‘The Romanovs: 1613-1918,’ by Simon Sebag Montefiore

‘The Romanovs: 1613-1918,’ by Simon Sebag Montefiore - The New York Times

The story of the Romanov dynasty began in 1613 with Michael Romanov, chosen as Russia’s czar in the Time of Troubles, and ended in 1918 with Alexei Romanov, shot alongside his parents and sisters in the basement of a house in the Urals. 

In his mammoth 744-page opus, “The Romanovs,” Simon Sebag Montefiore, the eminent biographer of Joseph Stalin and Grigory Potemkin, covers the entire dynasty, from its rise to its apogee to its fall — an enterprise that has been accomplished only twice before, for reasons that become apparent just pages into the volume: It takes true historical daring to tackle such an immense subject.

See Simon's website for more details on his books