Nicholas and Alexandra: An Intimate Account of the Last of the Romanovs and the Fall of Imperial Russia
Massie's breakthrough biography and the natural starting point for his books on the Russian imperial family.
Author guide
Robert K. Massie Books in Order
Robert Kinloch Massie III (1929–2019) was an American historian, journalist, and author. A Yale graduate and Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, he worked for Newsweek and The Saturday Evening Post before becoming a full-time writer. His books focused particularly on Russian imperial history and the naval and diplomatic history surrounding World War I. He won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Biography for Peter the Great: His Life and World.
biographyhistorynaval historymemoir
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Peter the Great: His Life and World
A major standalone biography and the recipient of Massie's Pulitzer Prize for Biography.
Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War
The best starting point for Massie's histories of the political and naval tensions leading to World War I.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (6)
- Nicholas and Alexandra: An Intimate Account of the Last of the Romanovs and the Fall of Imperial Russia
nonfiction · 1967
"A LARGER THAN LIFE DRAMA, SO BIZARRE, SO HEART-RENDING AND, ABOVE ALL, SO APOCALYPTIC, THAT NO NOVELIST WOULD HAVE DARED INVENT IT" —Saturday Review Syndicate The story of the Tsar, his Empress, and the realm they lost. The story of a…
- Peter the Great: His Life and World
nonfiction · 1980
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • An “urgently readable” (Newsweek) biography of the captivating tsar who changed Russian history—from the New York Times bestselling author of Nicholas and Alexandra, The Romanovs, and Catherine the Great…
- Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War
nonfiction · 1991
- The Romanovs: The Final Chapter
nonfiction · 1995
A “masterful” (The Washington Post Book World) account of the quest to solve one of the great mysteries in Russian history—from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and Catherine the Great…
- Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea
nonfiction · 2004
On the eve of the war in August 1914, Great Britain and Germany possessed the two greatest navies the world had ever seen: two fleets of dreadnoughts – gigantic 'castles of steel' able to hurl massive shells at an enemy miles away – were…
- Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
nonfiction · 2011
The extraordinary story of an obscure German princess who became one of the most powerful women in history.
Nonfiction (1)
- Journey
memoir · 1975
The authors recount the story of their eighteen-year struggle against their son's hemophilia.
Frequently asked questions about Robert K. Massie
Who was Robert K. Massie?
Robert K. Massie was an American journalist, historian, and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer best known for chronicling Russian history and its imperial figures.
Source: penguinrandomhousehighereducation.com (opens in a new tab)
What was Robert K. Massie’s career before he became a full-time author?
He studied at Yale and Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, served in the U.S. Navy, and worked as a journalist for Collier’s, Newsweek, and The Saturday Evening Post.
Sources: carnegiecenterlex.org (opens in a new tab)latimes.com (opens in a new tab)
What inspired Robert K. Massie’s interest in Russian history?
His interest grew while researching hemophilia, a condition that affected his son and also Tsarevich Alexei, the son of Nicholas II.
Source: latimes.com (opens in a new tab)
What award did Robert K. Massie win?
He won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Biography for Peter the Great: His Life and World.
What is Robert K. Massie’s legacy?
Massie is remembered for making Russian imperial history widely accessible through compelling narrative biography and for serving as president of the Authors Guild from 1987 to 1991.
Sources: latimes.com (opens in a new tab)carnegiecenterlex.org (opens in a new tab)