It doesn't seem to matter how often I read books about the Romanovs-each time I get close to the end I dread it. I am completely willing to admit that I probably romanticize the Romanovs. There is no doubt Nicholas was (probably) an incompetent ruler, unable or unwilling to see past the end of his legacy, such as it was. However, this book simply broke my heart. The children, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia, as well as Alexei, were pure innocents. It's so troubling that they were killed the way they were. Again, not sure why that troubles me so, as opposed to the millions of people who were killed during World War I. I think it's easier to put a family into context than an entire generation of men, women, and children.