Secret Lives of the Tsars: Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia by Michael Farquhar

Final Rating: 4/5

   I don't know about you, but there is just something so magnetic about the name Romanov. For me, it conjures visions of opulence, Orthodox traditions, conspiracies, enduring mysteries and of course cursed tragedy and when I saw this title trumpeting the salacious tales from behind the doors of the House of Romanov and infamous deeds of less than royal behavior I just had to read this and I am very happy with my choice. Here is a title I am excited to recommend not only for the interests it will spark in anyone with a passing curiosity in Russian history but it pulls the glittering jewels and powerful titles away and reveals human behavior (of course a lot of those are debatable) and the absurd antics that who are we kidding ourselves are just fun to read.

   Mr. Farquhar has created an entertaining compulsory read that condenses 300 years of the lives of Russian rulers ranging from Ivan IV Vasilyevich (better known as Ivan The Terrible) to Nikolai (Nicholas II) Alexandrovich Romanov and presents the italicized names from history to the reader in an easy to understand lesson with details of the some of the most peculiar stories about royals you may hear and even throws in some final serious pages that hold vivid accounts of one of the main reasons the name Romanov is now synonymous with historic tragedy. Chapters of tsars and tsarinas quickly fly by with humor and entertaining pieces from history pulled and aimed to capture a lite overview of an autocrat's reign with fascinating sections about: an unorthodox cannon salute for an imposter, a Russian spin on "spare the rod, spoil the child", the perks for men who caught Catherine the Great's eye, to why doves cried over Russia when Empress Anna poked her head outside her windows to the finale of how a rumored cross-dressing prince helped to bring down the "Mad Monk". With this winning combination of history and humor, the author can quickly become the laid back fun history teacher you wished you would have had in high school. So indulge in your curiosity and have some fun with Russian history with Secret Lives of the Tsars: Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia.

* I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and enjoy Secret Lives of the Tsars: Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia