Helen Rappaport

A TLS AND PROSPECT BOOK OF THE YEARThe scintillating story of the Russian aristocrats, artists, and intellectuals who sought refuge in interwar Paris.The fall of the Romanov dynasty in 1917 forced thousands of Russians to flee their homeland with only the clothes on their backs. Many came to Frances glittering capital, Paris. Former princes drove taxicabs, while their wives found work in the fashion houses. Some intellectuals, artists, poets, philosophers, and writers eked out a living at menial jobs; a few found success until the economic downturn of the 1930s hit. In exile, White Russian activists sought to overthrow the Bolshevik regime from afar, and double agents plotted from both sides, to little avail. Many Russians became trapped in a cycle of poverty and their all-consuming homesickness. This is their story.

La historia, tan cautivadora como trágica, de Olga, Tatiana, María y Anastasia, hijas del último zar y las cuatro princesas más glamourosas de Europa. Cuatro preciosas jóvenes, tal vez las más admiradas y fotografiadas de la realeza de principios del siglo XX, objeto de incesantes rumores, nacidas en un mundo de glamour y opulencia, crecieron ajenas a su destino entre juegos, coqueteos con oficiales del ejercito y mascotas... hasta la Primera Guerra Mundial y la Revolucion. Pero ¿quienes eran realmente, mas alla de su imagen edulcorada de niñas bonitas con vestidos blancos y grandes sombreros? ¿Cuales eran sus esperanzas personales, sus sueños y aspiraciones y como se relacionaban entre si y con sus padres? ¿Como era su vida como parte de la familia imperial? Helen Rappaport coloca a las cuatro hermanas en el centro del escenario y, basandose en sus cartas, diarios y otras fuentes primarias hasta ahora no examinadas, reconstruye la fascinante personalidad de cada una de ellas, pero al mismo tiempo traza un impresionante retrato familiar y de la Rusia prerrevolucionaria. El 17 de julio de 1918, bajaron al sotano de una casa en Ekaterinburg. La mayor tenia veintidos años, la mas joven tan solo diecisiete. Junto con sus padres y su hermano de trece años de edad, fueron brutalmente asesinadas. Su delito: ser las hijas del ultimo zar.La critica ha dicho...Maravillosamente escrito. Una fascinante, profunda y comprehensiva investigacion de las duquesas imperiales.Daily Express Desgarrador y muy bien escrito. El sensible retrato que hace Rappaport de las desafortunadas hermanas crea en el lector verdadero apego hacia cada una de ellas.Mail on Sunday Evocador y esplendidamente investigado y relatado, esto es historia narrativa en su maxima expresion.BooksellerUna reconstruccion amena y bien documentada de los ultimos dias de las hijas del zar Nicholas.Telva Los lectores se veran arrastrados por una narracion tranquila pero elocuente mientras la autora arroja nueva luz sobre la vida de las cuatro hijas.Publishers Weekly Las hermanas Romanov recrea de manera sobresaliente la claustrofobica atmosfera provocada por el amor maternal de Alejandra. Mediante unos conocimientos solidos, un gran dominio de las fuentes primarias y grandes dosis de entusiasmo por el tema, ofrece un estudio consistente y demuestra con rotundidad la fuerza de los lazos familiares.The Telegraph Rappaport es una convincente biografa, excelente a la hora de sacar a la luz la humanidad de la historia, de ofrecer un fresco del pasado con todo su dramatico detalle sin dejar de colocar a las personas en el primer plano de sus penetrantes retratos.Lancashire Evening Post

Atrapados en la Revolución rusa, 1917, es el magistral relato de Helen...

An astonishingly rich story... wonderfully informative' The Times'Rappaport does a terrific job of bringing respectful rigour to her account of Seacole's extraordinary life' Daily MailIn Search of Mary Seacole is a superb and revealing biography that explores her remarkable achievements and unique status as an icon of the 19th century, but also corrects some of the myths that have grown around her life and career.Having been raised in Jamaica and worked in Panama, Mary Seacole came to England in the 1850s and volunteered to help out during the Crimean War. When her services were turned down, she financed her own expedition to Balaclava, where she earned her reputation as a nurse and for her compassion. Popularly known as Mother Seacole, she was the most famous Black celebrity of her generation an extraordinary achievement in Victorian Britain. She regularly mixed with illustrious royal and military patrons and they, along with grateful war veterans, helped her recover financially when she faced bankruptcy. However, after her death in 1881, she was largely forgotten for many years.

To Queen Victoria she was Aunt Julie to Catherine the Great she was Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna granddaughter in law This is the story of Princess Juliane Henriette Ulrike of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld the Rebel Romanov Born in 1781 in a small impoverished duchy of Germany Julie s quiet life took a fairy tale turn when she married into the Russian Imperial Family the Romanovs But this world of baroque splendour of opulent palaces and grandeur was no happily ever after Taken to Russia at just fourteen her marriage was hastily brokered to save the Saxe Coburg duchy from financial ruin Her husband Grand Duke Konstantin was cruel and abusive Julie was uprooted from her home family language and culture As Russia and Europe were thrown into tumult by the murder of Emperor Paul and the rise of Napoleon Julie finally made her escape back to Germany where she lived for two decades as a social pariah denied a divorce by the Imperial Family Forced to give up two illegitimate children to protect her family s honour she eventually built a life for herself in Switzerland where she entertained poets and philosophers regaling them with tales from the Russian court Helen Rappaport recreates the extraordinary life of this forgotten figure In doing so she sheds n

Shortlisted for the HWA Sharpe Books Non-Fiction Crown AwardA work of investigative history that will completely change the way in which we see the Romanov story. Finally, here is the truth about the secret plans to rescue Russias last imperial family.On 17 July 1918, the whole of the Russian Imperial Family was murdered. There were no miraculous escapes. The former Tsar Nicholas, his wife Alexandra, and their children Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexey were all tragically gunned down in a blaze of bullets. Historian Helen Rappaport sets out to uncover why the Romanovs European royal relatives and the Allied governments failed to save them. It was not, ever, a simple case of one British Kings loss of nerve. In this race against time, many other nations and individuals were facing political and personal challenges of the highest order.In this incredible detective story, Rappaport draws on an unprecedented range of unseen sources, tracking down missing documents, destroyed papers and covert plots to liberate the family by land, sea and even sky. Through countless twists and turns, this revelatory work unpicks many false claims and conspiracies, revealing the fiercest loyalty, bitter rivalries and devastating betrayals as the Romanovs, imprisoned, awaited their fate.A remarkable new work of history from Helen Rappaport, author of Ekaterinburg: The Last Days of the Romanovs.

The official companion to ITVs hotly anticipated new drama, The Victoria Letters delves into the private writings of the young Queen Victoria, painting a vivid picture of the personal life of one of Englands greatest monarchs. From the producers of Poldark and Endeavour, ITVs Victoria follows the early years of the young Queens reign, based closely on Victorias own letters and journals. Now explore this extensive collection in greater depth, and discover who Victoria really was behind her upright public persona. At only 18 years old, Victoria ascended the throne as a rebellious teenager and gradually grew to become one of the most memorable, unshakeable and powerful women in history. The extensive writings she left behind document this personal journey and show how she triumphed over scandal and corruption. Written by Internationally bestselling author, historian of 12 books and Victoria historical consultant, Helen Rappaport, and including a foreword by Daisy Goodwin acclaimed novelist and screenwriter of the series The Victoria Letters details the history behind the show. Revealing Victorias own thoughts about the love interests, family dramas and court scandals during her early reign, it also delves into the running of the royal household, the upstairs-downstairs relationships, and what it was like to live in Victorian England. Full of beautiful photography from the series and genuine imagery from the era, come behind the palace doors and discover the girl behind the Queen.

A TRUE STORY OF LIES, BEAUTY AND BLACKMAIL IN VICTORIAN LONDON_________________________Madame Rachel had everything.A Mayfair address; the title of purveyor to Her Majesty the Queen; a shop full of exotic, expensive creams and potions; and a clientele of the aristocratic, the rich - and the gullible. Little did they suspect that Madame Rachel had once been a poor fish-fryer in a disease-ridden, grubby corner of Victorian London. Her shop in New Bond Street lured her wealthy clients in their droves, enticed by the promise of eternal beauty. What they found there was a con-woman and fraudster who made a career out of lies, treachery and the desperate hopes of women wanting to be beautiful for ever. Beautiful For Ever is a thrilling tale of love affairs, scandal, blackmail, high-profile court cases, suicide and fraud, with the extraordinary Madame Rachel right at the centre of it all.

To Queen Victoria she was Aunt Julie; to Catherine the Great she was Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna, granddaughter-in-law. This is the story of Princess Juliane-Henriette-Ulrike of Saxe-Coburg, the Rebel Romanov. Born in 1781 in a small impoverished duchy of Germany, Julies quiet life took a fairy-tale turn when she married into the Russian Imperial Family - the Romanovs. But this world of baroque splendour, of opulent palaces and grandeur, was no happily ever after. Taken to Russia at just fourteen, her marriage was hastily brokered to save the Saxe-Coburg duchy from financial ruin. Her husband, Grand Duke Konstantin, was cruel and abusive, Julie was uprooted from her home, family, language and culture. As Russia and Europe were thrown into tumult by the murder of Emperor Paul and the rise of Napoleon, Julie finally made her escape back to Germany, where she lived for two decades as a social pariah, denied a divorce by the Imperial Family. Forced to give up two illegitimate children to protect her familys honour, she eventually built a life for herself in Switzerland, where she entertained poets and philosophers, regaling them with tales from the Russian court. Helen Rappaport recreates the extraordinary life of this forgotten figure. In doing so she sheds new light on the Romanovs, reveals the sacrifices Julie made to further her familys interests - her brother became king of Belgium, her sister gave birth to Queen Victoria - and investigates the true nature of Julies relationship with Tsar Alexander I. Rich in history, drama and royal intrigue, Julies remarkable story is told at last.

An astonishingly rich story... wonderfully informativeThe TimesRappaport does a terrific job of bringing respectful rigour to her account of Seacoles extraordinary lifeDaily MailIn Search of Mary Seacole is a superb and revealing biography that explores her remarkable achievements and unique status as an icon of the 19th century, but also corrects some of the myths that have grown around her life and career.Having been raised in Jamaica and worked in Panama, Mary Seacole came to England in the 1850s and volunteered to help out during the Crimean War. When her services were turned down, she financed her own expedition to Balaclava, where she earned her reputation as a nurse and for her compassion. Popularly known as Mother Seacole, she was the most famous Black celebrity of her generation an extraordinary achievement in Victorian Britain. She regularly mixed with illustrious royal and military patrons and they, along with grateful war veterans, helped her recover financially when she faced bankruptcy. However, after her death in 1881, she was largely forgotten for many years.More recently, her profile has been revived and her reputation lionised, with a statue of her standing outside St Thomass Hospital in London and her portrait - rediscovered by the author - is now on display in the National Portrait Gallery. In Search of Mary Seacole is the fruit of almost twenty years of research by Helen Rappaport into her story. The book reveals the truth about Seacoles personal life and her rivalry with Florence Nightingale, along with much more besides. Often the reality proves to be even more remarkable and dramatic than the legend.

From New York Times bestselling author Helen Rappaport comes a superb and revealing biography of Mary Seacole that is testament to her remarkable achievements and corrective to the myths that have grown around her.Raised in Jamaica, Mary Seacole first came to England in the 1850s after working in Panama. She wanted to volunteer as a nurse and aide during the Crimean War. When her services were rejected, she financed her own expedition to Balaclava, where her reputation for her nursingand for her compassionbecame almost legendary. Popularly known as Mother Seacole, she was the most famous Black celebrity of her generationan extraordinary achievement in Victorian Britain. She regularly mixed with illustrious royal and military patrons and they, along with grateful war veterans, helped her recover financially when she faced bankruptcy. However, after her death in 1881, she was largely forgotten.More recently, her profile has been revived and her reputation lionised, with a statue of her standing outside St Thomass Hospital in London and her portraitrediscovered by the authornow on display in the National Portrait Gallery. In Search of Mary Seacole is the fruit of almost twenty years of research and reveals the truth about Seacoles personal life, her "rivalry" with Florence Nightingale, and other misconceptions.Vivid and moving, In Search of Mary Seacole shows that reality is oftem more remarkable and more dramatic than the legend.

SELECTED AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TELEGRAPH AND EVENING STANDARD[The] centenary will prompt a raft of books on the Russian Revolution. They will be hard pushed to better this highly original, exhaustively researched and superbly constructed account. Saul David, Daily TelegraphA gripping, vivid, deeply researched chronicle of the Russian Revolution told through the eyes of a surprising, flamboyant cast of foreigners in Petrograd, superbly narrated by Helen Rappaport.Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The RomanovsBetween the first revolution in February 1917 and Lenins Bolshevik coup in October, Petrograd (the former St Petersburg) was in turmoil. Foreign visitors who filled hotels, bars and embassies were acutely aware of the chaos breaking out on their doorsteps. Among them were journalists, diplomats, businessmen, governesses and volunteer nurses. Many kept diaries and wrote letters home: from an English nurse who had already survived the sinking of the Titanic; to the black valet of the US Ambassador, far from his native Deep South; to suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst, who had come to Petrograd to inspect the indomitable Womens Death Battalion led by Maria Bochkareava. Drawing upon a rich trove of material and through eye-witness accounts left by foreign nationals who saw the drama unfold, Helen Rappaport takes us right up to the action to see, feel and hear the Revolution as it happened.

Rappaport uses new sources to give a vivid account of Alberts death . . . a valuable and insightful book which will change our view of Queen Victoria.SpectatorWhen Queen Victorias husband, Prince Albert, died in December 1861 the nation was paralysed with grief. His death was a catastrophe for Victoria, who not only adored her husband but had, through twenty-one years of marriage, utterly relied on him: as companion, father of their children, friend, confidant, and unofficial private secretary. Without Albert to guide and support her, the Queen retreated into a state of pathological grief which nobody could penetrate and few understood. Drawing widely on contemporary letters, diaries and memoirs, Rappaport brings new light to bear on the causes of Alberts death and tracks Victorias mission to commemorate her husband in perpetuity. Richly compelling, this is the story of a magnificent obsession that even death could not sever.

Conspirator is the compelling story of Lenins exile: the years in which he and his political collaborators plotted a revolution that would change 20th century history.It tells the story of Lenin in the long and difficult years leading up to the Russian Revolution, years that were spent constantly on the move in and around Europe in the company of his loyal and longsuffering wife Nadezhda Krupskaya. Conspirator strips away the arid politics of Lenins official life and reveals the real man, as well as describing his many conflicts, personal and political, with those who shared his exile. It also looks at the loyal circle of women who unquestioningly supported Lenin, at Russian emigre lives in the enclaves of the cities in they lived and the risks taken in support of Lenins vision by the wider network of Russian revolutionaries in the underground movement, both at home and abroad.

A vivid and compelling account of the final thirteen days of the Romanovs, counting down to the last, tense hours of their lives.On 4 July 1918, a new commandant took control of a closely guarded house in the Russian town of Ekaterinburg. His name was Yakov Yurovsky, and his prisoners were the Imperial family: the former Tsar Nicholas, his wife Alexandra, and their children, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexey. Thirteen days later, at Yurovskys command, and on direct orders from Moscow, the family was gunned down in a blaze of bullets in a basement room.This is the story of those murders, which ended 300 years of Romanov rule and began an era of state-orchestrated terror and brutal repression.

La historia, tan cautivadora como trágica, de Olga, Tatiana, María y Anastasia, hijas del último zar y las cuatro princesas más glamourosas de Europa.Cuatro preciosas jóvenes, tal vez las más admiradas y fotografiadas de la realeza de principios del siglo XX, objeto de incesantes rumores, nacidas en un mundo de glamour y opulencia, crecieron ajenas a su destino entre juegos, coqueteos con oficiales del ejercito y mascotas... hasta la Primera Guerra Mundial y la Revolucion.Pero ¿quienes eran realmente, mas alla de su imagen edulcorada de niñas bonitas con vestidos blancos y grandes sombreros? ¿Cuales eran sus esperanzas personales, sus sueños y aspiraciones y como se relacionaban entre si y con sus padres? ¿Como era su vida como parte de la familia imperial? Helen Rappaport coloca a las cuatro hermanas en el centro del escenario y, basandose en sus cartas, diarios y otras fuentes primarias hasta ahora no examinadas, reconstruye la fascinante personalidad de cada una de ellas, pero al mismo tiempo traza un impresionante retrato familiar y de la Rusia prerrevolucionaria.El 17 de julio de 1918, bajaron al sotano de una casa en Ekaterinburg. La mayor tenia veintidos años, la mas joven tan solo diecisiete. Junto con sus padres y su hermano de trece años de edad, fueron brutalmente asesinadas. Su delito: ser las hijas del ultimo zar.La critica ha dicho...Maravillosamente escrito. Una fascinante, profunda y comprehensiva investigacion de las duquesas imperiales.Daily ExpressDesgarrador y muy bien escrito. El sensible retrato que hace Rappaport de las desafortunadas hermanas crea en el lector verdadero apego hacia cada una de ellas.Mail on SundayEvocador y esplendidamente investigado y relatado, esto es historia narrativa en su maxima expresion.BooksellerUna reconstruccion amena y bien documentada de los ultimos dias de las hijas del zar Nicholas.TelvaLos lectores se veran arrastrados por una narracion tranquila pero elocuente mientras la autora arroja nueva luz sobre la vida de las cuatro hijas.Publishers WeeklyLas hermanas Romanov recrea de manera sobresaliente la claustrofobica atmosfera provocada por el amor maternal de Alejandra. Mediante unos conocimientos solidos, un gran dominio de las fuentes primarias y grandes dosis de entusiasmo por el tema, ofrece un estudio consistente y demuestra con rotundidad la fuerza de los lazos familiares.The TelegraphRappaport es una convincente biografa, excelente a la hora de sacar a la luz la humanidad de la historia, de ofrecer un fresco del pasado con todo su dramatico detalle sin dejar de colocar a las personas en el primer plano de sus penetrantes retratos.Lancashire Evening Post

La historia, tan cautivadora como trágica, de Olga, Tatiana, María y Anastasia, hijas del último zar y las cuatro princesas más glamourosas de Europa.Cuatro preciosas jóvenes, tal vez las más admiradas y fotografiadas de la realeza de principios del siglo XX, objeto de incesantes rumores, nacidas en un mundo de glamour y opulencia, crecieron ajenas a su destino entre juegos, coqueteos con oficiales del ejercito y mascotas... hasta la Primera Guerra Mundial y la Revolucion.Pero ¿quienes eran realmente, mas alla de su imagen edulcorada de niñas bonitas con vestidos blancos y grandes sombreros? ¿Cuales eran sus esperanzas personales, sus sueños y aspiraciones y como se relacionaban entre si y con sus padres? ¿Como era su vida como parte de la familia imperial? Helen Rappaport coloca a las cuatro hermanas en el centro del escenario y, basandose en sus cartas, diarios y otras fuentes primarias hasta ahora no examinadas, reconstruye la fascinante personalidad de cada una de ellas, pero al mismo tiempo traza un impresionante retrato familiar y de la Rusia prerrevolucionaria.El 17 de julio de 1918, bajaron al sotano de una casa en Ekaterinburg. La mayor tenia veintidos años, la mas joven tan solo diecisiete. Junto con sus padres y su hermano de trece años de edad, fueron brutalmente asesinadas. Su delito: ser las hijas del ultimo zar.La critica ha dicho... Maravillosamente escrito. Una fascinante, profunda y comprehensiva investigacion de las duquesas imperiales.Daily ExpressDesgarrador y muy bien escrito. El sensible retrato que hace Rappaport de las desafortunadas hermanas crea en el lector verdadero apego hacia cada una de ellas.Mail on SundayEvocador y esplendidamente investigado y relatado, esto es historia narrativa en su maxima expresion.BooksellerUna reconstruccion amena y bien documentada de los ultimos dias de las hijas del zar Nicholas.TelvaLos lectores se veran arrastrados por una narracion tranquila pero elocuente mientras la autora arroja nueva luz sobre la vida de las cuatro hijas.Publishers WeeklyLas hermanas Romanov recrea de manera sobresaliente la claustrofobica atmosfera provocada por el amor maternal de Alejandra. Mediante unos conocimientos solidos, un gran dominio de las fuentes primarias y grandes dosis de entusiasmo por el tema, ofrece un estudio consistente y demuestra con rotundidad la fuerza de los lazos familiares.The TelegraphRappaport es una convincente biografa, excelente a la hora de sacar a la luz la humanidad de la historia, de ofrecer un fresco del pasado con todo su dramatico detalle sin dejar de colocar a las personas en el primer plano de sus penetrantes retratos.Lancashire Evening Post

On 17 July 1918, four young women walked down into the cellar of a house in Ekaterinburg. The eldest was twenty-two, the youngest only seventeen. Together with their parents and their thirteen-year-old brother, they were all brutally murdered. Their crime: to be the daughters of the last Tsar and Tsaritsa of All the Russias.In Four Sisters acclaimed biographer Helen Rappaport offers readers the most authoritative account yet of the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia. Drawing on their own letters and diaries, she paints a vivid picture of their lives in the dying days of the Romanov dynasty. We see, almost for the first time, their journey from a childhood of enormous privilege, throughout which they led a very sheltered and largely simple life, to young womanhood their first romantic crushes, their hopes and dreams, the difficulty of coping with a mother who was a chronic invalid and a haemophiliac brother, and, latterly, the trauma of the revolution and its terrible consequences. Compellingly readable, meticulously researched and deeply moving, Four Sisters gives these young women a voice, and allows their story to resonate for readers almost a century after their death.An astoundingly intimate tale of domestic life lived in the crucible of powerObserver

Capturing the Light starts with a tiny scrap of purple-tinged paper, 176 years old and about the size of a postage stamp. On it you can just make out a tiny, ghostly image of a gothic window, an image so small and perfect that it might be supposed to be the work of some Lilliputian artist: the worlds first photographic negative. This captivating book traces the lives of two very different men in the 1830s, both racing to be the first to solve one of the worlds oldest problems: how to capture an image and keep it for ever. On the one hand there is Henry Fox Talbot: a quiet, solitary gentleman-amateur tinkering away on his farm in the English countryside. On the other Louis Daguerre, a flamboyant, charismatic French showman in search of fame and fortune. Only one question remains: who will get there first?