery and verification of the bones. The discovery of the bones had after all, led to several debates. One debate naturally dealt with the authenticity of the bones. Along those lines there had arisen a rivalry between the various scientists that tested the authenticity of the bones. Furthermore there was a question as to whether the Russian Orthodox Church would recognize the remains of the Romanov family and thus give them a fitting burial. It was eventually through various tests, that the remains of nine people were proven to be in fact the royal family. However the final problem was that the remains of Alexei the heir to the throne and that of one of his youngest sisters were still missing. But scientists were also unsure which sister it was that was still missing. Most scientists believed that it was the youngest daughter Anastasia. There were nonetheless a substantial amount of scientists who concurred that it was Maria and not Anastasia who was missing. Finally there were questions as to the whereabouts of the remains of the two children regardless of their identity. It is from here that the second part of the book begins: The Pretenders.

The second half of the book mainly addresses the claims of Anna Anderson, the alleged surviving Grand Duchess who was better known as Anastasia. R.K. Massie goes through the pains of briefly recounting the life of Anna Anderson from her attempted suicide to the time of her death over fifty years later. Although there were many people who would claim to be a surviving member of the royal family, none would ever achieve the level of notoriety of Anna Anderson, who ultimately was proven to being a fraud through DNA testing after her death. It was through the claims of Anna Anderson that Hollywood took liberties in making full use of the legend of Anastasia and thus produced at least two well-known films on the subject. The films were the 1956 movie starring Ingrid Bergman (in which she won a Oscar for the title role) and the 1997 cartoon feature with the same title. While the popularity of the two films has served to make the legend of Anastasia mainstream, they have also further distorted the aftermath of the Romanov dynasty. It is thus fair to say that Massie's latest book serves to set the record straight and remove any belief in Anna Anderson's claims of royal lineage.

Finally R.K. Massie briefly addresses the various squabbles among the descendants of the Romanov family as to the issue of who is presently the legitimate head of the family. It is this last section of the book that many reviewers (myself included) find to be tiresome and superfluous. It is unfortunate that this final section of the book can really ruin its overall appraisal. Nonetheless I highly recommend the book not only for its subject matter but also for Robert K. Massie's fluid and engaging writing style. Robert K. Massie is after all not a historian, but a journalist and therefore he is capable of writing to the common reader. "The Romanovs: The Final Chapter" is in short a book worthy of its predecessor "Nicholas and Alexandra" and therefore it is a must-read.


Technical and yet easy to read, a compelling true story   October 20, 1999
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Massie relates two fascinating stories: the first involves finding the remains of the family of Russia's last Czar, and the second recounts the assertion of Anna Andersen to be the Czar's youngest daughter, Anastasia.

In order to find the remains, layers of lies and bureaucracy must be untangled. Once unearthed, the task of identifying the bodies becomes a test of both science and diplomacy.

The question of whether Anastasia survived the Russian Revolution proves to be fiercely debated. Personalities from all over the globe are involved in the discussion. Massie relates the various positions in an even-handed fashion and brings compelling scientific evidence to bear.

The final chapter of the Romanovs proves that non-fiction can be more spellbinding than fiction. A must-read for anyone interested in Russia, forensic science, or well-crafted non-fiction. I liked Massie's _Nicholas and Alexandra_, but I LOVED this book.


Excellent!   January 28, 2000
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Massie describes all events following the discovery of the czar's remains in scientific detail. He also manages to keep the readers attention through a thorough discussion of DNA. The Imperial family comes alive once more through this book, and one wonders what punishment the Russian people would inflict upon Lenin today for his horrible deed. The subject of Britain's royal relations to the Romanovs is also discussed. Massie's description of DNA disproving the claim of Anna Anderson is also quite compelling.