Rasputin - by Antony Beevor (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From one of our most acclaimed historians, a major new biography of one of history's most disturbing, dubious masterminds, showing how a Siberian peasant, through his seduction of the imperial household, contributed to the collapse of the greatest autocracy in the world

When Russia's Dowager Empress was pregnant with the future Tsar, she dreamed that a peasant would one day kill her son. The idea terrified her, and for the rest of her days she 'lived under the pressure of the prophecy'. Did the prophecy come true with the arrival at court of a mysterious, barely literate moujhik from Siberia, Grigori Rasputin?

In this extraordinary portrait of an enigmatic character, Antony Beevor brings readers closer than ever before to Rasputin's scandalous life and death. Though he had no official position at court, Rasputin's hold over the Romanovs became the stuff of legend. Exaggerated accounts of political and financial corruption swirled around him, to say nothing of the stories of his debauchery with the Empress and even her daughters. The consequences of the rumor and conspiracy theories were devastating--when the February revolution broke out in 1917, hardly a sword was raised in the Tsar's defense.

Through extensive use of previously unpublished reports, interviews, and interrogations, Beevor shows the truth of Rasputin's rampant lust and opportunism, victimization of poor and vulnerable women, and deep hypocrisy and corruption. Part political thriller, part gothic mystery, Rasputin is a fascinating story of human perversity.

Review Quotes

"Engaging.... Beevor, an eminent British historian, crafts a crisp narrative of his subject's unlikely ascent and notorious influence... an informative page-turner on the mystic who captivated the last czar's family."--Kirkus Reviews

"Totally fascinating, compelling, and beautifully written. In its deep political and psychological understanding of Rasputin, the Romanovs, and Russia itself, this book is intriguing and original. One of the great stories of history, told by one of our greatest historians."--Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The World: A Family History of Humanity

"We have come to expect narrative clarity from Antony Beevor, and in his latest book, he doesn't disappoint. Pushing away the myths and legends that surround Rasputin, Beevor brings us a plausible psychological portrait, a very readable account of an extraordinary life, and a tale of autocratic decline with plenty of contemporary analogies, for readers who care to see them."--Anne Applebaum, author of Gulag: A History

"A wonderful book. Beevor has written a brilliant and vivid account of how a barely literate peasant beguiled the Romanovs, and helped plunge imperial Russia into chaos and revolution. Rasputin's fantastical story anticipates our own truth-challenged times, when myth and fake news can be more potent than reality."--Luke Harding, author of Collusion: Secret Meetings, Dirty Money, and How Russia Helped Donald Trump Win

"A stunning achievement of psychological insight, deep research, and evocative prose that adds to Antony Beevor's illustrious career as a chronicler of the twentieth century, Rasputin not only captures the mysterious Siberian holy man in all his bizarre complexity--the feverish religiosity, the preening ambition, the drunken lust as well as sincere concern for the peasantry and fear of war--but also paints a vivid portrait of tsarist Russia hurtling toward the abyss. A must-read for understanding the epic downfall of the Romanov dynasty."--Douglas Smith, author of Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs

About the Author

ANTONY BEEVOR is the author of thirteen works of nonfiction, including Crete, which was awarded a Runciman Prize; Stalingrad, which won the first Samuel Johnson Prize, the Wolfson Prize for History and the Hawthornden Prize for Literature; and D-Day, which received the Prix Henry Malherbe in France and the Westminster Medal. His most recent work is Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921. Educated at Sandhurst, Beevor served as regular officer with the 11th Hussars, leaving the Army after five years to write. He was knighted in 2017.