No matter where one stands on ideological and political spectrum, it is very hard for one to remain phlegmatic when reading Robert K. Massie's extraordinary, almost surreal tale of the last Imperial Family of Russia. Massie presents us with a large canvass of the long-gone Russia where the Tsars ruled with absolute power and authority. It is a Russia of popular, ideal imagination with harsh snowy weather; poor but virtuous men and women, who believe that Tsars are anointed by God to rule - there is peculiar miasma of sadness about its people because of their simplicity. But it is a Russia that is rapidly changing and increasingly becoming European in its political, social and moral thoughts and ideas. At the centre of all this was a simple, loving, passionate and naïve couple: Nicholas and Alexandra.

Even if the reader does not know anything about Russia, he will have no problem with reading this astonishing saga. As a matter of fact, Massie's book can serve as a great introduction to the ancient land. Massie starts with talking about Russia, its ideas and ideals, its thoughts, and its people. He lucidly describes the dynasty of the Romanovs, especially since the reign of Nicholas' grandfather, Tsar-Liberator Alexander II. We learn about intermingling and its subsequent consequences of royal families of Europe (mostly made possible by the matchmaker extraordinaire -"Granny" Queen Victoria).

I was tormented when reading about Nicholas and Alexandra because I did not know whether to pity them, or be angry. Nicholas single-mindedly and relentlessly believed that he was an "autocrat" and he must pass his autocracy to his son, Alexis, who was inflicted with haemophilia. After losing a war to Japan, he reluctantly started reforms and created the Duma yet Alexis' haemophilia was to have such grave consequences that it would eventually lead to the demise of Tsarist Russia. The most damage to the - what we would now call - "royal image" was Alexandra's fascination with a vile "starets," Rasputin. Perhaps, had "Nicky" accepted parliament reforms and become a revered constitutional monarch like his shrewd and dutiful English cousin, "Georgie," the Romanov dynasty would still be reigning over Russia and its people would probably not had to live under brutal and inhumane dictatorships of Lenin and Stalin.

"Nicholas and Alexandra" is truly one of those books that will make you laugh and cry. I can vouch that you will feel a pang of pain by the end of this fantastically bizarre legend. A reader will be amazed by the dutifulness and stupidity of some peculiar characters. A fantastic book on a fantastic subject by a fantastic writer!

...without, of course, the 'happily ever after'. The true tragedy of Czar Nicholas II and his beautiful Empress, as Massie demonstrates in this masterful book, is that they lacked the vision and understanding to be more than a storybook prince and princess at a time when history was spectacularly unforgiving of such. The sheer scope and detail of this book is incredible --yet the subjects are all too human. Still the definitive account (although the author's characterization of Rasputin has been attacked in some quarters) and highly recommended.

Although I have not yet finished this book, I can highly recommend it as an interesting read for anyone who has even the remote fascination with Russia and Russia history. A tragic story, the author provides all the facts of the couple and their fall from grace in a way that anyone from the historian to the "average joe" can appreciate and find interesting.