Product Description
This excellent volume includes biographies of more than twenty women of the Russian Imperial Family, from the daughters of Tsar Paul I to the present-day claimant to the Russian imperial throne.
The Grand Duchesses is an unprecedented compilation of information regarding the Romanovs and Russia.
Book Description
From the author of the national bestseller The Kitchen Boy comes a gripping historical novel about imperial Russia's most notorious figure
Called “brilliant” by USA Today, Robert Alexander's historical novel The Kitchen Boy swept readers back to the doomed world of the Romanovs. His latest masterpiece once again conjures those turbulent days in a fictional drama of extraordinary depth and suspense. In the wake of the Russian Revolution, Maria Rasputin—eldest of the Rasputin children—recounts her infamous father's final days, building a breathless narrative of intrigue, excess, and conspiracy that reveals the shocking truth of her father's end and the identity of those who arranged it. What emerges is a nail-biting, richly textured new take on one of history's most legendary episodes.
Customer Reviews:
not necessarily about the revolution............2007-08-29
I enjoyed this novel whose backdrop was the Russian revolution, but I don't think the revolution is the main story here. In fact, if you want info on the revolution, as other reviewers have stated, you will be sorely disappointed. The book is short on detail, and long on the general mood of the times. Alexander does do a great job setting the atmosphere in a very dramatic (yes eye-rolling way) but then again, that is the nature of the times as described by the main character, Rasputin's daughter. To me, this story is her story, Maria Rasputin, and how she came to know and understand both sides of her father--the corruption and the spirituality--in the days before his assassination. It is her "growing up" but with the special backdrop of the Russian revolution. I would recommend reading this book if you like fiction set in the days of St. Petersburg, and would enjoy seeing "another side" to a mythic character.
The End Of Rasputin Through The Eyes Of His Daughter.......2007-06-04
Robert Alexander bulwarks the historical events surrounding the last days of Rasputin through an account of the time through the eyes of his daughter Maria. While I enjoyed the Kitchen Boy by Alexander, I found this effort a little less favorably, though its a little difficult for me to say why.
Rasputin is certainly one of the most fascinating characters in the last days of the Tsars -- I've alwyas found Nicholas a little wooden -- and perhaps I expected more of a "view" of Rasputin in here. Instead what is put forth is a disjointed portrait -- though that likely is the portriat that any child would have of a flawed parent.
Regardless that I didn't "get" this book at its core, it did provide a compelling picture of Russia just as everything was about to fly apart.
Historical fiction for those too lazy to learn the reality.......2007-05-08
Easily one of the worst books I've ever read, Alexander's take on Rasputin is drawn nearly exclusively from the 500 pages of testimony given by those closest to him to the Thirteenth Section in the months after his murder. The author's near abandonment of the revolution, despite it being a major player in the lives of all characters involved is a disappointment, not to mention that none of his characters show themselves in any sort of multi-dimensional way. The "shock" at the end is embarrassingly contrived and the narrative overly simple. Overall, the book is miserably plebian, its pages better served as a table leveller or fire kindling. For a book worth reading, read its source material in Edvard Radzinsky's 'The Rasputin Files.'
Forget the Book, See The Movie.......2007-04-10
Poorly written, histrionic Russian pulp. Oh, did I mention "trite"? The writing consists of overused references to "filthy" and "dirty" and eye-rolling descriptions like: "I cringed as her dank, steamy breath poured against my cold skin and spilled like old tea down my collar". I cringed when I read that. Don't torture yourself, get your history from Wikopedia or, for more fun, rent "Nicholas and Alexandra". Not a great movie but it goes by faster, is more entertaining with better dialogue.
Gives a different perspective.......2007-03-17
I'd read another fiction-based-on-history account of this period that dealt mainly with Nicholas and Alexandra. This gives a different perspective of that same time period and some of the events that happened.
Product Description
GILDED PRISM had its genesis in a series of articles that appeared in the last issue of Atlantis Magazine: In the Courts of Memory, which was dedicated to the remarkable Konstantinovichi Family and their legacy. Here, thanks to the guidance and assistance of publisher Arturo Beéche, we present a re-working of some of this content, with a number of very significant additions.
When the former Soviet Union crumbled in 1991, a wave of nostalgia for the glittering world of the Romanovs swept through Russian imaginations. Names and places long forgotten took on a new vibrancy, and faded photographs and flickering newsreels vividly brought to life a vanished epoch. With the revival of interest in the last Imperial Family came discovery of their multitude of relatives, the Grand Dukes and Duchesses, Princes and Princesses who had enchanted and scandalized their contemporaries.
The accomplishments of the Konstantinovichi Family, in particular, found resonance in this revived interest. No other single branch of the Romanov Dynasty had reached such heights, nor left such lasting legacies; even sailors in the Soviet Navy, walking down Leningrad's wide avenues in the last years of Communist rule, still sported the characteristic striped shirts introduced by Konstantin Nikolaievich in the 19th Century.
GILDED PRISM is sure to become the gold-standard for research and knowledge on this previously little-known, yet immensely important branch of the Russian Imperial Family.
Greg King is the author of seven internationally published works, including the United Kingdom bestseller The Duchess of Windsor (1999), and The Fate of the Romanovs (2003). His latest book is The Court of the Last Tsar.
Penny Wilson, Russian historian and Romanov scholar, is the author of the critically acclaimed The Fate of the Romanovs (2003).
Customer Reviews:
The most interesting Romanov book I've read yet.......2007-07-03
This is the first book from the eurohistory publishing company that I've purchased, and I have to say I was impressed. The Gilded Prism chronicles the lives of Konstantin Nikolaievich and his descendants through the last century of Romanov rule. The book starts with Konstantin Nikolaievich the family's patriarch who was the brother of Alexander II. He played a huge part in the reforms of his brother's reign and was a talented musician although his later years were frought with tragedy. Next is his wife Alexandra Iosifovna who came from Germany a young and somewhat frivolous princess to become a highly respected and imperious Grand Duchess although very conceited and self absorbed. The book then follows the lives of their children. The oldest, Nicholas, brought scandal and embarrassment to the family while the two daughters Olga and Vera became popular and beloved women in their adopted homelands. Konstantin Konstantinovich proved one of the most dutiful and charitable members of the Romanovs, but also led a secret homosexual life. Dimitri was just as dutiful as his brother and was a talened military commander and horse breeder. The youngest, Vyacheslav, who is often times forgotten because he died young, was said to be intelligent and doted on by his father. The book also chronicles the descendants of Nicholas and Konstantin Konstantinovich who led equally interesting lives themselves. I give the book five stars because it gives much detail and information on this branch of the Roamnov family. The Konstantinovichi were an artistically talented, highly intelligent, dutiful, and charitable family at a time when most Romanovs were known for being callously decadent and lacking in intelligence as well as concern for the common people. It is refreshing to read a novel that isn't completely devoted to the overdone subject of Nicholas II and Alexandra. The one sore point I found with this book is that there isn't as much info on Olga and Vera like there was on their brothers, but the title does say The Konstantinovichi Grand Dukes & the Last Years of the Romanov Dyansty and not the Grand Duchesses so I guess it's to be expected. The most interesting part of the book was the story of how Nicholas and his American mistress Fanny Lear (just one of her names I might add), got embroiled in a scandal that led to his exile and being nearly forgotten by the rest of the family. The book also analyzes the nature of Konstantin Konstantinovich's homosexuality. It also contains three sections of photos, many I've never seen before, several family trees, and even features some of Konstantin Konstantinovich's poems, which are full of emotional and artistic depth. The book is relatively short but the wealth of information and photos proves the age old saying it's quality over quantity. I was thoroughly impressed and will definitely purchase more books from eurohistory in the future.
Book Description
The fascinating first-person account of the cross-dressing prince who poisoned Rasputin with rose cream cakes laced with cyanide and spiked Madeira is now back in print. Originally published in France in 1952, during the years of Prince Youssoupoff's exile from Russia, Lost Splendor has all the excitement of a thriller. Born to great riches, lord of vast feudal estates and many palaces, Felix Youssoupoff led the life of a grand seigneur in the days before the Russian Revolution. Married to the niece of Czar Nicholas II, he could observe at close range the rampant corruption and intrigues of the imperial court, which culminated in the rise to power of the sinister monk Rasputin. Finally, impelled by patriotism and his love for the Romanoff dynasty, which he felt was in danger of destroying itself and Russia, he killed Rasputin in 1916 with the help of the Grand Duke Dimitri and others. More than any other single event, this deed helped to bring about the cataclysmic upheaval that ended in the advent of the Soviet regime.~The author describes the luxury and glamour of his upbringing, fantastic episodes at nightclubs and with the gypsies in St. Petersburg, grand tours of Europe, dabbling in spiritualism and occultism, and an occasional conscience-stricken attempt to alleviate the lot of the poor.~Prince Youssoupoff was an aristocrat of character. When the moment for action came, when the monk's evil influence over the czar and czarina became unbearable, he and his friends decided that they must get rid of the monster. He tells how Rasputin courted him and tried to hypnotize him, and how finally they decoyed him to the basement of the prince's palace. Prince Youssoupoff...is perfectly objective, remarkably modern and as accurate as human fallibility allows. His book is therefore readable, of historical value and intimately tragic. It is as if Count Fersen had written a detailed account of the last years of Marie Antoinette. --Harold Nicholson, on the first English edition, 1955 By Prince Felix Youssoupoff. Hardcover, 5.25 x 8.25 in./300 pgs / 0 color 14 BW0 duotone 0 ~ Item D20143
Customer Reviews:
A time gone with the wind.......2007-08-07
I read this book, here in Brazil.The author(a gay) was a noble and rich man, in tzarist Russia.This memories are about the time when he was in Russia.Don't wait to read about the life of the author, in exile.
Chapter after chapter, you can read, about the life of a noble, rich (and gay) man in Russia before the communism.There's even an entire chapter, about the death of Rasputin.In fact, the author killed Rasputin.
Last chapters are about the life, in after-revolution Russia.Including about the author's scape.Don't wait nothing gay-rights, even being the author a gay.The author blames the jews of Russia, for many bad things.
This book is about a time gone with the wind.
Lost Splendor.......2007-04-11
Lost Splendor is a wonderful firsthand account of Russia during the Romanoff dynasty. Prince Felix Youssoupoff was a member of one of Russia's richest families and tells a compelling story of what imperial Russia was like before the revolution. He goes into detail about the killing of Rasputin which he had a hand in. A wonderful book that is a page turner from start to finish.
An interesting glance into pre-revolutionary Russia.......2006-06-27
Like another reviewer I had visited the Youssoupoff palace and was amazed by the richness and beauty these people possessed. Unlike some others who might have sided with the revolutionaries for whatever reason Felix of course doesn't, as far as I could tell. I also think he misses the point of why exactly the revolution occurred although presents his side of events which I found fascinating when it came to Rasputin, the nobility, and even the royal family whom he was pretty intimate with.
It was his belief that by getting rid of Rasputin he could start Russia on a highway to reform and reorganization, this in my opinion he was very gullible in believing, but understandable as he was very distant from the population at large.
The reader is taken through Felix's childhood and we get a glimpse of how spoiled he was and how terribly difficult it was to keep him in line and make him understand what responsibility and civility mean, etc. And at the same time we see him sneaking off to find out what the poor live like which in the end changes how he views the world and those around him.
These are just some episodes from his memoirs, there are many others and many of them will make you laugh out loud, children will be children and their experiences of a century ago are very much alike to what goes on in our world today. A worthwhile read, very easy to get into and at times a real page turner, highly recommended for a side of things from the rich/nobility point of view.
"The trials you are going through will teach you that life is not just a pastime.".......2006-04-06
"I'll have you appointed minister, if you like," Rasputin tells Felix Yusupov as they began to get chummy with one another. But Yusupov, our author herein, had a far different motive for getting close to this "mystic." After all, he was the last remaining son of one of the wealthiest families in Russia (his family's palatial estates, pictured in this book, were downright royal). To boot, he was newly married to Tsar Nicholas II's niece Irina. The tsar was godfather to his first child as well. He didn't want for anything and certainly could have had a position in government had he been interested in one. But what he was interested in was getting close to the ever guarded Rasputin; ever watched over by the secret police, thanks to the tsarina. Rasputin, in Yusupov's words was "an uncultured, cynical, avid and unscrupulous peasant who had reached the pinnacle of power owing to a chain of circumstances." The sole son of the tsar had hemophilia & Rasputin was soon judged (by the Tsarina Alexandra) to be some comfort in alleviating the effects of the tsarevich's condition. Soon, however, Rasputin began to play on his influence with the tsarina (& through Alexandra's infuence with her husband) to engineer the likes of just what he had offered Yusupov---ie., effecting the political appointments of government personel. Then in 1914 war broke out with Germany. About a year after which Rasputin seems to have had an effect, as well, on persuading Alexandra to badger the tsar to take direct control over the war effort. Thus when the tsar did take command of the army (at field headquarters, which was far removed from the capital of St. Petersburg) Rasputin's hand in affairs of the state---including the army, through Alexandra, began to become quite pronounced. "Not a single important measure was taken at the front without his being consulted," Yusupov writes. But this wasn't just his impression. Russian society was awfully suspicious of German-born Alexandra's apparent closeness with an unwashed degenerate who had a reputation for engaging in orgies. It was an open scandal, costing the tsar much in the respect felt for the royal family; respect badly needed during wartime as the fighting continued to drag on, under conditions of societal hardship relating to food rationing and the like. Grand Duchess Elizabeth (whose husband had been assassinated), in particular, begged her sister Alexandra to acknowledge what damage her "blind confidence" in Rasputin was costing the country, but to no avail. The above is addressed through the first 229 (large type) pages in this autobiography as Yusupov paints a vanishing era of aristocratic splendor. Then he elaborately describes how he (supported by 4 other dignitaries) killed Rasputin in Yusupov's St. Petersburg mansion. The tsar's 1905 war with Japan, in Yusupov's words, was "one of the most terrible blunders made during the reign of Nicholas II." Another one was doing nothing in the wake of Rasputin's removal from the scene. "Rasputin's death made a new policy possible." Russians applauded Rasputin's removal, hoping that the tsar would now be emboldened to heed the cacophony of concerned advice & take needed measures before it was too late. But Nicholas seemed to be a "confirmed fatalist" who wasn't going to do much until he was forced to. A little more than 2 months later he was forced to abdicte. Perennial inaction by Nicholas, one of the most ineffective Romanov tsars, had finally cost him his crown. (PS: Yusupov-owned paintings can be seen in Russian museums now; his family's wealth/palaces having been confiscated by Lenin & Co not long after the Bolsheviks murdered Nicholas, Alexandra, their children, and as many relatives they could; after having usurped power from the Provisional Russian Government. Yusupov, in the company of Tsar Alexander III's widow---the Dowager Empress/mother of Nicholas---sailed out of the Crimea on a Royal (British) Navy ship 4-13-1919. Thanks for reading my review. Cheers!
A Glimpse Into A Vanished World.......2003-12-19
Prince Felix Yousssoupoff is best known as one of the murderers of Gregory Rasputin just before the Russian Revolution. He was a member of one of Russia's most aristocratic families, and in this memoir, originally published in the 1950s, he gives us a glimpse of life for a nobleman in pre-Revolutionary Russia.
Life was certainly rich, if not always good, for Prince Felix. As a younger son, he was given very little education and basically allowed to do as he pleased during his formative years. Most of the time what he was pleased to do was to get into trouble. I lost count of the number of servants, governesses, and other retainers who quit with nervous breakdowns after trying to look after Felix. Under the influence of his elder brother, whom he adored, Felix had an early initiation into sexual and other kinds of debauchery. He enjoyed dressing as a woman and living the high life in St. Petersburg, London, and Paris. Felix was reticent about his sexuality, claiming several affairs with women but speaking more warmly about his men friends, including Grand Duke Dmitri, who helped him murder Rasputin. When Felix's brother was killed in a duel Felix became the heir to a vast fortune. He married Tsar Nicholas' niece Irina, whom he claimed to adore but otherwise said little about.
The most interesting parts of this book deal with Rasputin, whom Felix met several times. Typically, Felix hints that there was a sexual nature to these encounters, but divulges few details. Felix describes the murder and his subsequent exile, which saved him from being in St. Petersburg during the February Revolution in 1917, and his internment in the Crimea with other members of the Imperial Family from 1917 through 1919, when he escaped on a British warship.
This book is interesting but highly reticent. Felix never loses a chance to glamorize himself and his activities, with the result that some undeniably brave actions, like his several trips to St. Petersburg to rescue treasures while the Bolshevik terror was at its height, tend to get less attention than they deserve. A more open and informative biography of Prince Felix, The Man Who Killed Rasputin, by Greg King, was published several years ago and will help fill in the gaps left by Felix's own work.
Book Description
Gregori Rasputin is probably one of the best known, but least understood of the key figures in the events which ultimately led to the downfall of the Russian Tsars some 90 years ago. His political role as the power behind the throne is as much obscured today, as it was then, by the fascination with his morality and private life. Andrew Cook’s re-investigation of Rasputin’s death will reveal for the first time the real masterminds behind the murder of the "mad monk."
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Rasputin: Satyr, Saint, or Satan?
Douglas Myles
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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The Rasputin File
ASIN: 0070442398 |
Book Description
From the bestselling author of
Stalin and
The Last Tsar comes
The Rasputin File, a remarkable biography of the mystical monk and bizarre philanderer whose role in the demise of the Romanovs and the start of the revolution can only now be fully known.
For almost a century, historians could only speculate about the role Grigory Rasputin played in the downfall of tsarist Russia. But in 1995 a lost file from the State Archives turned up, a file that contained the complete interrogations of Rasputin’s inner circle. With this extensive and explicit amplification of the historical record, Edvard Radzinsky has written a definitive biography, reconstructing in full the fascinating life of an improbable holy man who changed the course of Russian history.
Translated from the Russian by Judson Rosengrant.
Customer Reviews:
The best book on Rasputin so far!.......2007-03-03
Radzinsky's book on Rasputin is the best so far! I have read at least ten books on Rasputin and the last tsar and this one is the most revealing thanks to the discovery of lost Rasputin file. Previous books have mostly focused on Rasputin as a charlatan but here we get a more balanced picture of the man, his religious beliefs and also his personal flaws. This is a very thorough examination of Rasputin from childhood to his role as a confidante to the empress, to the despicable murder. We learn that Yussopov's account of the murder is highly inaccurate to say the least! The myth of the saintly devil who could'nt be killed with potassium cyanide was just that - a myth. We also get a good insight into the correspondance of the tsar and tsaritsa concerning Rasputin as well as the reports of the secret police on Rasputin. After Rasputins murder there was an inquiery set up by the provisional government in march 1917. The transcripts of the interrogations has never been published in full. They resurfaced in 1994 and came into the hands of the author. These transcripts sheds a whole new light on the Rasputin story. This book may well be the final book on Rasputin, were he not such an enigma that more books are bound to follow...
OK.......2007-01-10
It's an OK book. Easier to read than the others that he has written and good info. But still didn't really grab my attention.
the diabolical monk.......2006-12-31
No one will ever understand how Rasputin was able to get close to the Russian imperial family, being a simple monk. Was it pure luck that he was brought to the Romanovs when their son was sick or was it a miracle? Point is that this man destroyed this family with his lies.
Radzinsky's book offers insights into Rasputin that no one else has written before. The information on his childhood is very interesting for instance. It is a well known fact that Rasputin had incredible power over the imperial court, but I didn't know that he was the one who brought down the Russian government.
The death of Rasputin has always been surrounded by myths. Thanks to this book, everyone can read what really happened. Anyone who is interested in Russian history and its religions shoud read this.
The scoop on Rasputin.......2006-07-27
Edvard Radzinsky's book in indispensable for understanding the Rasputin mystery. Rasputin has been blown into an occult force by some historians but this book shows the devious, lustful, charming Siberian peasant behind the legend, who convinced the Tsarina of his sanctity. One also sees what happened from the point of view of police reports and the elegant, sordid demi-monde habituated by Felix Youssopov and Grand Duke Dmitri. It finally becomes clear who the real murderer was. Reads like a detective novel - by a great historian and writer!!
Flawed but indispensable.......2006-02-09
A sort of who-dunnit about the life and death of Grigorii Rasputin, the chief adviser of the last Tsaritsa and her feckless husband Nicholas II, this book is unfortunately poorly written or translated. But it is indispensable for understanding why the Tsarist regime had to come to an end. It was headed by a dynasty which had not shown talent or integrity for over one hundred years, by political leaders and social aristocrats mired in treachery, deceit, immorality, and self-promotion. The Russian Church was a hollow institution, forcing truly religious people to seek God in other ways, including the curiously sectarian ways of Rasputin himself. The masses of people were mired in superstition and ignorance, as well as poverty. Russia seemed like a great power but its strength was only theoretical. The 1917 Revolution did not unfortunately bring into being something entirely better -- but under the Communists at least living standards and educational standards rose and Russia was able to do what the Tsars could not do, namely save Russia from invasion and ignominious defeat.
Rasputin here emerges as a man one can even sympathize with: he was ethical in his own way, sympathetic to the people, against the First World War which he foretold would destroy the dynasty. He did not seem to share the vicious anti-semitism of his church and the Russian elites. His murderers were effete, dissolute aristocrats, a Romanov and a Yusupov, who surpassed in evil even Rasputin. One even comes away with sympathy for that unhappy Tsaritsa Alexandra, even for her stupid and mean-spirited husband -- at least compared to the other Romanovs who were probably much worse.
This should be the definitive word on Rasputin. His immoral adventures are only a small part of the important story but that has amused readers more than the truth. Probably that will continue. Pity.
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Rasputin's Revenge
John Lescroart
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Son of Holmes
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The Vig
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Dead Irish
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The Mercy Rule
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A Certain Justice
ASIN: 0451209818
Release Date: 2003-11-04 |
Book Description
Auguste Lupa, reputed son of the greatest detective of all time-and possessor of a brilliant deductive mind in his own right-is summoned to the court of the Czar. There, with a bit of assistance from none other than Holmes and Watson, he untangles a chilling plot that holds the Winter Palace in a lethal grip...
Customer Reviews:
Well, it was an attempt.......2007-03-22
Being a big fan of the book Son of Holmes, I had high hopes for this book when I first found out about it. I thought the premise for getting Lupa and Giraud back together was a bit weak; there is so much that could have been done in World War I other than the Russian Revolution. Lescroart tried too hard trying to fit this in the history of Nicholas II and Rasputin, but it was too forced. While the book does eventually include Lupa and his father, Holmes, finally bonding, this would have worked much better as the last book in a long series; not as the second of two books.
All in all, you can skip this book, although its not a terrible read, which is why I am feeling generous and giving it 3-stars.
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- An Enriching Historical Read
- The Best Rasputin Biography in the English language
- EVERYTHING YOU NEVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GRIGORY EFIMOVICH!
- A GREAT REASON TO READ ABOUT A LONG-DEAD RUSSIAN PEASANT!
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Rasputin: A Life
Joseph T. Fuhrmann
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover
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Rasputin: The Saint Who Sinned
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To Kill Rasputin: The Life and Death of Gregori Rasputin (Revealing History)
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Nicholas and Alexandra
ASIN: 027593215X |
Book Description
Historian and Russian scholar Joseph Fuhrmann probes the life and times of Grigory Rasputin and offers the most thoroughly researched biography yet of the holy man who hastened the collapse of an empire. In a fast paced narrative, his book recounts Rasputin's journey from his peasant origins in Siberia to his powerful position at the right hand of the tsar and tsarina, Nicholas and Alexandra. Fuhrmann taps heretofore unused sources and puts to rest the many myths surrounding this notorious character. He documents the precise degree of influence Rasputin exerted on the Russian government, as well as the conspiracy that took Rasputin's life, the murder itself, the investigation, and the final unmasking of the culprits. Rasputin; A Life portrays the complex character of a greedy libertine who gained unlimited power and yet sincerely followed a religious vocation. In addition, Fuhrmann brings to life more than a dozen secondary characters that were important in the life of Rasputin, among them Anna Vyrubova, weak and gullible, the empress's best friend, boundlessly devoted to Rasputin and a contact between him and Alexandra, and Pitirim, the homosexual metropolitan of Petrograd, who Rasputin had appointed to the leading bishop's post in the Church. This book dramatizes the Russian empire in an age of crisis, war, and revolution. Students and scholars will find insight in this detailed and scholarly account of turbulent times. The general reader will find an unforgettable journey through turn of the century Russia.
Customer Reviews:
An Enriching Historical Read.......2006-02-27
Fuhrman does an excellent job examining Rasputin's influence on Alexandra, her husband, and ultimately the decisions that lead to the fall of the dynasty. He provides many examples regarding governmental ministry appointments in which Rasputin's decision is the ultimate answer, although he includes background information about random persons which, until later, seems irrelevant--one must skim to find the actual connection with Rasputin, and even then it sometimes is tentitive. Overall, the book is a good factual recount of the influence of Rasputin,
The Best Rasputin Biography in the English language.......1998-02-08
Fuhrmann's book has given rise to many different reactions. It is true that there seems to be a lack of a central thesis. But in this excellent biography Rasputin's search for influence serves, in some ways, as a thesis. The problem is that this character was quite complex, and no one has better elucidated the problems and issues concerning Rasputin. Fuhrmann is also adept at extending these themes to this entire period of Russian history. The third section (focusing on government and religious officials) is a bit thick. But this was Rasputin's world as he lived it, and this book is a scholarly biography. If you want 400 pages that list Rasputin's debaucheries, go elsewhere. Yet the book is never dull, for nor was Rasputin.
His sinful side and his holy side are both clearly and abundantly explained via fascinating examples. Fuhrmann deserves praise for making controversial judgments. For instance, he unequivocally declares that Rasputin possessed healing abilities that are unexplainable.
This is an excellent book for expert or beginner. The author richly brings Rasputin and his dead world back to life. The reader will be pulled to this strange land, and thus will gain insight into the tragedy of Russia's 20th century history. Particularly compelling is the (often) sad end of the people who were important in Rasputin's life. With painful detail, Fuhrmann presents this material in the concudling section.
EVERYTHING YOU NEVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GRIGORY EFIMOVICH!.......1997-01-12
This book is a rather tedious narrative of a not so
tedious "starets", or Russian holy man, G.E. Rasputin,
who apparently was anything but holy. However,the book
is useful in carefully depicting the enormous amount
of influence this malevolent monk had upon the Russian
Tsar Nicholas II and particularly on Alexandra, his
wife. Rasputin's early life, climb to power and influence,
exercise of power, and decline and assassination are
covered in exquisite detail--almost too much. Not covered
are details of his sexual conquests (although apparently
there were many!)of Russian ladies of the nobility. The
book also shows that Rasputin's celebrated "treatment" of
the Tsarevich Alexis' hemophilia was most likely a combination
of good timing and luck. If you like wading through a
maze of Russian political and Orthodox church personalities,
plots and counterplots, and some genuinely interesting
tidbits about the "mad monk"--this book is for you.
A GREAT REASON TO READ ABOUT A LONG-DEAD RUSSIAN PEASANT!.......1996-09-15
Furhmann's thoroughly - researched & enjoyable book debunks the
legend of the sex-crazed peasant that toppled an empire.
The author shows how the reaction by many to Rasputin
contributed to the Empire's downfall. Rather than the sole cunning
puppet-master, Rasputin was only one of several who controlled
the strings that tangled & toppled the last Tsar. Although he is, at
best, a secondary character throughout most of the
narrative, Furhmann clearly shows how Nicholas II was
simply not "born to rule."
Amazon.com
British journalist and historian Brian Moynahan does not spare details of the lechery and drunkenness that Rasputin brought with him on his journey from the squalor of rural Siberia to St. Petersburg, where he captivated the tsar and tsarina with his mysterious ability to ease their hemophiliac son's hemorrhages. Yet Moynahan also credits "the mad monk" with intelligence, generosity, even a weird spirituality. In elegant prose, he retells with panache the saga of an illiterate peasant's rise to a position of fearsome power in the waning days of the Russian monarchy.
Book Description
First time in paperback: The acclaimed life of the "mad monk" who wielded immeasurable influence over the last Czar and his family
Grigory Efimovich Rasputin-drinker, thief, womanizer-arrived in St. Petersburg in 1903 as if from the medieval past...tattered, black-clad, muttering. By the time of his sensational murder thirteen years later, the peasant was the "beloved Friend" of Czar Nicholas and Empress Alexandra, with a seemingly supernatural power to stop the bleeding attacks of their hemophiliac son, Alexis.
Drawing on confidential police reports, cabinet meeting memos, and many documents only now available, Moynahan sheds new light on Rasputin's life and disputes some of the widely held details of his death. The Detroit Free Press hailed the book as "truly mesmerizing....The text is based on carefully documented historical research, but the story rolls along like a good novel with rising suspense and an array of colorful action as vast as Russia itself."
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!.......2006-07-30
Instead of a book that is only re-telling really what we know or have heard of Rasputin, this is remarkable in its history and life of a very interesting person.
Kitty Kelly Lives!.......2005-10-03
The reason Massie's Nicholas and Alexandra became a modern classic was because it presented its story through the dispassionate historian's eye. The sensational tone of this book makes one think that 70 years of Soviet disinformation on the Romanovs all found a home in this volume. One would do better to stay with Massie (no lover of the Romanovs) and read books like A Gathered Radiance to get a more nuanced picture.
fun read.......2004-07-08
Although it has its errors, this is an engrossing biography about Rasputin. Full of new information and little-known facts, it's not afraid to shy away from the nitty-gritty, it's not afraid to give us the dirt on this guy, without all the false romanticism about Rasputin being so saintly and such. But this is an honest portrait of Rasputin, giving him credit where credit is due. I like this gritty lurid style of writing, which doesn't downplay or leave out the salacious sensationalistic stuff. There is no doubt that you will be convinced of Rasputin's iron hold on the Russian royal family due to his supposed supernatural powers, which included healing the Tzar's hemophiliac son and heir to the throne, Alexei. But, alas, there would never be a new Tzar, as through his scandalous public and priavte life Rasputin unwittingly contributed to the Romanov dynasty's fall. I recommend this book especially to people who enjoy reading a good bio about unusual personalities from the past.
David Rehak
author of "Love and Madness"
Titilating Tale..........2003-12-22
...but worthless as a historical biography. This book is a collection of the most salacious gossip from the latter days of the Romanov Empire. It is both entertaining and gives some insight to the "mood" of St. Petersburg at that time, but is filled with "inaccuracies", from references to Rasputin's youth as a time of living in primitive poverty to refering to him as a monk to descriptions of a life style of unrestrained, wild debauchery. In fact, his father was a land owner, Rasputin grew up in a nice home in a town that benefited from being located by rivers (making commerce an important part of the town), was never a monk, remained married to the same woman, brought his two daughters to live with him in St. Petersburg so they could have an education, and for a complex set of reasons, allowed himself to be a scapegoat. While he admitted to "falling into sin", those incidents were a very small part of a very complex and interesting person/life.
Biased, foul-mouthed trashy biography.......2002-07-02
There used to be (or still is if you are a conspiracist) a lot of mystery surrounding Rasputin and the collapse of the Russian Empire during WWI. I became intrigied after seeing the HBO version of Rasputin and swept away by the magic of Rasputin in Edvard Radzinsky's account (be it true or false...). I felt compelled to find out more and this book came highly recmmended at Amazon so...
Moynahan starts off with the clear, descriptive and simple writing style of the brilliant book on the last Romanov's by Robert K. Massie. Then somewhere in the middle of the book, he descends abruptly into a vitrilic foul-mouthed tirade at Rasputin - which is in shocking contrast to the start of the book. As the chapters kept on unfurling with this pure vitriol, my respect for the biographer and patience with the book deteriorated. Then suddenly, towards the end, Moynahan suddenly finds compassion for Rasputin in his (sensationalised) theory for Rasputin's death. However, Moynahan had lost my respect by then and the book was thrown into the bin - I couldn't bring myself to even subject it to the people at my local library where I usually donate books.
... If you want to read a masterpiece on a good biographer turned bad - this is the book for you. If you want to learn about Rasputin, there are other books on the market which are infinetely more informative!
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