THE REAL ROMANOVS By Gleb Botkin The Grand Duchess Anastasia,
youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, is still alive, having survived the Bolshevik massacre of the Royal family at Ekaterinburg on July 17th, 1918. Such is the contention of Mr. Gleb Botkin, in The Real Romanovs (Putnam, 10s. (Id.). The author is the son of the Tsar's physician, who died with him. Mr. Botkin tells his story clearly and calmly. He went to Tobolsk in the wake of the Royal exiles, but was not allowed to follow them and his father to Ekaterinburg. Later, when he had escaped to the United States, he heard that the Grand Duchess was alive. He was sent to Europe to see her and was convinced of her identity. He declares that the remaining members of the Russian royal house know her to be what she professes, but refuse to recognize her for personal and dynastic reasons. Be that as it may, Mr. Botkin's book is extremely interesting, and not least for its vivid picture of the old Imperial Court, wholly detached from and ignorant of the Russian people. Mr. Botkin's detachment makes him a better witness to the Grand Duchess' identity than if he were a warm admirer of the Tsardom. The book is fully illustrated with portraits. •
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