Review by Choice Review
In less than three years Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra exchanged almost 1,700 letters and telegrams. Because he was Russian and she was German, most of the correspondence took place in English, a mutual language. Fuhrmann has compiled these letters in a user-friendly and very well indexed volume. It is clear from the correspondence that these two nobles loved each other deeply and freely shared their intimacy. They worried about their children and often commented on the mundane aspects of their lives. Although there are hints that the country was rife with turmoil, many of the letters simply ignore it. The letters reveal Alexandra as the dominant figure, while Nicholas appears weak and unrealistic. The inclusion of the entire series of letters has added both bulk and cost to the volume, but in the end this is necessary for readers to achieve a fuller picture of both Nicholas and Alexandra. This volume will be extraordinarily useful for those interested in 20th-century Russia. All levels. G. R. Sharfman; Hiram College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
