Road to Revolution and the Tsar's Travels

This is the second part of a trilogy concerning the real story of the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia. The story carries on through the Russo-Japanese war, the Russian Revolution of 1905 and the setting up of the First Russian Parliament in 1906. It shows how outside events affected the children, and their reactions to it all. For the first time (with the help of the Grand Duchesses' own correspondence) ECS Banks explains what really happened between the sisters and Rasputin in the spring of 1910.

The Grand Duchesses' fairy-tale existence is shown as it really was through historical events covering death, murder, deceit, and the lighter moments of fashion faux pas and friendship. In Road to Revolution ECS Banks gets to the heart of the Grand Duchesses' personal lives.

The third instalment of ECS Banks Romanov series mainly concerns Tsar Nicholas II - father to the Grand Duchesses. ECS Banks touches on his childhood, growing up within the confines of a traditional medieval castle, then follows him on a tour of the Far East in 1890-1891.

After years of living an idle life followed by a career in the army and marriage to Alix, Nicholas became Tsar of Russia. As Tsar, he often felt inadequate. Although Nicholas had immense personal charm, he did not possess the confidence or most of the qualities needed to rule the vast Russian Empire. He endured a serious of personal disasters and constantly struggled to assert himself until his own health broke down in 1900.

The Tsar's Travels also includes the early childhood of the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Marie, Anastasia and their beloved cousin Princess Elisabeth of Hesse.