Rasputin : the downfall of the Romanovs / Antony Beevor.
"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 Through extensive use of previously unpublished reports, interviews, and interrogations, Beevor shows the truth of Rasputin's rampant lust and opportunism, victimization of poor and vulnerable women, and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."-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9798217061181
- Physical Description: xii, 361 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm
- Edition: First United States edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : Viking, [2026]
- Copyright: ©2026
Content descriptions
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 315-350) and index.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- Crossroads in Siberia -- Young Rasputin -- The New Reign -- The Curse of Khodynka -- The First Guru and the Heir -- The War Against Japan -- The Near-revolution of 1905 -- Rasputin in St Petersburg -- The Dowager Empress's Dream -- The Mad Monk Iliodor -- 'A Monster of Audacity' -- Rasputin in the Nursery -- The Assassination in Kiev -- Rasputin and his Arch-enemy -- Saving the Tsarevich at Spała -- The Romanov Tercentenary, 1913 -- Felix and Dmitry -- The Stabbing of Rasputin -- Outbreak of War -- Kissing the Tsar's Shadow -- Rasputin and Women -- Bad Behaviour -- Scandal and Threat -- The Tsar Takes Command -- The Empress's Boudoir Cabinet, Autumn 1915 -- Russian Farce -- Ministerial Leapfrog -- On the Eve of the Apocalypse -- The Assassins -- The Deed -- 'Murdered by Monsters' -- A Family Affair.
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Available copies
- 16 of 33 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Brown Library System.
Holds
- 2 current holds with 33 total copies.
Show All Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George H. & Laura E. Brown Library | 947.083 Bee (Text) | 30308101386986 | Adult New Nonfiction | Available | - |
Accessibility Features
Summary:
"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."--
