We think we live in a post-truth age where fake news is changing events? Reading Douglas Smith's excellent and compelling biography shows there is, indeed, nothing new under the sun. Rasputin was a constant victim of lies and slander. Smith, who has actually read the original contemporary Russian police reports, shows our image of him (Ra, Ra, Rasputin, Lover of the Russian Queen) has been shaped by lies spread to denigrate him through either jealousy of his position at court, or enmity to the Romanovs themselves. No-one can deny his presence damaged the monarchy, or that at the end of his time as favourite, just before his murder, he used his influence unwisely, but he was never the all powerful eminence grise as his many detractors portrayed him. Well worth a read for the in depth background of Russian political life it also presents. PS - Sorry about mentioning the song, I know you'll be humming it for days...

All great stories sadly come to an end, and after reading 680 pages of Rasputin, his story is over.  This book had everything. truths, lies, and myths. I suppose most of Rasputin's life is our own interpretation of what to believe.  What I can say is that Rasputin wasn't perfect; far from it being flawed in so many ways, he was an anomaly with a gift that so many people couldn't understand or were envious of.  The presence of Rasputin divided the classes of the elites in Russia, so many were for him as much as against him.  Reading this book,  Rasputin did abuse his power and influence when he first arrived in Russia and got on the good side of the Tsar and Tsarita, which also made the elites envious again, especially those like Father IIidor, who'd be one who'd started the whole Rasputin is a "Mad Monk" slander, but if you read on in this book, it is IIidor himself who was the Mad Monk.  The whole moniker of Rasputin was dirty came from the Russian elites because Rasputin, in their eyes, was just a peasant and didn't follow the protocol of the Russian elite; he didn't groom his beard or style his hair.  Though yes, the last few years of Rasputin's life did see his hygiene decline, he became an alcoholic as depression set in with the years and years of slander, many of which were lies and assassination attempts.  Rasputin, in his later years before his death, was fond of gipsy dances. He would be seen going to these with many friends and some who were gay. It showed Rasputin didn't care for one's sexuality, as it was frowned upon in Russia, and the Orthodox Church may be another reason why Rasputin was attacked with so much slander.   Even though some of the elites and royal family in Russia were, in fact gay themselves, they kept it secret from their peers. Also, in the last few years of Rasputin's life during WW1, Rasputin did more for the poor than the Tsar did.   Then, the death of Rasputin was planned and carried out by Prince Yupusov and Grand Duke Dimitri. Prince Yusupov never had any remorse for the murder of Rasputin, though Grand Duke Dimitry did show some remorse as he couldn't get it out of his consciousness of killing a man. All great stories sadly come to an end, and after reading 680 pages of Rasputin, his story is over.  This book had everything. truths, lies, and myths. I suppose most of Rasputin's life is our own interpretation of what to believe.  What I can say is that Rasputin wasn't perfect; far from it being flawed in so many ways, he was an anomaly with a gift that so many people couldn't understand or were envious of.  The presence of Rasputin divided the classes of the elites in Russia, so many were for him as much as against him.  Reading this book,  Rasputin did abuse his power and influence when he first arrived in Russia and got on the good side of the Tsar and Tsarita, which also made the elites envious again, especially those like Father IIidor, who'd be one who'd started the whole Rasputin is a "Mad Monk" slander, but if you read on in this book, it is IIidor himself who was the Mad Monk.  The whole moniker of Rasputin was dirty came from the Russian elites because Rasputin, in their eyes, was just a peasant and didn't follow the protocol of the Russian elite; he didn't groom his beard or style his hair.  Though yes, the last few years of Rasputin's life did see his hygiene decline, he became an alcoholic as depression set in with the years and years of slander, many of which were lies and assassination attempts.  Rasputin, in his later years before his death, was fond of gipsy dances. He would be seen going to these with many friends and some who were gay. It showed Rasputin didn't care for one's sexuality, as it was frowned upon in Russia, and the Orthodox Church may be another reason why Rasputin was attacked with so much slander.   Even though some of the elites and royal family in Russia were, in fact gay themselves, they kept it secret from their peers. Also, in the last few years of Rasputin's life during WW1, Rasputin did more for the poor than the Tsar did.  Then, the death of Rasputin was planned and carried out by Prince Yupusov and Grand Duke Dimitri. Prince Yusupov never had any remorse for the murder of Rasputin, though Grand Duke Dimitry did show some remorse as he couldn't get it out of his consciousness of killing a man.