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Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs
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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'.
Rasputin had no official position. A barely literate moujhik from Siberia, he had no forces at his command. He was a devoted monarchist, not a revolutionary. And yet, through his uncanny seduction of the imperial household, he contributed more than any other individual to the collapse of the greatest autocracy in the world. 'This man was unique', observed one writer. 'Like a character out of a novel, he lived in legend, he died in legend, and his memory is cloaked in legend.'
In this extraordinary new work, Antony Beevor, master of narrative history on the grandest scale, sharpens his focus to pierce the fog of fantasy that has only grown denser over time. The result is an unparalleled portrait of one of history's most dubious masterminds.
Rasputin had no official position. A barely literate moujhik from Siberia, he had no forces at his command. He was a devoted monarchist, not a revolutionary. And yet, through his uncanny seduction of the imperial household, he contributed more than any other individual to the collapse of the greatest autocracy in the world. 'This man was unique', observed one writer. 'Like a character out of a novel, he lived in legend, he died in legend, and his memory is cloaked in legend.'
In this extraordinary new work, Antony Beevor, master of narrative history on the grandest scale, sharpens his focus to pierce the fog of fantasy that has only grown denser over time. The result is an unparalleled portrait of one of history's most dubious masterminds.
384 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 14, 2026
3012 people want to read
About the author
Antony Beevor
48 books2,659 followersSir Antony James Beevor is a British military historian. He has published several popular historical works, mainly on the Second World War, the Spanish Civil War, and most recently the Russian Revolution and Civil War.
Educated at Abberley Hall School, Winchester College, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Beevor commanded a troop of tanks in the 11th Hussars in Germany before deciding in 1970 to leave the army and become a writer. He was a visiting professor at Birkbeck, University of London, and the University of Kent. His best-selling books, Stalingrad (1998) and Berlin: The Downfall 1945 (2002), have been acclaimed for their detailed coverage of the battles between the Soviet Union and Germany, and their focus on the experiences of ordinary people. Berlin proved very controversial in Russia because of the information it contained from former Soviet archives about the mass rapes carried out by the Red Army in 1945.
Beevor's works have been translated into many languages and have sold millions of copies. He has lectured at numerous military headquarters, staff colleges and establishments in Britain, the US, Europe, and Australia. He has also written for many major newspapers.
Educated at Abberley Hall School, Winchester College, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Beevor commanded a troop of tanks in the 11th Hussars in Germany before deciding in 1970 to leave the army and become a writer. He was a visiting professor at Birkbeck, University of London, and the University of Kent. His best-selling books, Stalingrad (1998) and Berlin: The Downfall 1945 (2002), have been acclaimed for their detailed coverage of the battles between the Soviet Union and Germany, and their focus on the experiences of ordinary people. Berlin proved very controversial in Russia because of the information it contained from former Soviet archives about the mass rapes carried out by the Red Army in 1945.
Beevor's works have been translated into many languages and have sold millions of copies. He has lectured at numerous military headquarters, staff colleges and establishments in Britain, the US, Europe, and Australia. He has also written for many major newspapers.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 23, 2026
I am a bit of a history nerd and am particularly interested in the period of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II - Robert Massie’s dual biography, Nicholas and Alexandria, remains a top favorite read. The author of this book is a distinguished historian so I was thrilled to gain access to this ARC (thank you NetGalley and Viking Penguin Press - my thanks).
As Beevor writes in his Introduction, this is “not a conventional biography” but rather serves to focus on “the no-man’s land between truth and myth, [and] between fact and fiction.” As the book details there is so much misinformation and disinformation, it’s often impossible for the real Rasputin to emerge. Beevor has drawn from Russian archives “previously unpublished reports, interviews, and interrogations.” As you read, indeed, this is less about the man but about others thought of the man and how that impacted a diseased and morally corrupt nation.
The family under the influence of Alexandra was isolated and her influence was more extensive than I realized from previous books. Nicholas was just not tsar material - I kept thinking of Louis XVI who too just wanted a simple life. Then all the sycophants in the background didn’t help much. Rasputin was a disgusting human and he milked every advantage he had but that Alexandra could not lose him for the life her child is perhaps understandable, but it brought with it the conspiracy theories that feasted on a family’s suffering. I did learn a lot of new things in this book that I think helped me see the Romanovs more clearly.
Beevor is a wonderful writer - this is the first book I read by him. He brings history to life in his writing. I couldn’t put the book down. I will definitely be adding this to my history book collection so I can re-read it.
Highly recommend.
As Beevor writes in his Introduction, this is “not a conventional biography” but rather serves to focus on “the no-man’s land between truth and myth, [and] between fact and fiction.” As the book details there is so much misinformation and disinformation, it’s often impossible for the real Rasputin to emerge. Beevor has drawn from Russian archives “previously unpublished reports, interviews, and interrogations.” As you read, indeed, this is less about the man but about others thought of the man and how that impacted a diseased and morally corrupt nation.
The family under the influence of Alexandra was isolated and her influence was more extensive than I realized from previous books. Nicholas was just not tsar material - I kept thinking of Louis XVI who too just wanted a simple life. Then all the sycophants in the background didn’t help much. Rasputin was a disgusting human and he milked every advantage he had but that Alexandra could not lose him for the life her child is perhaps understandable, but it brought with it the conspiracy theories that feasted on a family’s suffering. I did learn a lot of new things in this book that I think helped me see the Romanovs more clearly.
Beevor is a wonderful writer - this is the first book I read by him. He brings history to life in his writing. I couldn’t put the book down. I will definitely be adding this to my history book collection so I can re-read it.
Highly recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an advance copy of this history that looks at the mad mystic moujhik known as Rasputin, a man known as a villain in fiction, and as much worse in Russian history, given powers far beyond that of most mortals, with a gift for making friends and influencing those in power, to detriment of the Tsar, his family, and even history.
I am not sure where I first heard about Rasputin. I know it was in the fictional sense. Maybe a Shadow pulp story. I think he was in Doc Savage. I know he was in the Hellboy Comics, but that was much later. In fact I think he was the villain in many a story I read, in movies I watched, even an animated musical. A man of magic and mystery, a man who was difficult to kill, with the power of mesmerism and myriad other powers. I remember when I first saw his name in a history book, I was like, what the heck. This guy was real? However even history seemed to fall under his power. Rasputin strode through many books like a super villain, living though assassination attempts, laughing off poison, bullets, beatings even the cold. With a glance he brought women under his sway, strong leaders gave him obedience. Nations lived and died by his whims. Much of this could be true. How did a peasant rise so high in a place that cared about social status as much as Tsarist Russia. What was his power, what was his magic? Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs by Antony Beevor is a serious look at a subject that is ripe for hyperbole, one that looks at the times, the players, and tries to get to the truth about Rasputin, a myth as much as a man.
The book begins with a dream that the Empress Dowager, the mother of the last Tsar Nicholas ii, had while pregnant. She dreamed that a peasant would be responsible for the death of her son. With this Beevor looks at the world of Russia, a nation close to revolution at many given points, with rights being given and taken away as leaders came and went. Nicholas' father was not a fan of his son, who he thought was slight, and not willing to fight for what was good for the country. Also Nicholas entered the job without my training in being a ruler, but with a dream of taking back power lost to the Tsar, and making Russia great again. The Tsarina also did not fit in, not truly understanding the ways that power and social circles worked. This and not delivering a son after three pregnancies made her a distant fretful person. Which only worsened upon the birth of her son, who had hemophilia. The only thing that seemed to help was a peasant mystic, an uncouth man with a love for women, sin, and a gift to be right about things, either by luck or by dark arts. Rasputin was quick to worm his way into the halls of power, but made many, many enemies along the way. Mad powers were ascribed to him, and due to his power and influence with the Tsar and his family seemed to many to be true. So much so that many attempts to hinder him were stopped by the Tsar himself. Until a group of nobles decided enough, was enough.
Beevor is a very good writer, able to describe moments in a you are there kind of sense, with a full explanation of the broader picture. Beevor never lectures, but shares the story, almost in a oh look at this kind of way. The narrative ever slows down, and even with the many characters and huge breadth of Russia to write about, never loses its way. Beevor cuts away a lot of the mythology, the assassination attempts, the final death of Rasputin, and yet is quick to say about a few things, I really don't know. How did Rasputin cure the Tsar's son from a distance. how did he know certain things would happen. Luck possibly, controlling the narrative, maybe. Or something more.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, mainly because Beevor writes about everything so well, and so clearly, I learn much while enjoying what I am reading. The book is enthralling and quick, with a narrative pace that really keeps things moving. I always come away from Beevor books in awe for how he makes history so interesting, and important. I eagerly await what he has planned next.
I am not sure where I first heard about Rasputin. I know it was in the fictional sense. Maybe a Shadow pulp story. I think he was in Doc Savage. I know he was in the Hellboy Comics, but that was much later. In fact I think he was the villain in many a story I read, in movies I watched, even an animated musical. A man of magic and mystery, a man who was difficult to kill, with the power of mesmerism and myriad other powers. I remember when I first saw his name in a history book, I was like, what the heck. This guy was real? However even history seemed to fall under his power. Rasputin strode through many books like a super villain, living though assassination attempts, laughing off poison, bullets, beatings even the cold. With a glance he brought women under his sway, strong leaders gave him obedience. Nations lived and died by his whims. Much of this could be true. How did a peasant rise so high in a place that cared about social status as much as Tsarist Russia. What was his power, what was his magic? Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs by Antony Beevor is a serious look at a subject that is ripe for hyperbole, one that looks at the times, the players, and tries to get to the truth about Rasputin, a myth as much as a man.
The book begins with a dream that the Empress Dowager, the mother of the last Tsar Nicholas ii, had while pregnant. She dreamed that a peasant would be responsible for the death of her son. With this Beevor looks at the world of Russia, a nation close to revolution at many given points, with rights being given and taken away as leaders came and went. Nicholas' father was not a fan of his son, who he thought was slight, and not willing to fight for what was good for the country. Also Nicholas entered the job without my training in being a ruler, but with a dream of taking back power lost to the Tsar, and making Russia great again. The Tsarina also did not fit in, not truly understanding the ways that power and social circles worked. This and not delivering a son after three pregnancies made her a distant fretful person. Which only worsened upon the birth of her son, who had hemophilia. The only thing that seemed to help was a peasant mystic, an uncouth man with a love for women, sin, and a gift to be right about things, either by luck or by dark arts. Rasputin was quick to worm his way into the halls of power, but made many, many enemies along the way. Mad powers were ascribed to him, and due to his power and influence with the Tsar and his family seemed to many to be true. So much so that many attempts to hinder him were stopped by the Tsar himself. Until a group of nobles decided enough, was enough.
Beevor is a very good writer, able to describe moments in a you are there kind of sense, with a full explanation of the broader picture. Beevor never lectures, but shares the story, almost in a oh look at this kind of way. The narrative ever slows down, and even with the many characters and huge breadth of Russia to write about, never loses its way. Beevor cuts away a lot of the mythology, the assassination attempts, the final death of Rasputin, and yet is quick to say about a few things, I really don't know. How did Rasputin cure the Tsar's son from a distance. how did he know certain things would happen. Luck possibly, controlling the narrative, maybe. Or something more.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, mainly because Beevor writes about everything so well, and so clearly, I learn much while enjoying what I am reading. The book is enthralling and quick, with a narrative pace that really keeps things moving. I always come away from Beevor books in awe for how he makes history so interesting, and important. I eagerly await what he has planned next.
March 15, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Another hit from prolific historian Antony Beevor! In Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs, historian Antony Beevor once again proves why he is one of the most compelling narrative historians writing today. Rather than leaning into the mythology that has long surrounded Grigori Rasputin, Beevor grounds the story in political instability, family dysfunction and the very human vulnerabilities that allowed Rasputin to gain such extraordinary influence over the Romanov family.
One of the most striking themes in this book is how the lack of medical knowledge at the time left even the most powerful people in the world searching for answers in mysticism and spiritualism. Reading about the desperation surrounding the illness of Tsarevich Alexei, I was reminded of the storyline involving King George in Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte arc (a very millennial take, I know)…the sense that when science fails, people will turn to anyone who promises hope. Alexandra’s guilt over passing hemophilia to her son made her especially vulnerable, and Beevor shows how figures like Rasputin, and earlier advisers such as Philippe, were able to step into that void.
Beevor also does an excellent job providing the broader historical context of the early 1900s, showing that the Romanov dynasty was already under immense strain from political unrest, war, and internal dysfunction long before Rasputin entered the picture. In many ways, the family did not become unstable because of Rasputin. Rather, their instability made them susceptible to him. His presence exposed and deepened cracks that were already there.
What I appreciated most is that Beevor avoids portraying Rasputin as a supernatural figure or prophetic legend. Instead, he presents him as a man who became “cloaked in legend,” a phrase that feels especially relevant in modern times. It brought to mind the way contemporary figures (cough cough Epstein) can become mythologized in the public imagination, when in reality they are simply human beings making conscious choices, sometimes harmful ones, that affect others in very real ways.
This book is a fascinating and unsettling, look at the final years of the Romanovs, and another excellent work from one of the most reliable historians writing today. Highly recommended for readers interested in Russian history, royal biography, and the psychology of power.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the advance copy of this book in exchange for honest review.
Another hit from prolific historian Antony Beevor! In Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs, historian Antony Beevor once again proves why he is one of the most compelling narrative historians writing today. Rather than leaning into the mythology that has long surrounded Grigori Rasputin, Beevor grounds the story in political instability, family dysfunction and the very human vulnerabilities that allowed Rasputin to gain such extraordinary influence over the Romanov family.
One of the most striking themes in this book is how the lack of medical knowledge at the time left even the most powerful people in the world searching for answers in mysticism and spiritualism. Reading about the desperation surrounding the illness of Tsarevich Alexei, I was reminded of the storyline involving King George in Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte arc (a very millennial take, I know)…the sense that when science fails, people will turn to anyone who promises hope. Alexandra’s guilt over passing hemophilia to her son made her especially vulnerable, and Beevor shows how figures like Rasputin, and earlier advisers such as Philippe, were able to step into that void.
Beevor also does an excellent job providing the broader historical context of the early 1900s, showing that the Romanov dynasty was already under immense strain from political unrest, war, and internal dysfunction long before Rasputin entered the picture. In many ways, the family did not become unstable because of Rasputin. Rather, their instability made them susceptible to him. His presence exposed and deepened cracks that were already there.
What I appreciated most is that Beevor avoids portraying Rasputin as a supernatural figure or prophetic legend. Instead, he presents him as a man who became “cloaked in legend,” a phrase that feels especially relevant in modern times. It brought to mind the way contemporary figures (cough cough Epstein) can become mythologized in the public imagination, when in reality they are simply human beings making conscious choices, sometimes harmful ones, that affect others in very real ways.
This book is a fascinating and unsettling, look at the final years of the Romanovs, and another excellent work from one of the most reliable historians writing today. Highly recommended for readers interested in Russian history, royal biography, and the psychology of power.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the advance copy of this book in exchange for honest review.
March 22, 2026
Raspoetin, ook daar zijn boeken bij overvloed van. Maar ook hier raakt men niet uitgeschreven over, dat blijkt wel met het nieuwe boek: “Raspoetin en de ondergang van de Romanovs”.
Het boek begint met een droom die de keizerin-weduwe, de moeder van de laatste tsaar Nicolaas II, had tijdens haar zwangerschap. Meer vertel ik daar niet over; dat moet de lezer zelf ontdekken, maar niet alle dromen zijn bedrog, laat ik het daar maar bij houden. Aan de hand hiervan werpt auteur Antony Beevor een blik op de wereld van Rusland. Nicolaas II was geen doortastende tsaar, evenmin als zijn vrouw. Alexandra Fjodorovna stond onder grote druk, want na drie zwangerschappen was er nog steeds geen mannelijke troonopvolger. Het maakte haar tot een afstandelijke en bezorgde vrouw. Het werd er niet beter op na de geboorte van de zoon Aleksej, die aan hemofilie leed. (Hemofilie is een erfelijke aandoening. Door een afwijking in een gen zijn er problemen met de bloedstolling.)
In hun wanhoop zochten Nicolaas II en Alexandra hun toevlucht tot een mystieke boer, een onbehouwen man met een voorliefde voor vrouwen, die in zonde leefde en zogenaamd mensen kon genezen. We hebben het hier over Raspoetin. Deze Raspoetin wist zich snel een weg te banen naar de hoogste kringen zo ook bij de tsaar en tsarin van Rusland. Raspoetin zou uitzonderlijke krachten zijn toegeschreven, en door zijn macht en invloed op de tsaar en zijn familie leken die voor velen ook waar te zijn. Nicolaas en zijn vrouw ( voornamelijk zijn vrouw) geloofden heilig in hem en wie tegen hem was of een verkeerd woord over hem zei, werd meteen door de tsarina of de tsaar zelf teruggefloten. Raspoetin maakte niet alleen vrienden, maar ook veel vijanden….. Met alle gevolgen van dien.
Op basis van nieuw ontdekt bronnenmateriaal vertelt Antony Beevor het verhaal van Raspoetin. Beevor beschrijft alles zo goed en helder, wat het lezen van het boek gemakkelijker maakt. Het boek is meeslepend en vlot geschreven. Het weet de aandacht van de lezer goed vast te houden. Het boek telt 384 pagina’s en de hoofdstukken zijn niet al te lang.
Samengevat: de auteur plaatst Raspoetin in de historische context van zijn tijd en beschrijft de talloze redenen waarom hij zo belangrijk was voor de tsaar en tsarina, en hoe hij bijdroeg aan de val van de Romanovs. Het boek is dan ook een aanrader voor iedereen met interesse in geschiedenis.
Het boek begint met een droom die de keizerin-weduwe, de moeder van de laatste tsaar Nicolaas II, had tijdens haar zwangerschap. Meer vertel ik daar niet over; dat moet de lezer zelf ontdekken, maar niet alle dromen zijn bedrog, laat ik het daar maar bij houden. Aan de hand hiervan werpt auteur Antony Beevor een blik op de wereld van Rusland. Nicolaas II was geen doortastende tsaar, evenmin als zijn vrouw. Alexandra Fjodorovna stond onder grote druk, want na drie zwangerschappen was er nog steeds geen mannelijke troonopvolger. Het maakte haar tot een afstandelijke en bezorgde vrouw. Het werd er niet beter op na de geboorte van de zoon Aleksej, die aan hemofilie leed. (Hemofilie is een erfelijke aandoening. Door een afwijking in een gen zijn er problemen met de bloedstolling.)
In hun wanhoop zochten Nicolaas II en Alexandra hun toevlucht tot een mystieke boer, een onbehouwen man met een voorliefde voor vrouwen, die in zonde leefde en zogenaamd mensen kon genezen. We hebben het hier over Raspoetin. Deze Raspoetin wist zich snel een weg te banen naar de hoogste kringen zo ook bij de tsaar en tsarin van Rusland. Raspoetin zou uitzonderlijke krachten zijn toegeschreven, en door zijn macht en invloed op de tsaar en zijn familie leken die voor velen ook waar te zijn. Nicolaas en zijn vrouw ( voornamelijk zijn vrouw) geloofden heilig in hem en wie tegen hem was of een verkeerd woord over hem zei, werd meteen door de tsarina of de tsaar zelf teruggefloten. Raspoetin maakte niet alleen vrienden, maar ook veel vijanden….. Met alle gevolgen van dien.
Op basis van nieuw ontdekt bronnenmateriaal vertelt Antony Beevor het verhaal van Raspoetin. Beevor beschrijft alles zo goed en helder, wat het lezen van het boek gemakkelijker maakt. Het boek is meeslepend en vlot geschreven. Het weet de aandacht van de lezer goed vast te houden. Het boek telt 384 pagina’s en de hoofdstukken zijn niet al te lang.
Samengevat: de auteur plaatst Raspoetin in de historische context van zijn tijd en beschrijft de talloze redenen waarom hij zo belangrijk was voor de tsaar en tsarina, en hoe hij bijdroeg aan de val van de Romanovs. Het boek is dan ook een aanrader voor iedereen met interesse in geschiedenis.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
As I read Rasputin by Antony Beevor, I couldn't help but laugh at times. It wasn't a funny laugh, but more like the laugh you let out when you witness something that leaves you incredulous. Beevor is telling the story of Rasputin, but he is also showing just how completely dysfunctional the Russian monarchy was at the time. Did Rasputin help bring down the czar and his family? Absolutely. Would it have fallen without his help? I'd vote probably.
Beevor is one of my go-to authors for anything in Russian history. His Stalingrad book could not have been better. This narrative is different but no less well-done. I have read about Rasputin before, but Beevor provides the most comprehensive picture of the madman. Yes, he was seemingly magical, threatening, and unkempt. Beevor shows all of those sides but doesn't forget to add the last aspect. He was also fairly ridiculous. He was a drunken name dropper and there were many who immediately saw through him. His escapades would be worthy of laughter except of course for the people hurt along the way.
Millions of people would end up killed, maimed, or lose loved ones because the royal family thought listening to a much-maligned and barely literate stranger from Siberia was a great idea. I really appreciate Beevor's tone in this story. He is still just as scholarly as his other books, but he lets the reader know many of these things are ridiculous on their face. The royal couple were hopelessly lost if not needlessly antagonistic. The author got an audible laugh when he mentioned Rasputin and Empress Alexandra teamed up to choose cabinet ministers, but unfortunately they were horrible judges of character.
Beevor also takes on the legends head-on. He clearly delineates what is made up, what actually happened, and what we can never truly know. Rasputin should be no one's hero. He was a villain who could convince people of things, but he would just as easily commit a sexual assault and try to ruin lives. However, it doesn't mean he did all the things ascribed to his name. In the end, Beevor did exactly what I hoped. I learned the true story while being entertained along the way.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and Viking Books.)
Beevor is one of my go-to authors for anything in Russian history. His Stalingrad book could not have been better. This narrative is different but no less well-done. I have read about Rasputin before, but Beevor provides the most comprehensive picture of the madman. Yes, he was seemingly magical, threatening, and unkempt. Beevor shows all of those sides but doesn't forget to add the last aspect. He was also fairly ridiculous. He was a drunken name dropper and there were many who immediately saw through him. His escapades would be worthy of laughter except of course for the people hurt along the way.
Millions of people would end up killed, maimed, or lose loved ones because the royal family thought listening to a much-maligned and barely literate stranger from Siberia was a great idea. I really appreciate Beevor's tone in this story. He is still just as scholarly as his other books, but he lets the reader know many of these things are ridiculous on their face. The royal couple were hopelessly lost if not needlessly antagonistic. The author got an audible laugh when he mentioned Rasputin and Empress Alexandra teamed up to choose cabinet ministers, but unfortunately they were horrible judges of character.
Beevor also takes on the legends head-on. He clearly delineates what is made up, what actually happened, and what we can never truly know. Rasputin should be no one's hero. He was a villain who could convince people of things, but he would just as easily commit a sexual assault and try to ruin lives. However, it doesn't mean he did all the things ascribed to his name. In the end, Beevor did exactly what I hoped. I learned the true story while being entertained along the way.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and Viking Books.)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Having followed this story since I was very young and more recently reading Robert Massie’s fantastic book, Nicholas and Alexandra, I felt content in the knowledge I had on this subject and was done with the material. That was until Antony Beevor made a go at it, I knew I had to return to the Romanov family one last time and it did not disappoint!
Beevor widens the story out to the lesser known people circling Rasputin and the Romanovs. You see how popular mysticism actually was amongst the upper classes in Russian society. You meet the man who came before Rasputin, Monsieur Philippe. Also seen as a Spiritual Advisor, a clear pattern is revealed that shows just how emotionally susceptible the Empress was and how comfortable these peasant class holy men were to pushing their political advice and opinions onto the Tsar.
You gain a clearer understanding of just how protective Alexandra was of Rasputin when you see the numbers of replacements made on Rasputins behalf. Forty three Governor changes in the first nine months of 1916. Four Prime Ministers, 3 Foreign Ministers, 5 Ministers of the Interior, and the list goes on, all in a fifteen month window.
Something I really enjoyed was the backstory to the assassins and how they played in to the aristocracy. Before they lured Rasputin to his demise there was also Khionya Guseva, a woman who almost succeeded in killing Rasputin first.
A quote that stuck with me; “Yet it was the demoralization of the ruling class, not the fervor of revolutionary dogma, which accelerated the collapse of the 300 year old Tsarist regime.”
Excellent book, highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for a review!
Beevor widens the story out to the lesser known people circling Rasputin and the Romanovs. You see how popular mysticism actually was amongst the upper classes in Russian society. You meet the man who came before Rasputin, Monsieur Philippe. Also seen as a Spiritual Advisor, a clear pattern is revealed that shows just how emotionally susceptible the Empress was and how comfortable these peasant class holy men were to pushing their political advice and opinions onto the Tsar.
You gain a clearer understanding of just how protective Alexandra was of Rasputin when you see the numbers of replacements made on Rasputins behalf. Forty three Governor changes in the first nine months of 1916. Four Prime Ministers, 3 Foreign Ministers, 5 Ministers of the Interior, and the list goes on, all in a fifteen month window.
Something I really enjoyed was the backstory to the assassins and how they played in to the aristocracy. Before they lured Rasputin to his demise there was also Khionya Guseva, a woman who almost succeeded in killing Rasputin first.
A quote that stuck with me; “Yet it was the demoralization of the ruling class, not the fervor of revolutionary dogma, which accelerated the collapse of the 300 year old Tsarist regime.”
Excellent book, highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for a review!
November 14, 2025
There is a very historical deep dive into the life of one of Russia's most notorious residents and how his involvement with the Romanov family changed the course of history as we know it. Grigori Rasputin was known for a plethora of assumptions and accusations including but not limited to: the mad monk, a madman, the supposed lover of the Tsarina Alexandria, the alleged 'healer' of Alexei, a mystic who delved too deep into escapades of orgies and debauchery despite being a religious man. But are these accusations actually accurate or just malicious rumors to help compose the notoriety of this simple man? Now that is up for the reader to decide.
As someone who has always loved learning and studying the Romanov family from their connections to the British royal family and Catherine the Great to their tragic and horrific deaths, Rasputin played a critical role in the demise of the Tsar and his family and this is a book that history lovers shouldn't skip.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
As someone who has always loved learning and studying the Romanov family from their connections to the British royal family and Catherine the Great to their tragic and horrific deaths, Rasputin played a critical role in the demise of the Tsar and his family and this is a book that history lovers shouldn't skip.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Rasputin, the infamous mystic who ingratiated himself with the royal family of imperial Russia, is a fascinating subject. The author places Rasputin in the historical context of his time, detailing the myriad reasons why he was so important to the Tsar and Tsaritsa, and how he contributed to the downfall of the Romanovs. The egos, the decadence, the entitlement of a few--it is all here, and the author helps the reader understand the personalities behind the throne. This is not only a well researched book, but it is also very readable, and is recommended to anyone with an interest in history. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a really insightful look into the fall of the Romanov dynasty. This volume is much, much more than a biography of Rasputin, though it is not less than that. Beevor helpfully draws a through line from the introduction of Rasputin to the Tsar and Tsarista to their eventual downfall without placing all of the blame for the collapse of the government on Rasputin. He demonstrates the impact of Rasputin on the royal couple, but shows that it was a confluence of events that led to the events of 1917 and beyond. This was a really, really great volume on a fascinating time in European history.
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