Book Review - Lost Splendor by Felix Yussupov (1954)
Felix Yussupov's autobiography offers a fascinating window into the lavish life of the Imperial Russian elite at the turn of the twentieth century. Yussupov writes well, covers subjects quickly, and offers a great number of almost unbelievable stories about his life. Most interesting to me were the accounts of his crossdressing in his youth, Rasputin's intense influence over the Tsardom and eventual assassination at the hands of the author, and the Bolshevik Revolution (covered with a notably biased view). An account is also given of the assassination of the Romanov royal family. A very well written and descriptive autobiography by an important figure in Imperial Russia, during the final days of their empire.
