The murder of Rasputin on the night of 16-17 December 1916 has always seemed extraordinary: first he was poisoned, then shot and finally drowned in a frozen river by Russian aristocrats fearful of his influence on Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra. Or was he? Dramatic new evidence from previously unpublished documents, diaries, forensic reports and intelligence records now means the plot takes a remarkable twist. Grigori Rasputin is probably one of the best-known but least understood figures in the events that ultimately led to the downfall of the Russian tsars. His political role as the power behind the throne is obscured today, as it was then, by the fascination with his morality and private life. Andrew Cook's re-investigation of Rasputin's death reveals for the first time the real masterminds behind the murder of the 'mad monk'. Why does the story of a peasant from as distant Siberian village becoming the all-powerful favourite of the last Russian tsar excite us more than almost any other episode in Russian history? Why are there more lies and concealment than truth in the story of his murder? Was this extraordinary man an evil demon who brought down the royal family, or somebody who could have been its saviour? To Kill Rasputin finally provides the answers to the many mysteries surrounding the pivotal moment in Russian history.
To Kill Rasputin
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £1.16
Trade in To Kill Rasputin: The Life and Death of Grigori Rasputin for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £1.16, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Learn more
|
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
You conclude, from reading this book, that many people wanted Rasputin dead for many different reasons. Andrew Cook is meticulous in relating the whole, sorry tale of Rasputin's increasing influence on the Tsarina and the belief by many that he was virtually running the country. Rumours and plots abounded - the 'Mad Monk' wielded huge political power, was said to live a life of debauchery, was planning to make the Tsar sign a peace pact between Russia and Germany, was more than friendly with the Tsarina and her daughters, etc. It was certainly a fact that the desperate Tsarina relied on him to relieve her son's illness and believed in his power of healing, as well as asking for his opinion on all major decisions about both the country and the war. Something had to be done and some Russian aristocrats decided to take matters into their own hands.
Of course, we have all heard about Prince Felix Yusupov and his fellow collaborators, but this book manages to offer some new information as well as relating details of all the major people involved, a reconstruction of what happened, the investigation and the aftermath of Rasputin's murder. Prince Felix Yusupov himself is a very interesting character, although not perhaps the most discreet person to undertake such a mission. It is hardly an exaggeration to suggest that most of Russia seems to have heard rumours about their plans and, as his palace seems to have been within both sight and hearing of a number of policemen, it was not the best place to undertake a murder either. However, it does show how desperate the situation was that a man who previously lived a life of privilege and pleasure decided that Rasputin had to be removed. It seems almost everyone had an impending sense of doom and to feel the threat of revolution, apart from the Tsar. The author adds some new information to that already known - for example details of autopsy reports and evidence of British involvement. Overall, this is an exciting and well written account of a major event in world history, where almost every character is larger than life - not least Rasputin himself. Highly recommended and a must read for anyone interested in this period of history.
Of course, we have all heard about Prince Felix Yusupov and his fellow collaborators, but this book manages to offer some new information as well as relating details of all the major people involved, a reconstruction of what happened, the investigation and the aftermath of Rasputin's murder. Prince Felix Yusupov himself is a very interesting character, although not perhaps the most discreet person to undertake such a mission. It is hardly an exaggeration to suggest that most of Russia seems to have heard rumours about their plans and, as his palace seems to have been within both sight and hearing of a number of policemen, it was not the best place to undertake a murder either. However, it does show how desperate the situation was that a man who previously lived a life of privilege and pleasure decided that Rasputin had to be removed. It seems almost everyone had an impending sense of doom and to feel the threat of revolution, apart from the Tsar. The author adds some new information to that already known - for example details of autopsy reports and evidence of British involvement. Overall, this is an exciting and well written account of a major event in world history, where almost every character is larger than life - not least Rasputin himself. Highly recommended and a must read for anyone interested in this period of history.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Very interesting book - I have always found Rasputin intriguing - it was curious how a man like that should wield such power .Thanks
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.5 out of 5 stars
6 reviews
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Guy Just Wouldn't Drop
18 July 2007
By doomsdayer520
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
The scheming and charismatic Rasputin has tantalized historians for 90 years, and there are many books attempting to give all the answers about his influence on the last Russian Tsar and claiming to solve the mysteries of his assassination. This book is the latest, and though Andrew Cook doesn't find any real surprises, he does debunk many stereotypes and tall tales with a high degree of believability. For instance, legends have it that Rasputin was so evil that he was nearly impossible to kill, as he wouldn't drop after being poisoned and shot and stabbed and bludgeoned and kicked and beaten and impaled and cornholed before finally being entombed in an icy watery grave. Cook examines the forensic evidence (and supplies the reader with plenty of gruesome autopsy photos to boot) and finds that while Rasputin was a healthy tough guy, he wasn't really so indestructible. For instance, the prissy Russian noblemen who plotted the assassination purchased their poison several weeks in advance so it lost its potency, while as gunmen they couldn't hit the side of a barn.
So Cook ably dismantles those stereotypes, and while his research doesn't really lead to any blockbusters that would surprise the knowledgeable reader, he does find some strong evidence that British agents were in on the plot - wishing to rub out Rasputin because he was giving the Tsar war advice that could damage England's prospects. The interested reader should be willing to believe Cook's conclusions here because he has looked at all the evidence objectively. Just note that the reading experience doesn't get too far beyond a dry investigative report, and anyone looking for robust historical background will probably be disappointed. The bizarre true history of the last Russian Tsar is better found elsewhere, as are insights into the intriguing treachery of Rasputin himself. Alas, in this book he's not much more than a rugged corpse. [~doomsdayer520~]
So Cook ably dismantles those stereotypes, and while his research doesn't really lead to any blockbusters that would surprise the knowledgeable reader, he does find some strong evidence that British agents were in on the plot - wishing to rub out Rasputin because he was giving the Tsar war advice that could damage England's prospects. The interested reader should be willing to believe Cook's conclusions here because he has looked at all the evidence objectively. Just note that the reading experience doesn't get too far beyond a dry investigative report, and anyone looking for robust historical background will probably be disappointed. The bizarre true history of the last Russian Tsar is better found elsewhere, as are insights into the intriguing treachery of Rasputin himself. Alas, in this book he's not much more than a rugged corpse. [~doomsdayer520~]
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
To Kill Rasputin
11 April 2012
By S Riaz
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Kindle Edition
You conclude, from reading this book, that many people wanted Rasputin dead for many different reasons. Andrew Cook is meticulous in relating the whole, sorry tale of Rasputin's increasing influence on the Tsarina and the belief by many that he was virtually running the country. Rumours and plots abounded - the 'Mad Monk' wielded huge political power, was said to live a life of debauchery, was planning to make the Tsar sign a peace pact between Russia and Germany, was more than friendly with the Tsarina and her daughters, etc. It was certainly a fact that the desperate Tsarina relied on him to relieve her son's illness and believed in his power of healing, as well as asking for his opinion on all major decisions about both the country and the war. Something had to be done and some Russian aristocrats decided to take matters into their own hands.
Of course, we have all heard about Prince Felix Yusupov and his fellow collaborators, but this book manages to offer some new information as well as relating details of all the major people involved, a reconstruction of what happened, the investigation and the aftermath of Rasputin's murder. Prince Felix Yusupov himself is a very interesting character, although not perhaps the most discreet person to undertake such a mission. It is hardly an exaggeration to suggest that most of Russia seems to have heard rumours about their plans and, as his palace seems to have been within both sight and hearing of a number of policemen, it was not the best place to undertake a murder either. However, it does show how desperate the situation was that a man who previously lived a life of privilege and pleasure decided that Rasputin had to be removed. It seems almost everyone had an impending sense of doom and to feel the threat of revolution, apart from the Tsar. The author adds some new information to that already known - for example details of autopsy reports and evidence of British involvement. Overall, this is an exciting and well written account of a major event in world history, where almost every character is larger than life - not least Rasputin himself. Highly recommended and a must read for anyone interested in this period of history.
Of course, we have all heard about Prince Felix Yusupov and his fellow collaborators, but this book manages to offer some new information as well as relating details of all the major people involved, a reconstruction of what happened, the investigation and the aftermath of Rasputin's murder. Prince Felix Yusupov himself is a very interesting character, although not perhaps the most discreet person to undertake such a mission. It is hardly an exaggeration to suggest that most of Russia seems to have heard rumours about their plans and, as his palace seems to have been within both sight and hearing of a number of policemen, it was not the best place to undertake a murder either. However, it does show how desperate the situation was that a man who previously lived a life of privilege and pleasure decided that Rasputin had to be removed. It seems almost everyone had an impending sense of doom and to feel the threat of revolution, apart from the Tsar. The author adds some new information to that already known - for example details of autopsy reports and evidence of British involvement. Overall, this is an exciting and well written account of a major event in world history, where almost every character is larger than life - not least Rasputin himself. Highly recommended and a must read for anyone interested in this period of history.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Russia's personalities
3 Feb 2013
By F. R. Castro Vega
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
It was a very interesting writing on someone that had a big influence on the history of Russia on the 20th Century
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 6 reviews
3.5 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biography > Historical > Britain > Military
- Books > Biography > Historical > Countries & Regions > Europe
- Books > Biography > Historical > Countries & Regions > Russia
- Books > Biography > Historical > Royalty
- Books > Biography > Political > Britain
- Books > Biography > Political > Countries & Regions > Europe
- Books > Biography > Political > Countries & Regions > Russia
- Books > History > Europe > Russia > Russian Heads of State
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
