Thirteen years at the Russian court (a personal record of the last years and death of the Czar Nicholas II. and his family)

"Thirteen Years at the Russian Court" by Pierre Gilliard is a personal memoir that retells the author's time educating the son of Russia's last Czar. The story shares an insider's perspective of the Romanov family as they dealt with political tensions in Russia and the Czar's son's illness. Gilliard begins with his early days at the palace and describes the royal family's everyday lives and struggles, notably the Czar and Czarina's worries of their son's hemophilia. Gilliard shows the reader the contrast between the palace's riches and the family's struggles, highlighting the impact problematic figures such as Rasputin had on the family and the weight of being a monarch as revolution neared.