John Curtis Perry

Constantine V. Pleshakov

A saga of love and lust, personal tensions and rivalries, antagonisms and hatreds, The Flight of the Romanovs describes the last century of the Russian imperial dynasty-a century that saw the greatest social and political upheavals in all of recorded history. Drawing upon a wealth of untapped resources from Russian, British, and American archives, including unpublished diaries of many of the principal characters and never-before-published photographs, Perry and Pleshakov render an indelible portrait of a family and their time, from the youth of Alexander III in the 1860s to the death, one hundred years later, of his daughter Olga Alexandrovna, the last Grand Duchess.Set against the backdrop of this most cataclysmic century, The Flight of the Romanovs is a must-read for anyone interested in this fascinating dynasty, Russian history, and the history of European royalty.

A Family Saga

The Flight Of The Romanovs

"The life of Singapore as an independent nation since 1965 has coincided with explosive growth, both of world trade and world wealth. Trade, heavily seaborne, now contributes more than half of global GNP. Largely by exploiting changing uses of the ocean, Singapore has grown remarkably rich. Constant and continuing comment in the media concerning Singapore's dramatic economic and organizational achievement has yet to find its way into a book, and this one is the first to put the story of Singapore into a global maritime context, describing and analyzing how, despite many life-threatening crises, Singapore, by using the sea, survived and prospered far beyond even its own expectations. Putting priority upon economic development and maintaining the social and economic stability that Singapore's authoritarian government has thought necessary to achieve this growth has provoked heated controversy both among Singaporeans and outside observers. Although opposition is too weak to challenge the government successfully, the struggle to define an acceptable balance between freedom and control continues. This question takes on a universal concern, intensified in our age of terrorism with its new challenges to order and stability. To what extent does authority stifle creativity?"--Provided by publisher.

Unlikely Power

Singapore

Singapore has gained a reputation for being one of the wealthiest and best-educated countries in the world and one of the brightest success stories for a colony-turned-sovereign state, but the country's path to success was anything but assured. Its strategic location and natural resources both allowed Singapore to profit from global commerce and also made the island an attractive conquest for the world's naval powers, resulting in centuries of stunting colonialization. In Singapore: Unlikely Power, John Curtis Perry provides an evenhanded and authoritative history of the island nation that ranges from its Malay origins to the present day. Singapore development has been aided by its greatest natural blessing-a natural deepwater port, shielded by mountain ranges from oceanic storms and which sits along one of the most strategic straits in the world, cementing the island's place as a major shipping entrepot throughout modern history. Perry traces the succession of colonizers, beginning with China in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and followed by the island's most famous colonizer, Britain, which ruled Singapore until the 1960s excluding the Japanese occupation of World War II. After setting a historical context, Perry turns to the era of independence beginning in the 1960s. Plagued with corruption, inequality, lack of an educated population, Singapore improbably vaulted from essentially third-world status into a first world dynamo over the course of three decades-with much credit due longtime leader Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister who led the country for over three decades, who embraced the colonial past, established close ties with former foe Japan, and adopted a resolutely pragmatist approach to economic development. His efforts were successful, and Singapore today is a model regime for other developing states. Singapore's stunning transformation from a poor and corrupt colonial backwater into an economic powerhouse renowned for its wealth, order, and rectitude is one of the great-and most surprising-success stories of modern era. Singapore is an accessible, comprehensive, and indeed colorful overview of one of the most influential political-economic models in the world and is an enlightening read for anyone interested in how Singapore achieved the unachievable.

Constantine V Pleshakov

A saga of love and lust, personal tensions and rivalries, antagonisms and hatreds, The Flight of the Romanovs describes the last century of the Russian imperial dynasty, the Romanovs, from the youth of the future tsar Alexander III in the 1860s until the death in 1960 of his daughter, Olga Alexandrovna, the last grand duchess. John Curtis Perry and Constantine V. Pleshakov use a wealth of previously untapped sources, including unpublished diaries of many of the principal characters, interviews with people who knew them well, and never before published photographs to create a history of a family and a time. Along the way we learn of the relationships between Alexander III and his children, the conspiracy against Rasputin, Duke Dimitrie's affair with Coco Chanel, the hostile behavior of the House of Windsor toward the Romanovs, and the war between the Romanovs and the secret police. Concluding with a discussion of the imperial restoration movement in Russia today, The Flight of the Romanovs is a must-read for anyone interested in the Romanov family, Russian history, and the history of European royalty.

John Curtis Perry

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