Rasputin
Subtitle: faith, power, and the twilight of the Romanovs
By: Douglas Smith
Edition: First American edition.
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 817
ISBN-13: 9780374240844
Subjects: Politics and government; Court and courtiers; Biography; History
Description: "On the centenary of the death of Rasputin comes a definitive biography that will dramatically change our understanding of this fascinating figure. A hundred years after his murder, Rasputin continues to excite the popular imagination as the personification of evil. Numerous biographies, novels, and films recount his mysterious rise to power as Nicholas and Alexandra's confidant and the guardian of the sickly heir to the Russian throne. His debauchery and sinister political influence are the stuff of legend, and the downfall of the Romanov dynasty was laid at his feet. But as the prizewinning historian Douglas Smith shows, the true story of Rasputin's life and death has remained shrouded in myth. A major new work that combines probing scholarship and powerful storytelling, Rasputin separates fact from fiction to reveal the real life of one of history's most alluring figures. Drawing on a wealth of forgotten documents from archives in seven countries, Smith presents Rasputin in all his complexity--man of God, voice of peace, loyal subject, adulterer, drunkard. Rasputin is not just a definitive biography of an extraordinary and legendary man but a fascinating portrait of the twilight of imperial Russia as it lurched toward catastrophe."--

"The definitive biography of Rasputin, spiritual guide to the Romanovs and source of great political intrigue, based on many new documents"--
Notes: "Originally published in 2016 by Mantle, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, Great Britain"--Title-page verso.

Includes bibliographical references and index.