SECRET LIVES OF THE TSARS

A snappy, entertaining chronicle of the passions, intrigues, and scandals of one of history's most fascinating royal dynasties, the Romanovs.

From Peter the Great's penchant for personally beheading his recalcitrant subjects (and torturing to death his own son) to Catherine the Great's endless parade of virile young lovers (none of them of the equine variety, incidentally), the Russian Tsars have long held fascination in this country. But instead of slogging through the massive history tomes for the juicy bits, Michael Farquhar has collected the best and most scandalous tales in this incredibly entertaining history sure to shock even history buffs.

Michael Farquhar, a former writer and editor at The Washington Post, is the bestselling author of the critically-praised Behind the Palace Doors, as well as the national bestsellers A Treasury of Royal Scandals, A Treasury of Great American Scandals, A Treasury of Deception, and A Treasury of Foolishly Forgotten Americans. His work has been featured in a number of publications, including American History magazine, and he has appeared as a commentator on such programs as the History Channel's top-rated Russia: Land of the Tsars and The French Revolution.