Rasputin - by Frances Welch (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published: London: Short Books, 2014.

Book Synopsis

For historical aficionados and curious readers alike, this is the perfect 'short life' - gripping and hilariously funny, this biography sheds much-needed light on the life of the Russian icon: Grigory Rasputin.Grigory Rasputin, Siberian peasant-turned-mystic and court sage, was as fascinating as he was unfathomable. He played the role of the simple man, eating with his fingers and boasting, 'I don't even know the ABC'. But, as the only person able to relieve the symptoms of hemophilia in the Tsar's heir Alexei, he gained almost hallowed status within the Imperial court. During the last decade of his life, he and his band of "little ladies" came to symbolize all that was decadent, corrupt and remote about the Imperial Family, especially when it was rumored that he was not only shaping Russian policy during the First World War, but also enjoying an intimate relationship with the Empress...Rasputin's role in the downfall of the tsarist regime is beyond dispute. But who was he really? Prophet or rascal? A "breath of rank air...who blew away the cobwebs of the Imperial Palace'', as Beryl Bainbridge put it; or a dangerous deviant?In this riveting and eye-opening short biography, Frances Welch turns her inimitable wry gaze on one of the great mysteries of Russian history.

Review Quotes

"In this elegant and insightful short biography, Welch has enormous fun...she has done an excellent job of digging out the kind of telling detail that often gets swamped by the grand political narrative."

About the Author

Frances Welch is the author of The Russian Court at Sea (2011), Romanov Fantasy (2008) and Sydney Gibbes: Tutor to the Children of the Last Tsar (2004), all published by Short Books. She lives in Aldeburgh, Suffolk.