Books like The Rasputin file by Edvard Radzinsky

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks follows the story of Henrietta Lacks, a poor black tobacco farmer whose cancer cells were taken in 1951 without her consent and later became the first immortal human cell line, HeLa, driving major scientific breakthroughs while raising questions of ethics, race, and medical exploitation.

The reign of Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra, the final chapter of the Romanov dynasty, and the influence of Rasputin, told through rich narrative and rare photographs.

A meticulously researched chronicle of Patty Hearst’s 1974 kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army and the ensuing legal and cultural storm, revealing the American media frenzy and the emergence of the term “Stockholm syndrome.”

Douglas Smith’s biography draws on newly discovered archival material from seven countries to separate myth from history, revealing Rasputin as a complex spiritual guide, political actor, and controversial figure who shaped the final years of the Romanov dynasty.

Shooting Stars follows LeBron James and his childhood teammates on their journey from the streets of Akron, Ohio, to a national high‑school basketball championship, highlighting teamwork, perseverance, and the challenges of growing up in inner‑city America.

A captivating true story of the charismatic Charles Ponzi, the man behind the Ponzi scheme that brought the Roaring Twenties to life.

A memoir of a Cairo Jewish family’s rise and fall during Egypt’s mid‑20th‑century upheavals, told through the eyes of Lucette Lagnado and her father Leon’s white sharkskin suit.

A memoir exploring the tastes and textures of growing up in India, featuring recipes for delicious dishes from childhood.

Socio‑researcher Sudhir Venkatesh infiltrates a Chicago crack‑dealing gang, documenting urban poverty and crime from within.

A remarkable and complex biography of Saartjie Baartman, known as the 'Hottentot Venus,' tracing her journey from slavery to fame and the ongoing struggle for her return to her homeland.

J. Craig Venter’s trail‑blazing journey—from Vietnam medic to pioneer of the human genome—reveals how his daring rereading of DNA reshaped science and sparked one of the era’s most fierce controversies.

Grigory Efimovich Rasputin came to St. Petersburg from his Siberian cabin in 1903 like a projectile from the medieval past, tattered, black-clad, muttering. By the time he was murdered thirteen years later, the peasant was the "beloved Friend" of Tsar Nicholas and Empress Alexandra and the sponsor of the most powerful officials in Russia. He had become, a society lady wrote, "a dusk enveloping all our world, eclipsing the sun. How could so pitiful a wretch throw so vast a shadow? It was inexplicable, maddening, almost incredible.". Rasputin's name has become synonymous with evil, but his legend has obscured the facts of his life. In this evocative biography, Brian Moynahan presents us with a flesh-and-blood Rasputin, more fascinating than the myth - a man in whom debauchery coexisted beside a real (if erratic) spiritual sense, a man whose coarseness hid a savvy awareness of human psychology. Drawing on confidential police reports, cabinet meeting memos, and other documents, some available only since the fall of the Soviet Union, Moynahan sheds new light on Rasputin's life and disputes some of the widely held details of his death.

The book chronicles the aviation race of the early 20th century, focusing on Glenn Hammond Curtiss, his open collaboration, and the legal battles with the Wright brothers that shaped modern air travel.

Richard Rodriguez’s memoir "Brown" examines the complex role of Hispanic identity in America’s history, exploring race, culture, and psychological dimensions of belonging across generations.

The collapse of the Soviet Union revealed, among many other things, a hidden wealth of archival documents relating to the imprisonment and murder of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. From sources both close to the Imperial Family as well as from their captors, these materials have enabled a new examination of one the pivotal events of the twentieth century and the many controversies that surround it. This book revises many long-held beliefs about the Romanovs' final months. This account includes: surprising evidence that Anastasia may, indeed, have survived; diary entries made by Nicholas and Alexandra during their captivity; revelations of how the Romanovs were betrayed by trusted servants; and statements from admitted participants in the murders.--From publisher description.

A compelling look at the rise and fall of the Fox sisters and the birth of Spiritualism in America, blending historical narrative with supernatural elements.

The Lost follows Daniel Mendelsohn as he seeks the truth about six missing family members from the Holocaust, tracing clues across four continents and a small Ukrainian town to confront memory, history, and the enduring impact of loss.

John R. Brinkley, a 20th‑century medical quack, rose from selling worthless patent remedies to becoming a famous surgeon in Kansas, while battling physician authority and regulators, in a tale of ambition and controversy.

Two volumes of Ulysses S. Grant’s firsthand account of his life and the military campaigns that defined his career, offering insight into his rise from a modest upbringing to the presidency of the United States.