Rasputin

Based on new sources--the definitive biography of Rasputin, with revelations about his life, death, and involvement with the RomanovsA century after his death, Gregory Rasputin remains fascinating: the Russian peasant with hypnotic eyes who befriended Tsar Nicholas II and helped destroy the Russian Empire, but the truth about his strange life has never been fully told. Written by the world's leading authority on Rasputin, this new biography draws on previously closed Soviet archives to offer new information on Rasputin's relationship with Empress Alexandra, sensational revelations about his sexual conquests, a re-examination of his murder, and more."A meticulously researched biography of Rasputin, combining previously unavailable Russian archive material with contemporary documents and memoirs to expose many of the myths and misconceptions about this enigmatic man. A riveting read."
--Coryne Hall, author of "Imperial Dancer: Mathilde Kschessinska and the Romanovs""With the benefit of new research, Joseph Fuhrmann takes us on a fascinating exploration of the life of one of history's most enigmatic characters, Gregory Yefimovich Rasputin. From Siberian childhood, to unimagined power at the heart of the Russian Imperial Family, to the drama of his assassination, it is a colorful and evocative journey."
--Christopher Warwick, Royal Biographer and author of "Ella: Princess, Saint, and Martyr""A startling and original account of the life of Gregory Rasputin based on extensive research in distant Siberian archives, recently opened police records, and a thoughtful analysis of the published literature. Rasputin: The Untold Story goes beyond the legends and the scandals to reveal both the human being and the personal tragedy that helped bring down the Russian Empire. In Fuhrmann's skilled hands, Rasputin is no longer simply a cardboard cut-out, a symbol of dissolution and sexual depravity. Fuhrmann reveals his subject's many humane qualities, and his real, though limited, ideas. No one intrigued by the last years of Imperial Russia will want to miss this book."
--Richard G. Robbins Jr., Professor Emeritus, University of New Mexico

Preface ix Acknowledgments xv Cast of Principal Characters, Places, and Terms xix Prologue 1 1 The Outsider 3 2 Seeker and Teacher 15 3 Nicholas and Alexandra: Waiting for a Friend 31 4 The New Rasputin 39 5 The Church Strikes Back 49 6 The Romanovs' Holy Fool 57 7 The Captain's Mysterious Report 67 8 Black Boars Become Bishops 77 9 "You Are Our All" 87 10 "God Has Heard Your Prayers!" 97 11 Spiritual Crisis 107 12 The Woman with the Missing Nose 117 13 Disaster Lurks in Moscow 131 14 The Tsar Takes Charge and Loses Control 143 15 Rasputin Conquers the Russian State 155 16 The Church at the Feet of a "Low Hound" 167 17 "Our Friend's Ideas about Men Are Sometimes Queer" 177 18 Shadows Come at Twilight 185 19 The Assassin 197 20 Murder at the Palace 207 21 The Aftermath 215 22 Who Really Killed Rasputin? 225 E pilogue 233 Notes 241 Bibliography 263 Photo Credits 271 Index 273