Alexander III: His Life and Reign

Alexander III: His Life and Reign is the only publication to explore Alexander's childhood, his life as a Grand Duke and then as the Tsesarevich (Heir) as well as his reign as Emperor of Russia following his father, Alexander II's assassination in 1881. His reign, as Nelipa points out, was marked by peace on the international scene but Alexander's domestic policy involved several repressive measures as well as social advances in the fields of education and justice. The book also explores a more personal side of Alexander III, as a devoted and loving husband to his wife, the Empress Maria Feodorovna, and father to their six children. The only other biography in English appeared almost 120 years ago and has the shortcoming of being published before Alexander III's death. The book is a comprehensive biography of Alexander as both man and monarch. Throughout this work we come to appreciate Nelipa's medical science and legal training because she provides remarkable details about the court process that Alexander III had sought against his father's assassins and likewise she offers details about the legal case that followed the Borki train accident, which in the author's opinion led to Alexander III's terminal illness. Using excerpts sourced from medical notes that were left by a number of Alexander III's physicians we closely follow the sovereign's final days of life. The autopsy report that was sourced from a file held in the Russian Archives reveals new light on Alexander III's cause of death. Adding to the unique quality of this book, the author relies on Russian primary sources which include diaries, letters, courtroom documents as well as memoirs and newspapers of the day all translated by the author and which have never been previously brought together. Extensive annotations, some 350 references in all, several appendices and 230 black and white illustrations all add rigor to this work. Alexander III, one of Russia's most obscure rulers.