A stunning achievement of psychological insight, deep research, and evocative prose that adds to his illustrious career as a chronicler of the 20th century, Antony Beevor's Rasputin not only captures the mysterious Siberian holy man in all his bizarre complexity - the feverish religiosity, the preening ambition, the drunken lust as well as the sincere concern for the peasantry and fear of war - but also paints a vivid portrait of tsarist Russia hurtling toward the abyss. A must read for understanding the epic downfall of the Romanov dynasty -- DOUGLAS SMITH, author, Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs
Totally fascinating, compelling and beautifully written. In its deep political and psychological understanding of Rasputin, the Romanovs and Russia itself, it's intriguing and original. One of the great stories of history, told by one of our greatest historians -- SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE
We have come to expect narrative clarity from Antony Beevor, and in his latest book, he doesn't disappoint. Pushing away the myths and legends that surround Rasputin, Beevor brings us a plausible psychological portrait, a very readable account of an extraordinary life, and a tale of autocratic decline with plenty of contemporary analogies, for readers who care to see them -- ANNE APPLEBAUM,
Who was Grigory Rasputin? Shaman, healer, abuser of women, favourite of the Tsaritsa, this is the peasant who altered Russian history. In this stunning banquet of a book, Antony Beevor gives us the rich and ripe flavour of his shape-shifting powers -- ROSE TREMAIN
From Antony Beevor's scrupulous history, Rasputin emerges as even more bizarre and fascinating than the creature of popular myth -- SEBASTIAN FAULKS
Incisive and illuminating. This extraordinary story has never been better told -- ANTHONY HOROWITZ
For well over a generation, Beevor has been the gold standard of narrative history -- DAN SNOW
A wonderful book. Beevor has written a brilliant and vivid account of how a barely literate peasant beguiled the Romanovs, and helped plunge imperial Russia into chaos and revolution. Rasputin's fantastical story anticipates our own truth-challenged times, when myth and fake news can be more potent than reality -- LUKE HARDING, Orwell Prize-shortlisted author of Invasion: Russia's Bloody War and Ukraine's Fight for Survival