A Lifelong Passion: Nicholas and Alexandra: Their Own Story by Sergei Mironenko, Andrei Maylunas

ISBN: 9780385486736 Doubleday, January 1997 688 pages, Hardcover These letters, most of which are published here for the first time, offer an intimate look at some of the most momentous events of the early 1900s, including Russia's participation in World War I and the fall of the Romanov dynasty in the Bolshevik revolution. Among the correspondents are Alexandra's beloved but domineering grandmother, Queen Victoria of England, and Nicholas' cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. Most poignant, though, are the letters and diaries of the last Tsar and Tsarina, which stand as eloquent expressions of one of the great love affairs of this century.