DOC Little Mother of Russia: A Biography of the Empress Marie Feodorovna (1847-1928) by Coryne Hall in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A MUST-READ for History Lovers!By Linda AndersonWonderfully written history of a family whose descendants occupy Royal Houses all over Europe to this day!4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Disappointing; given the money I paid for itBy SusieQIt's amazing that; despite a wealth of detail; new information available from Russian sources; and decent (but only just) writing; Ms. Hall couldn't produce a home run with this biography.This is the first biography of Marie; wife of Tsar Alexander III; in English. It's unfortunate that Ms. Hall is the author; she lacks the skill to make a subject "take off" (unlike Charlotte Zeepvat; whose Royal books I just want more of). Facts are presented; but in a dry; almost by-the-numbers fashion (the same fault I noticed with the biography of Xenia; Marie's daughter -- very dry presentation despite an intriguing life). Although there was access to Marie's diaries and letters; the author never lets us hear Marie's voice.It's odd that the author refers to Marie throughout the book as Dagmar; not Marie Fedorovna (the name she adopted as a Russian) or even as Minny; her childhood nickname that even Queen Victoria referred to her by. Was she trying to emphasize her Danish heritage? We don't find out. Yes; she was born Dagmar; but once she married; she became Marie; so why not refer to her as Marie or as Minny?How I wanted to learn more about Marie's romance with Nikolai who-should-have-been Nikolai II; and new information about her marriage with Alexander III! We only get a very few far between new details; in the midst of all the known ones.Interestingly; one comes away from this book with less sympathy for Nicholas II and Alexandra than ever before. They are certainly shown to be the weak; in-over-their-head rulers that they were. But; frustratingly; very little of the actual diary entries or correspondences that presumably set forth just what went wrong in the relationship between Marie; Nicholas Alexandra; are utilized; it's just the author's summarizations.There's a summarization of the Anna Anderson controversy near the end of the book; which I could have done without. I'm tired of almost every book about the Romanovs rehashing the Anna Anderson case. DNA evidence has settled that hash. They ALL died in that cellar; and she was a very carefully coached would-be imposter (I don't know by whom; but lets say the German relatives) -- please get over it.I suppose; based its subject; and being the only English language biography of Marie to date; it's a must-have for a Royal biography collector -- but only just. If Charlotte Zeepvat or John Van der Kiste ever produce a biography of Marie; I'll be selling this one.If only James Pope-Hennessey were still alive -- he'd have done a superb job; like he did with his QUEEN MARY.