Alexander II: The Last Great Tsar
Alexander II (1818-1881), known as Russia’s “Tsar Liberator” for his freeing of the serfs, eased the censorship that had been in force under his father’s repressive regime, and his reign saw a great flourishing of Russian literature. In the last few months of Alexander’s life, he planned to give Russia an elected assembly. But to many, his reforms did not go far enough. After several attempts on his life, he was killed by a terrorist’s bomb. Radzinsky devotes much of the book to the development of radicalism in Russia. His style is enjoyable, and I highly recommend the book.
