Rasputin

Grigory Rasputin, the Siberian peasant-turned-mystic, 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 my ABC...' But, as the only person able to relieve the symptoms of haemophilia in the Tsar's heir Alexis, 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 symbolise all that was decadent and remote about the royal family.His role in the downfall of the tsarist regime is beyond dispute. But who was he really? Prophet or rascal?In this eye-opening short biography, which draws on previously unpublished material, Frances Welch turns her inimitable wry gaze on one of the great mysteries of Russian history.

“"In this slender and enjoyable biography, Frances Welch sets about her search for the man with common sense, wry observation and insight.... she writes delightfully." Orlando Figes, Sunday Times "In this elegant and insightful short biography, Welch has done an excellent job of digging out the kind of telling detail that often gets swamped by the grand political narrative." Mail on Sunday "A delight to read, if horror can be delightful." Daily Telegraph "A dazzling book." Daily Mail "Was Rasputin a prophet or a charlatan, a shrewd power player or a demented devilish idiot? The answer, according to this slim and witty volume, is a bit of everything." The Times”

In this slender and enjoyable biography, Frances Welch sets about her search for the man with common sense, wry observation and insight.... she writes delightfully. Sunday Times
In this elegant and insightful short biography, Welch has done an excellent job of digging out the kind of telling detail that often gets swamped by the grand political narrative. Mail on Sunday
A delight to read, if horror can be delightful. Daily Telegraph
A dazzling book. Daily Mail
Was Rasputin a prophet or a charlatan, a shrewd power player or a demented devilish idiot? The answer, according to this slim and witty volume, is a bit of everything. The Times

Frances Welch is the author of The Imperial Tea Party (2018), Rasputin: A Short Life (2014), The Russian Court at Sea (2011), A Romanov Fantasy (2008) and The Romanovs & Mr Gibbes (2004), all published by Short Books. Frances Welch has written for The Sunday Telegraph, Granta and The Spectator. She lives in Aldeburgh, Suffolk with her husband, Craig Brown.

Grigory Rasputin, the Siberian peasant-turned-mystic, 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 alphabet'. But, as the only person able to relieve the symptoms of haemophilia in the Tsar's heir Alexis, 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 symbolise all that was decadent and remote about the Imperial Family, especially when it was rumoured that he was not only shaping Russian policy during the First World War, but also enjoying an intimate relationship with the Tsarina. Rasputin's role in the downfall of the tsarist regime is beyond dispute. But who was he really? Prophet or rascal? In this eye-opening short biography - which draws on new material, including an interview with Kyril Zinovieff, probably the last man alive who saw Rasputin, as well as unpublished memoirs, diaries and letters - Frances Welch turns her inimitable wry gaze on one of the great mysteries of Russian history.

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