Rasputin, Douglas Smith
Rasputin, Douglas Smith
5 Rating(s)
List: $49.99 | Sale: $35.00
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Rasputin
Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs

Author: Douglas Smith

Narrator: PJ Ochlan

Unabridged: 33 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 11/22/2016


Synopsis

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.

About Douglas Smith

Douglas Smith is an award-winning historian and translator and the author of Rasputin and Former People, which was a bestseller in the U.K. His books have been translated into a dozen languages. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, he has written for The New York Times and Wall Street Journal and has appeared in documentaries with the BBC, National Geographic, and Netflix. Before becoming a historian, he worked for the U.S. State Department in the Soviet Union and as a Russian affairs analyst for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. He lives with his family in Seattle.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Steven on February 13, 2017

The other day I heard a talking head quip that Steve Bannon was Donald Trump’s Rasputin. Recently I have brought myself up to speed on Mr. Bannon and there really does seem to be some similarities, i.e., access to a person with autocratic tendencies, belief in alternative reality and truth, but the......more

Goodreads review by Anthony on June 19, 2022

A Man, A Myth, A Legend. Much has been said over the years about Gregory Rasputin. Whispers, rumours and salacious gossip. A man who is infamous and has found his way into popular culture as a villain, most recently as the bad guy in The Kings Man, the 2021 film. They are still writing about him and......more

Goodreads review by Lukas on April 28, 2017

I'm not sure why reading a 700 page biography of Rasputin seemed like a good idea.......more

Goodreads review by Nancy on December 18, 2016

Finished at 3 a.m.; I'll post soon. This just might be the most comprehensive study of Rasputin that's out there, and I do mean comprehensive, but my tired brain isn't up to thought right now.......more