Romanovs - 1613 - 1918 (Simon Sebag Montefiore, 2016)

"Larger than life" is rather an understatement with these folks (and perhaps with Russia in general).

Key dates to memorize, at least roughly:

• Ivan the Terrible (not a Romanov) - rules 1547 through 1584
• Michael I - first Romanov - rule commences 1613 
• Peter the Great rules 1682 through 1725
• Catherine the Great rules from 1762 through 1796
• Alexander I (after his father is strangled) (dealing with Napoleon) - rules from 1801 through 1825
• Alexander II - reform efforts, then repression - rules 1855 through 1881
• Nicholas II rules 1894 through 1917

I like the author's writing style, as with here, and also here.

Separate biographies of Catherine the Great and Peter the Great; also "Nicholas and Alexandra" - naturally offered more detail as to those folks; but this is a constantly interesting overview of the entire dynasty.  The author states that extensive archives were now available - not accessible to earlier biographers - the detail is rather amazing - I had no idea so many letters etc. had survived.

Discussions of early negotiations supporting disputes - continuing in 21st century - over relationship of Ukraine to Russia.

Transfers of power were really dangerous for these folks!

Descendants esp. of Catherine the Great - a real question whether there was any Romanov blood involved.  (That likely would apply to plenty of royal families.)

Success in Napoleonic wars but military/technological stagnation - obvious backwardness as 19th century advances; culminating in humiliation at Tsushima, with dire consequences.

Interesting how anti-Semitism pops up here, especially in 19th century.  Nicholas as a big fan of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Close-connectedness to Germany.

A helpful retelling of the Nicholas-Alexandra situation - incredibly isolated even from Russian nobility - I hadn't recalled that they kept the heir's hemophilia a secret.

A little less on the numerous court love affairs would have been fine by me . . . but I guess that was a big part of who these people were, and the overall court dynamics.

Consistently interesting, useful window on various events over those 300 years.

Christmas gift from PJr/NRG.