Originally published in 1952, this astonishing memoir brings you deep inside the world of majesty and intrigue at the end of the Romanov dynasty. New English-language, illustrated edition. Born to great riches, master of vast feudal estates and many palaces, Felix Yussupov led the life of a grand lord in the days before the Russian Revolution. Married to a niece of Tsar Nicholas II, he could observe at close range the rampant corruption and intrigues of the imperial court, which culminated in the rise to power of the sinister monk Rasputin. Finally, impelled by patriotism and his love for the Romanov dynasty, which he felt was in danger of destroying itself and Russia, he killed Rasputin in 1916 with the help of the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich and others. More than any other single event, this deed helped to bring about the cataclysmic upheaval which ended in the advent of the Soviet regime. The author describes the luxury and glamour of his upbringing, which to us seems like some tale from the Arabian Nights, fantastic episodes at night clubs and with the gypsies in St. Petersburg, grand tours of Europe, dabbling in spiritualism, occultism, and an occasional conscience-stricken attempt to alleviate the lot of the poor. Here is an extraordinary personal history which has all the excitement of a thriller—and is also important in the history of one of the greatest events of modern times. Illustrated with 29 black and white photographs. Paperback, in het Engels.