Secret Lives of the Tsars, Michael Farquhar
Secret Lives of the Tsars, Michael Farquhar
5 Rating(s)
List: $22.50 | Sale: $15.75
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Secret Lives of the Tsars
Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia

Author: Michael Farquhar

Narrator: Enn Reitel

Unabridged: 12 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/08/2014


Synopsis

“Michael Farquhar doesn’t write about history the way, say, Doris Kearns Goodwin does. He writes about history the way Doris Kearns Goodwin’s smart-ass, reprobate kid brother might. I, for one, prefer it.”—Gene Weingarten, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and Washington Post columnist
 
Scandal! Intrigue! Cossacks! Here the world’s most engaging royal historian chronicles the world’s most fascinating imperial dynasty: the Romanovs, whose three-hundred-year reign was remarkable for its shocking violence, spectacular excess, and unimaginable venality. In this incredibly entertaining history, Michael Farquhar collects the best, most captivating true tales of Romanov iniquity. We meet Catherine the Great, with her endless parade of virile young lovers (none of them of the equine variety); her unhinged son, Paul I, who ordered the bones of one of his mother’s paramours dug out of its grave and tossed into a gorge; and Grigori Rasputin, the “Mad Monk,” whose mesmeric domination of the last of the Romanov tsars helped lead to the monarchy’s undoing. From Peter the Great’s penchant for personally beheading his recalcitrant subjects (he kept the severed head of one of his mistresses pickled in alcohol) to Nicholas and Alexandra’s brutal demise at the hands of the Bolsheviks, Secret Lives of the Tsars captures all the splendor and infamy that was Imperial Russia.

Praise for Secret Lives of the Tsars
 
“An accessible, exciting narrative . . . Highly recommended for generalists interested in Russian history and those who enjoy the seamier side of past lives.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“An excellent condensed version of Russian history . . . a fine tale of history and scandal . . . sure to please general readers and monarchy buffs alike.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“Tales from the nasty lives of global royalty . . . an easy-reading, lightweight history lesson.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Readers of this book may get a sense of why Russians are so tolerant of tyrants like Stalin and Putin. Given their history, it probably seems normal.”—The Washington Post

About The Author

Michael Farquhar, a former writer and editor at The Washington Post, is the bestselling author of the critically praised Behind the Palace Doors, as well as the national bestsellers A Treasury of Royal Scandals, A Treasury of Great American Scandals, A Treasury of Deception, and A Treasury of Foolishly Forgotten Americans. His work has been featured in a number of national publications, and he has appeared as a commentator on such programs as History’s top-rated Russia: Land of the Tsars and The French Revolution.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jen on May 24, 2016

This was an audio book that I started because I had mind-numbing task for work to do--and I needed something to occupy the 99.5% of my brain the task wasn't going to occupy. I wanted something fun, light-hearted, and nothing that would make me cry (this is a vital consideration as I was at work). Rus......more

Goodreads review by Jolene on August 28, 2014

3.5 Stars **Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for providing this in exchange for an honest review** This was a great introduction to the Romanov dynasty. I'm a little embarrassed to admit the only people I already really knew anything about was Catherine the Great and Anastasia. This was a great......more

Goodreads review by Peter on May 19, 2020

Russia. I don’t even know where to begin. Their history is so strange and bloody it makes U.S. history look like Seasame Street. The stories in this book are so bizarre and shocking you will find yourself doubting your very sanity. I can’t decide if I should dig deeper into Russian history or just g......more

Goodreads review by Alvin on February 23, 2021

A zippy tour through the history of an entertainingly weird (and thoroughly rotten) royal family. It's only failing: the cruelties the Romanovs perpetrated on each other are covered in detail, while the cruelties they perpetrated on their subjects are described in broad strokes that don't quite brin......more

Goodreads review by Olesya on May 10, 2023

A thoroughly engaging romp through the bloodiest moments of Russia’s history, and through each of her tsars and tsaritsas.......more


Quotes

Praise for Secret Lives of the Tsars
 
“An accessible, exciting narrative . . . Highly recommended for generalists interested in Russian history and those who enjoy the seamier side of past lives.”Library Journal (starred review)

“An excellent condensed version of Russian history . . . a fine tale of history and scandal . . . sure to please general readers and monarchy buffs alike.”Publishers Weekly
 
“Tales from the nasty lives of global royalty . . . an easy-reading, lightweight history lesson.”Kirkus Reviews

“Readers of this book may get a sense of why Russians are so tolerant of tyrants like Stalin and Putin. Given their history, it probably seems normal.”The Washington Post

Praise for Michael Farquhar

“Michael Farquhar doesn’t write about history the way, say, Doris Kearns Goodwin does. He writes about history the way Doris Kearns Goodwin’s smart-ass, reprobate kid brother might. I, for one, prefer it.”—Gene Weingarten, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and Washington Post columnist