Meticulously researched and well balanced, this detailed history of Rasputin and the Romanovs is fascinating. Beevor clearly explains how this mystic was able to ingratiate himself with not only the Tsarina and the Romanovs but other members of the Russian elite which led to disastrous consequences. I really enjoyed this full and complete account.

Excellent account of rise of Rasputin & his part in the decline of Romanov dynasty. Very readable, stayed up half the night to finish it - it was that engrossing. Wld highly recommend & v likely to read it again

A follow up, of sorts, to his previous book "Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921", Anthony Beevor turns his attention to the downfall of the Romanov dynasty at a more personal level, from the perspective of the involvement of Grigory Rasputin. Naturally, much of his life is mythologised, up to the point where he inveigles his way into the lives of the Imperial Family, but the author makes it clear that what is "known" is anecdotal, but draws on archival material and historical fact for his involvement with the elites of Russian society, through letters, interviews, both pre and post revolution, with many close to the heart of events. What still amazes me, after reading this, is how so many people in and around the royal family were in thrall to a manipulative charlatan for so long (1904-1916). Clearly, the Tsaritsa had a very suggestible personality, even before Rasputin's arrival at court, by how she gave up her Lutheran faith for Russian Orthodoxy, following her marriage, while husband was the epitome of henpecked, afraid to say no to his wife, even from a safe distance from St Petersburg/Petrograd. Others in the court who flocked to Rasputin's circle don't appear to have had much in the way of intelligence, and much more in the way of sycophancy, for both the Tsaritsa & the "Starets", as he was know to his followers. It's also hard to understand why it took so long for anyone to enact an assassination plot against Rasputin. He had many enemies in political and military circles, and with his night time excursions to the seedier parts of St Petersburg, or on his many visits to Pokrovskoe, no one thought to have him eliminated in a banya, brothel, or back alley. (There was a "lone wolf" attack by a woman, Khionya Guseva, at the instigation of the deranged Heiromonk Iliodor, a "spiritual" rival of Rasputin, but he managed to beat her off with a stick. I will say that much as I enjoyed the book, there were a few niggles. There are some inconsistencies. For example, the use of "Petrograd", the change of name for St Petersburg during the Great War, happens in the narrative BEFORE the explanation for the change. However, there is a flip-flopping of the use of the names from that point onwards. Similarly, there is interchanging of use of "Prince Felix Yusupov", with "Count Sumarokov-Elston", even using both, confusing those who didn't pay attention and don't realise it's the same person. The thing that is most frustrating, though, is that after the exile of the conspirators Yusupov & Pavlovich, there is no follow up on their fates, post revolution, nor of Purishkevich, the third of the triumvirate. I had to google the three to find out more. Maybe it'll be in a revised edition... Despite these minor issues, it is still an excellent read, and an excellent companion piece to its' predecessor.