'The Last of the Tsars' is authoritative, definitive, and tells a compelling story

The overthrow of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II in February 1917 was one of the seminal events in the 20th century. The Tsar abdicated during what became known as the February Revolution and was replaced by a Provisional Government led by Alexander Kerensky.   Just six months later – thanks to plenty of help from the Germans – the new government collapsed and Kerensky gave way to Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks. And, when Lenin took power, the fate of the Tsar remained an unanswered question.      

The distinguished Oxford historian Robert Service examines this important historical. This meticulously researched book is not, as the title implies, a biography of Nicholas but rather a detailed, thoughtful look at the time between the Tsar’s abdication and his murder 16 months later. A more accurate title would be “The End of the Last Tsar.” No matter. Service’s books are authoritative, definitive, and tell a compelling story, and this is no exception.