This is another thoroughly researched and engagingly written volume of Russian history such as we have come to expect from Helen Rappaport. In this book Ms. Rappaport, who has written extensively on the Romanov family, answers the questions of why no one was able to save Nicholas II and his family - neither their many royal relatives in Europe nor the Allied governments alongside of whom Russia had been fighting in World War I for four years. This book is a fascinating look at a small slice of history and will leave you wondering "what if?".

Helen Rappaport returns again to the ends days of the Russian Empire with a deep look at all the attempts made behind the scenes to try and protect the lives Tsar Nicholas II and his family. The author leaves absolutely no stoned unturned in her extensive coverage, and gives attention from everything ranging from behind the scenes diplomatic wrangling and arguing in Europe's halls of power to a surprisingly wide array of rescue schemes cooked up with a mix of earnest intentions and utter naivety. As usual Rappaport's research is incredibly deep and incomparably extensive, and through an abundance of historical documentation she has created what is probably the clearest and most comprehensive overview to date on a little-remembered but no less tragic aspect of the final days of the Romanov Dynasty.