Nicholas I: Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias (NIU Series in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies) Paperback – September 1, 1989

Rare biography of an important figure.

Well, for those who thought they knew what the Tsars had to deal with, W. Bruce Lincoln gives up a more nuanced narrative. Both Nicholas and his older brothers were in their twenties when faced with an impossible job. Nicholas had first to face a revolt and in one part of it, if the Decembrists knew who was directing them to the square, he would have been shot. He was brave, handsome, and convinced, maybe as a result of the bloodbath in France at the hands of the Jacobins, that Russia was not ready for that and needed a firm hand. But he was an organizer who also understood that the government needed a system, too. And he also wanted to know what the failing s were and indeed, kept a copy of the digest of the interviews of the Decembrists on his desk all through his reign. As I worked my way through this after reading the biography of his older brother, Alexander I, it really hit me that none of these people with few exectio0ns ruled longer than 30 years. The job is just too demanding. They also kept long hours and literally wore themselves out. Nicholas I was so worn down physically and mentally by the time he hit 58 that he was killed by a common cold. In the meantime, he devised a system to rule the country that remained until the revolution.

I am a layperson trying to learn more about Russian history. I think the author was well researched and has a nice narrative style for writing history. Unfortunately, I feel the author ruins his narrative style by repeating points, often even literally repeating entire supporting quotations, throughout the book. It's as if the author thought I didn't get it the first time. Good author, but needs an editor.

As an undergraduate, my Minors were in History and English. The area of concentration in my History Minor was Russian History. However, much of the study was concentrated on Peter the Great. and some Catherine the Great and then a great deal on Czar Nicholas the II and the Russian Revolution. Consequently, I have always been somewhat weak in my knowledge of the time of Nicholas I and of Russia's involvement in the Crimean War. Recently, I have been writing for Wikipedia on topics like the Crimean War using other books in my library as sources--including the 1981 book by W. Bruce Lincoln, "The Romanovs: Autocrats of All the Russias." However, I have always felt the need for a good biography of Nicholas I to further elaborate some of the details around the Crimean War as seen from the Russian point of view. Thus, I purchased this book to obtain more of that sort of detail and the the book has not let me down.

This biography is very immediate. One feels like he is getting to know the characters. The reader appriciates Nicholas' personality while showing how the "System" is evolved for governing his empire worked. The reader tends to reflect on the ways in which the limitations of the System and the inabilty his successors lead to its collaps in 1917. The book is sympathetic and is trying to rehabilitate the reputation of an Emperor who is often remembered as a reactionary despot.

This is a superb, well researched, highly organized, and very readable biography of an important Russian emperor. The author provides an indepth description and intelligent analysis of Nicholas' personality and character, the emperor's orientation to autocratic rule, Russian political, economic, social, and cultural history during his reign, and the importance of the political, economic, and social influences of Western European nations on Russia. Lincoln goes much beyond just presenting a chronology of events, by explaining why historical events happened as they did. The final epilogue nicely places the reign of Nicholas in the broader context of Russian history that preceded his reign and the events that would unfold subsequent to his time. My only slight criticism of the book is that maps were not included. Nevertheless, it is one of the best historical biographies I have ever read. Lincoln's larger worker, The Romanozs is equally terrific.