Grigori Rasputin: A Life From Beginning to End (History of Russia)

I've read quite a few of Hourly History's books now, and this one is a favorite (so far!). Rasputin is a person I've heard about all of my life, but I never knew much of his story. For a relatively short book (50 pages), it covers a lot of territory and paints a pretty clear picture of the "mad monk" that played such a huge role in Russian history in the early 20th century. The various "miracles" that Rasputin performed have me intrigued enough to follow up in more depth. That is the beauty of Hourly History's offerings. Their books are intended to be read in about an hour, and they give enough information to review a subject or to see if you want to explore it in more depth. Many historical figures have been covered as have many historic events including battles, wars, etc. With so much of life moving toward "instant gratification," Hourly History is filling that niche with lessons about history's important events and people. I really think they're great!

This short read of approximately fifty pages can be read in an hour or less. As such, it cannot be considered a comprehensive review of “The Mad Monk’s” life. It is one of the better books in this history series. The book begins with Rasputin’s life as a troubled child born in a small village in Siberia. He had many clandestine meetings with his followers, many of which were women. Rasputin soon developed a reputation as a womanizer. On the other hand, his banishment to a monastery led to the development of a mystical streak. Rasputin had a habit of carrying out everything in his life to extreme limits. When the monk cured the Tsar and Tsarina’s son, his history of miracles emerged to become a factor. Rasputin would divide the Greek Orthodox church into factions. He soon found himself surrounded by enemies. During his life, he found himself in and out of favor with the Russian monarchy as well as the common populace. His ability to work miracles protected him from harm many times. He reportedly survived an assassination attempt by poison, only to be shot while making his escape. The combination of factors including World War I and its effect on the Russian populace would eventually doom the Russian government. This book will give readers a decent overview of Rasputin’s colorful life and role in twentieth century Russian history. It whets the appetite and interested readers can move on to more comprehensive studies.

I love reading books about historical figures. Even Rasputin. The Hourly History books are very enjoyable to listen to, especially when the narrator has a British accent. This book was was full of detail in a very concise manner. It wasn't full of gossipy tidbits like some books. It was factual but not in a boring lecturing kind of way. I highly recommend not only this book but the entire line of Hourly History.

The e-book Grigori Rasputin: A Life From Beginning to End was interesting. The history books tell us that Rasputin had incredible power over the Tsar and Tsarina and that not long after his death the Russian Revolution started. This e-book provides a short and concise history of the mad monks’life. He was a self-taught holy man who was an extreme womanizer. Yet he could also perform miracles. This short book is just the starting point for anyone who’s interested in the life history of Rasputin. I would think that anyone who truly wants to understand this man will have to do further research.

I have always found Rasputin fascinating, not only because of his mysticism and healing abilities but his influence on the Tsar and Tsarina of Russia. I had taken the tour of Yusupov palace while visiting Russia many years ago and the story of his resilience in warding of assassination attempts was impressive. This concise book gives us an insight into his life and influence.

I don't think that there are not too many people, who know of Rasputin. For those, who don't, there is this book. A strange page out of history is this story. To say it was interesting is the least you can about this one.

I was a history major in college and had a wonderful professor who was Russian. I always had an interest in the “Mad Hermit “. But didn’t know a lot of the details of Rasputin life. This book will NOT answer all questions but is a pretty gyoverview of the amazing influence one probably crazy man can have on world events

It is good and short insight on the life of Rasputin. It gives you a good overview on where he is from, gown up and lived his life before he died. Many say he is a scammer with a lot of luck in his life, but sooner or later luck runs out. Worth a read and if nothing else it will kill some myths about him.

O livro é muito bom. Trouxe informações muito ricas a respeito da vida e das atividades do "monge louco", como diz o autor. Vale a leitura, especialmente por não ser livro longo e enfadonho. Mas não pense que é um texto superficial. Ao contrário, traz dados bem específicos de datas, eventos, pessoas.

Rasputin was one of those characters I always wanted to learn more about. Its the sort of subject you only get to read about if you have the spare time. Well I did have the time and the book was well worth the read

Un excelente relato de un hombre que vivio y medró en tiempos obscuros. Tenia deseos de conocer de forma seria sobre este personaje. Me agrado mucho este libro

The history of the downfall of the Romanov dynasty is fascinating. Rasputin's role was pivotal and this book provides an sound introduction to this topic. Thoroughly recommend.

It is a nice light informative read for people who don’t know much or anything about this man Rasputin. It is detailed enough that it leaves you satisfied with what you’ve learnt. If you’re doing a project on Rasputin/early 20th century Russia it’s a good starting point/resource. Very well written, enjoyable, I read it slowly over work lunches and will check out more from this series.