The Last Tsar, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa
The Last Tsar, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa
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The Last Tsar
The Abdication of Nicholas II and the Fall of the Romanovs

Author: Tsuyoshi Hasegawa

Narrator: Gareth Armstrong

Unabridged: 13 hr 56 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 12/03/2024

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

“Elegantly written and magisterially researched” (Robert Service, author of A History of Modern Russia), the definitive story behind the self-destruction of the autocratic Romanov dynasty, by the world’s foremost expert

When Tsar Nicholas II fell from power in 1917, Imperial Russia faced a series of overlapping crises, from war to social unrest. Though Nicholas’s life is often described as tragic, it was not fate that doomed the Romanovs—it was poor leadership and a blinkered faith in autocracy.

Based on a trove of new archival discoveries, The Last Tsar narrates how Nicholas’s resistance to reform doomed the monarchy. Encompassing the captivating personalities of the era, it untangles the struggles between the increasingly isolated Nicholas and Alexandra and the factions of scheming nobles, ruthless legislators, and pragmatic generals who sought to stabilize the restive Russian empire either with the Tsar or without him. By rejecting compromise, Nicholas undermined his supporters at crucial moments. His blunders cleared the way for all-out civil war and the eventual rise of the Soviet Union.

Definitive and engrossing, The Last Tsar uncovers how Nicholas II stumbled into revolution, taking his family, the Romanov dynasty, and the whole Russian Empire down with him.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Brendan on September 09, 2024

If there is one thing I am absolutely sure of about author Tsuyoshi Hasegawa after reading his book The Last Tsar, it is that he is not very impressed with Nicholas II. I was able to arrive at this very insightful conclusion mainly because he says so in the preface of the book. Hasegawa wants this b......more

Goodreads review by Liam on March 30, 2025

Tremendous! An essential book for anyone interested in the Russian Revolution or the end of Imperial Russia, Nicholas II, etc. A five star history and history is the operative word. I will say what many other GR reviewers have said with surprise and often annoyance (considering most people books onl......more

Goodreads review by Gail on October 04, 2024

This book takes you deep into the world of Russia and the Tsar, his family and all the mistakes that were made by him and others around him that lead to the execution of the Romanov family. As new research has been uncovered, Last Tsar feels as though you are watching the events happen. There is a lo......more

Goodreads review by Michelle on April 02, 2025

A hard read - so much history and detail also, the print was very small. Many times I would verify facts. Overall a good book on The Last Tsar.......more

Goodreads review by Barry on February 09, 2025

This book is the crowning achievement of Professor Hasegawa’s career completing his. Studies of the February Revolution of 1917. The research is in unparalleled in comprehensiveness that makes the biography read like a whodunnit!! He has numerous examples of possible explanations of the Tsar and oth......more