Total honesty up front; I haven't quite been in the right headspace all the way through this book; whether due to a lack of sleep, feeling ill, in pain or just run down, I haven't been able to give it the full attention it deserves. However, despite that, I did find it an incredibly interesting read!

Famously, Queen Victoria is considered the 'grandmother of Europe' due to the strategic marriages she arranged for each of her nine children. This led to the majority of the ruling houses of Europe, including the Russian royal family, being related by blood or marriage. So, when war broke out, family was present on both sides. So why was no rescue of the Imperial Family even attempted by their allies, or indeed their 'enemies'? The third in a 'trilogy' of books on the subject of the last Tsar of Russia and his family (reviews for both of which I have posted previously), Rappaport turns her gaze here to the wider world and considers the plans, plots and problems faced by those who could have potentially intervened.

I will admit to being immediately daunted by the lengthy dramatis personae at the front of the book. There are of course the obvious names of the people concerned; the Imperial Family, various crowned heads and other well-known historical figures. But it's the number of 'back office' staff; diplomats, ambassadors, politicians and so on, that really gets confusing. Fortunately, the author has managed to include a little introduction to each person within the narrative, so it's not absolutely essential to read the list.

The narrative is written in a linear timeline, so you can follow the progression of the Imperial Family's fate from abdication to arrest and imprisonment, and the potential holes available for rescue missions to be affected. While there is a lot of crossover, given that the number of ways out were limited, the author has still taken the time to try and separate out each strand to make things easier to follow. However, this is where my brain fog got in the way - in many scenarios, it feels like you are reading the same plan over and over again, making it more difficult to keep on top of exactly who is claiming responsibility. It also doesn't help when certain individuals are implicated in multiple plots... 

What becomes more interesting though is the author's examination of the attitudes of the various royal families who could have offered aid, and the reasons why it was never forthcoming. Generally speaking, George V is the one blamed for the fact that they were not evacuated to the UK, but Rappaport considers this in far more detail. During the course of her research, she uncovered new sources of information which reshapes the story, and perhaps illustrates that blame could be apportioned in many more directions. Conversely, she shines a light on those that did attempt to secure the release of Nicholas and his family, whether by diplomatic means or via plans to rescue them. It's the hypocrisy of certain individuals that really sticks out to me, and that sense that the people who 'back up' the royals (I.e. private secretaries etc) are more concerned with protocol and maintaining the status quo than the royals themselves are! Something which, IMO, still occurs today. Throughout the correspondences and considerations of all those involved, it feels like they all forgot there were actual people waiting for their help - they act as if it was an actual crown they needed to rescue. 

As you can probably tell, the author has managed to infuse this non-fiction work with emotion and character, while reporting the facts as she finds them. It's written in a very clear style (despite the number of people involved) and I feel like I'd definitely get more out of this after a second read when my head is clearer. For now though, I'm content that I've read it and the fact that it looks at this story from an entirely different angle is fascinating.