What it says on the tin: a reign by reign history of Russia from Ivan III to Nicholas II.

I must admit my knowledge of Russian history was rather vague, but this book was a good introduction with excellent illustrations although some of the maps could have been clearer, especially those showing changes using different shades of blue. ( )

Some time ago I got on binge for facts dealing with Nicholas II, the last ruler of the Russian Empire. Research lead to details of his Romanov family lineage. That is when I found this book. It is an excellent summary of the Russians Tsars and Romanov line. Reading was not hard and includes lots of photos, paintings and graphics.

The book is broken down by major time periods with family trees showing the relationship of predecessors and successors to the throne. Don't know if I could bear to read in detail on the topic, but this overview was just right.

The books starts with a pre-lineage to the Romanov line after the occupation and rule of Mongol Empire. Very interesting history especially with its parallels to and differences from Western history.

Nice summary book of a different history time line. The pages of my hardbound edition are a heavier, higher quality so paging through this book felt like a reward. ( )