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on new material, including an interview with Kyril Zinovieff, probably the last man alive who saw Rasputin, as well as unpublished memoirs, diaries and letters - Frances Welch turns her inimitable wry gaze on one of the great mysteries of Russian history.