This is an examination of the life and death of Nicholas II, with special emphasis on the last 18 months of his life. Material only recently available from the Kremlin archives, including the Romanov diaries, telegrams, letters and other papers, throws new light on events which have remained a mystery for 75 years. Fresh evidence is presented on the happenings of the night of 16th-17th July 1918, on whether any members of the Tsar's family survived, on the source of the final execution order, and on the part played by Lenin. The author, a leading Russian playwright and historian, has updated the book to incorporate the results of the DNA tests on the recently-uncovered Romanov remains. Although 11 were believed to have been executed, only nine bodies have been found, and the fate of Anastasia remains unresolved.