One hundred years ago, the Bolsheviks murdered Russias last imperial family. Why couldnt they escape their fate?

On 17 July 1918, the Russian Revolution came for the former Tsar Nicholas, his wife Alexandra, and their children Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexey. The House of Romanov died in a blaze of bullets.

It didnt have to end this way. The Romanovs royal relatives in Europe and the Allied governments were racing against time to get them out before it was too late, negotiating a tricky web of political and personal challenges. Their plots to evacuate the royal family by land, sea, and even sky all came to naught. Why were the worlds mightiest nations powerless to save the Romanovs? Historian Helen Rappaport weaves an incredible detective story, drawing on an unprecedented range of unseen sources. Through countless twists and turns, she reveals a tragic story of fierce loyalty, bitter rivalries and devastating betrayals, culminating in the execution of the abandoned Imperial family.

A remarkable new work of history from Helen Rappaport, author ofEkaterinburg: The Last Days of the Romanovs.

Helen Rappaport is a historian with a specialism in late Imperial Russia and the Victorians. She is the author of thirteen published books, including theSunday TimesbestsellerFour Sisters:The Lost Lives of the Romanov Grand Duchesses;Ekaterinburg: The Last Days of the RomanovsandCaught in the Revolution: Petrograd, 1917. Helen is also historical consultant to the ITV drama series,Victoriaand her books about the Victorians includeMagnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert and the Death that Changed the Monarchy.