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The Correspondence of the Empress Alexandra of Russia with Ernst Ludwig and Eleonore, Grand Duke and Duchess of Hesse. 1878-1916
A collection of letters exchanged between Grand Duke Ernst ludwig of Hesse and by Rhine and his sister Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia.
404 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 26, 2025
These are the letters/postcards between Empress Alexandra (born a Princess of Hesse) and her brother Grand Duke Ernest Ludwig "Ernie" of Hesse and by Rhine (and also his wife Onor). The correspondence begins in 1878 and it ends with the last known correspondence between the Empress and her sister-in-law in 1918. The letters don't describe anything of the political situation the Empress found herself faced with during her life in Russia. It's all family news and health.
One of the things that bothered me most was the way the book was laid out. The letters of Alexandra to her sister-in-law, Grand Duchess Eleonore, are presented in their original German with English translations to be found in one of the appendices. It would've been much more helpful had these translations actually followed the original German letter. It became something of a nuisance to have to flip back and forth.
One of the good things of the book is the amount of footnotes that help us identify family members called by nicknames and also help us to put historical events into perspective.
A good book to own if you are a die-hard fan of Empress Alexandra, as it is mostly her letters that survive. Ernie's letters to her were destroyed when the Empress burnt most of her correspondence.
One of the things that bothered me most was the way the book was laid out. The letters of Alexandra to her sister-in-law, Grand Duchess Eleonore, are presented in their original German with English translations to be found in one of the appendices. It would've been much more helpful had these translations actually followed the original German letter. It became something of a nuisance to have to flip back and forth.
One of the good things of the book is the amount of footnotes that help us identify family members called by nicknames and also help us to put historical events into perspective.
A good book to own if you are a die-hard fan of Empress Alexandra, as it is mostly her letters that survive. Ernie's letters to her were destroyed when the Empress burnt most of her correspondence.
November 7, 2017
An excellent book for anyone with serious interest in the last Romanovs. The puzzle that is Empress Alexandra and her character, which has been both scorned and idolized over the last century, gets another, considerable piece with the publication of the letters from the Hessian archives. I also appreciated that the author included English translation of the letters, which were originally written in German (and are also included as such in the book).
A unique experience.
A unique experience.
July 31, 2017
Would have been nice if there were German translations for those of us who don't read German! Also, felt like (for someone who wasn't as familiar with the varied cast of characters as I am) there should have been more notes about who everyone was.
Will write a longer review later.
Will write a longer review later.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews