On 17 July 1918, the Russian Revolution came for the former Tsar Nicholas, his wife Alexandra, and their children – Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and Alexey. The House of Romanov died in a blaze of bullets. It didn’t have to end this way. The Romanovs’ royal relatives in Europe and the Allied governments – as well as monarchists within Russia – were making every effort to get them out before it was too late, negotiating a tricky web of political – and personal – challenges. Their plans to evacuate the royal family by land, sea, and even sky all came to naught. Why were the world’s mightiest nations powerless to save the Romanovs? Historian Helen Rappaport weaves an incredible detective story, drawing on an unprecedented range of unseen sources. Through countless twists and turns, she reveals a tragic story of fierce loyalty, bitter rivalries and devastating betrayals, culminating in the execution of the abandoned Imperial family.