Книги издательства «Harper Press»

As Zamoyski set out to update "The Polish Way", his bestselling first history of Poland, he realized the task required not so much re-writing as re-thinking the known facts well as the assumptions of the past. The events of the last twenty years and the growth of the independent Polish state allowed him to look at Poland's past with a fresh eye. Tracing Poland's complex development from the Middle Ages to present day, Zamoyski examines the country's political, economic, and military struggles, as well as its culture, art, and richly varied society through the ages, bringing the major events and characters in Poland's history to life.

As Zamoyski set out to update "The Polish Way", his bestselling first history of Poland, he realized the task required not so much re-writing as re-thinking the known facts well…

The dramatic and little-known story of how, in the summer of 1920, Lenin came within a hair's breadth of shattering the painstakingly constructed Versailles peace settlement and spreading Bolshevism to western Europe.
In 1920 the new Soviet state was a mess, following a brutal civil war, and the best way of ensuring its survival appeared to be to export the revolution to Germany, itself economically ruined by defeat in World War I and racked by internal political dissension.
Between Russia and Germany lay Poland, a nation that had only just recovered its independence after more than a century of foreign oppression. But it was economically and militarily weak and its misguided offensive to liberate the Ukraine in the spring of 1920 laid it open to attack. Egged on by Trotsky, Lenin launched a massive westward advance under the flamboyant Marshal Tukhachevsky.
All that Great Britain and France had fought for over four years now seemed at risk. By the middle of August the Russians were only a few kilometres from Warsaw, and Berlin was less than a week's march away. Then occurred the "Miracle of the Vistula": the Polish army led by Jozef Pilsudski regrouped and achieved one of the most decisive victories in military history.
As a result, the Versailles peace settlement survived, and Lenin was forced to settle for Communism in one country. The battle for Warsaw bought Europe nearly two decades of peace, and communism remained a mainly Russian phenomenon, subsuming many of the autocratic and Byzantine characteristics of Russia's tsarist tradition.

The dramatic and little-known story of how, in the summer of 1920, Lenin came within a hair's breadth of shattering the painstakingly constructed Versailles peace settlement and…

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety
Mark Antony is a man desperately torn between his duty to the Roman Empire and his passion for the exotic Queen Cleopatra. Distracted and beguiled by his beautiful Egyptian lover, and thrown into fierce opposition with his co-ruler Octavian, Antony's trust in Cleopatra is tested to the limit, as she vacillates between loving and callous, spoiled and majestic, in her love for him and quest for power.
As loyalties are exposed and tumultuous rivalries are fought out, Antony and Cleopatra features some of the most linguistically rich and dramatically tense scenes of any of Shakespeare's plays.

Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite variety
Mark Antony is a man desperately torn between his duty to the Roman Empire and his passion for the exotic Queen…

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.

Power, corruption and betrayal are at the heart of Shakespeare’s most well-known historical and political drama. As Julius Caesar moves closer to securing power for himself and is perceived by some as a threat to Roman citizens, his senators plot to bring about his downfall. Caesar’s assassination leads to civil war rather than peace and the play explores the subsequent deaths of the conspirators Brutus and Cassius.

Shakespeare’s contemporaries would have spotted the playwright’s attempts to use the shift from republican to imperial Rome to highlight the political situation of the Elizabethans at the time. Featuring some of the most powerfully resonant and rousing speeches of any of Shakespeare’s plays, Julius Caesar remains one of his most well-loved historical tragedies.

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.

Power, corruption and betrayal are at the heart of Shakespeare’s most well-known…

Margaret Thatcher is the towering figure of late-twentieth-century British politics. No other prime minister of modern times has sought to change Britain and its place in the world as radically as she did. This is the story of her remarkable life in her own words - the definitive account of an extraordinary politician, published in a single volume for the first time.
She writes candidly about the formation of her character and values, and the experiences that propelled her to the very top in a man's world. Beginning with a touching account of her upbringing in Grantham, Lincolnshire, she goes on to describe her Oxford years, marriage to Denis, and entry into Parliament at a time when there were no more than a handful of women MPs. Rising through the ranks to Education Secretary and then Leader of the Opposition, she led the Conservative Party to a historic victory in the 1979 general election, becoming Britain's first woman prime minister.
The heart of the book is a riveting first-hand portrait of the events and personalities of her eleven years in power. She recalls the triumphs and the critical moments of her premiership - the Falklands War, the miners' strike, the Brighton bomb, the Westland Affair and her unprecedented three election victories. Her judgements of the men and women she encountered, whether world statesmen or Cabinet colleagues, are astonishingly frank. She is lavish with praise where it is due, devastating with criticism when it is not. The book reaches a gripping climax with an hour-by-hour description of her dramatic final days in office. Margaret Thatcher's compelling autobiography stands as a powerful testament to her extraordinary legacy.

Margaret Thatcher is the towering figure of late-twentieth-century British politics. No other prime minister of modern times has sought to change Britain and its place in the…

First published as Johnson's Life of London, now released with new material following Jubilee and Olympic celebrations in 2012. This updated history of London shows that the ingenuity, diversity, creativity and enterprise of the city are second to none.
London's buildings may be famous, London's history may be lengthy and illustrious, but it is London's people who have given, and continue to give, the city its exuberant and exhilarating profile.

First published as Johnson's Life of London, now released with new material following Jubilee and Olympic celebrations in 2012. This updated history of London shows that the…

The extraordinary account of Margaret Thatcher's life up to her dramatic election as the first woman Prime Minister of England in 1979. Margaret Thatcher is the towering figure of late-twentieth-century British politics. No other prime minister of modern times has sought to change Britain and its place in the world as radically as she did. This is the story of her remarkable life in her own words. In this second volume of her memoirs, following 'The Downing Street Years', she writes candidly about the formation of her character and values, and the experiences that propelled her to the very top in a man's world. Beginning with a touching account of her upbringing in Grantham, Lincolnshire, she goes on to describe her Oxford years, marriage to Denis, and entry into Parliament at a time when there were no more than a handful of women MPs. Rising through the ranks to Education Secretary and then Leader of the Opposition, she led the Conservative Party to a historic victory in the 1979 general election, becoming Britain's first female prime minister. Margaret Thatcher's compelling account stands as a powerful testament to her extraordinary legacy.

The extraordinary account of Margaret Thatcher's life up to her dramatic election as the first woman Prime Minister of England in 1979. Margaret Thatcher is the towering figure of…

In this highly entertaining biography, actor and writer Simon Callow captures the essence of Charles Dickens in a joyous celebration of the greatest storyteller in the English language.
Callow's unique understanding of the theatrical influences on Dickens reveals an exuberant and irrepressible talent, whose 'inimitable' wit and personality crackle off the page.
With astonishing empathy between author and subject, Dickens springs to life before our eyes.

"This is the book we have long been waiting for... It really deepens our understanding and enjoyment of Dickens" Michael Slater

In this highly entertaining biography, actor and writer Simon Callow captures the essence of Charles Dickens in a joyous celebration of the greatest storyteller in the English…

The first biography of Venice's greatest artist since 1877 - a towering work which captures the genius of Titian. Devoted father and loyal friend, Titian was notorious for disregarding authority and was an international celebrity by his late fifties. He was famously difficult but his stubbornness and horrendous timekeeping did nothing to deter his patrons who included the Hapsburgs, the Pope and his family and Charles V.During his career, which spanned more than seventy years, Titian painted around five or six hundred pictures of which less than half survive. His work has been studied by generations of great artists from Rubens to Manet and he is often seen as having artistically transcended his own time. Sheila Hale not only examines his life, both personal and professional, but how his art affected his contemporaries and how it influences artists today. She also examines Venice in its context of a city at the time of the Renaissance, overshadowed artistically by Rome and Florence and growing into the famous historical city it has become. This is an astonishing portrait of one of the most important figures in the history of Western art and a vivid evocation of Venice in its "Golden Age".

The first biography of Venice's greatest artist since 1877 - a towering work which captures the genius of Titian. Devoted father and loyal friend, Titian was notorious for…

In this masterly authorized biography, Philip Ziegler reveals the complex personality of Edward VI11, the only British monarch to have voluntarily renounced the throne.
With unique access to the Royal Archives, Ziegler overturns many myths about Edward and tells his side of the story - from his glamorous existence as Prince of Wales to his long decline in semi-exile in France. At the heart of the book is an unflinchingly honest examination of Edward's all-consuming passion for Wallis Simpson, which led to his dramatic abdication.
Elegant and devastating, this is the most convincing portrait of Edward ever written.

In this masterly authorized biography, Philip Ziegler reveals the complex personality of Edward VI11, the only British monarch to have voluntarily renounced the throne.
With…

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. Alas that mortals Should blame the gods! From us, they say, All evils come. Yet they themselves It is who through defiant deeds Bring sorrow on them-far more sorrow Than fate would have them bear. Attributed to the blind Greek poet, Homer, The Odyssey is an epic tale about cunning and strength of mind. It takes its starting point ten years after the fall of the city of Troy and follows its Greek warrior hero Odysseus as he tries to journey to his home of Ithaca in northwest Greece after the Greek victory over the Trojans. On his travels, Odysseus comes across surreal islands and foreign lands where he is in turn challenged and supported by those that he meets on his travels as he attempts to find his way back home in order to vanquish those who threaten his estate. In turn, his son Telemachus has to grow up quickly as he attempts to find his father and protect his mother from her suitors. Dealing with the universal themes of temptation and courage, the epic journey that Odysseus undertakes is as meaningful today as it was almost 3,000 years ago when the story was composed.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. Alas that mortals Should blame the gods! From us, they say, All evils come. Yet they themselves…

The history of life on Earth is far older - and odder - than many of us realise. In this groundbreaking book, prize-winning author Richard Fortey takes us on a journey across the globe, via America, China, Australia and New Zealand, uncovering creatures who have survived, almost unchanged, through geological time. Algal mats, musk oxen, the horseshoe crab and the velvet worm; these remarkable plants and animals offer a tantalising glimpse of pivotal points in evolutionary history Written with Fortey's customary gusto, Survivors combines the very best science writing with an explorer's sense of adventure and a poet's wonder at the natural world.

The history of life on Earth is far older - and odder - than many of us realise. In this groundbreaking book, prize-winning author Richard Fortey takes us on a journey across the…

Is happiness catching? Are your friends making you fat? Can your sibling make you smart? Is wealth contagious? Where is true love found? Does free will exist? Based on exciting discoveries in mathematics, genetics, psychology and sociology, "Connected: The Amazing Power of Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives" is an innovative and fascinating exploration of how social networks operate. Think it's all about who you know? It is. But not the way you think. Turns out your colleague's husband's sister can make you fat, even if you don't know her. And a happy friend is more relevant to your happiness than a bigger income. Our connections - our friends, their friends, and even their friends' friends - have an astonishing power to influence everything from what we eat to who we sleep with. And we, in turn, influence others. Our actions can change the behaviours, the beliefs, and even the basic health of people we've never met. In this brilliantly original and effortlessly engaging exploration of how much we truly influence one another. Pre-eminent social scientists Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler explain why obesity is contagious, why the rich get richer, even how we find and choose our partners. Intriguing and entertaining, with revelatory implications for everything from our notion of the individual to ideas about public health initiatives, "Connected: The Amazing Power of Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives" will change the way you think about every aspect of your life, and how you live it.

Is happiness catching? Are your friends making you fat? Can your sibling make you smart? Is wealth contagious? Where is true love found? Does free will exist? Based on exciting…

What does it take to reach the top in business and to inspire others? Adam Bryant decided to answer this and other questions by sitting down with more than seventy CEOs and asking them how they do their jobs and the most important lessons they had learned as they rose through the ranks. Over the course of extraordinary interviews, they shared memorable stories and eye-opening insights.
Bryant reveals the keys to success in the business world, including the five essential personal traits that all high performers exhibit - qualities that the CEOs themselves value most and that separate the rising stars from their colleagues. He also demystifies the art of leadership and shows how executives at the top of their game get the most out of others.
Leadership is not a one-size-fits-all skill, and the CEOs offer different perspectives that will help anyone who seeks to be a more effective leader and employee. For aspiring executives - of all ages - "The Corner Office" offers a path to future success.

What does it take to reach the top in business and to inspire others? Adam Bryant decided to answer this and other questions by sitting down with more than seventy CEOs and asking…

Compelling, wide-ranging, and hugely ambitious, this book offers an integrated history of the culture produced and consumed by Europeans since 1800, and follows its transformation from an elite activity to a mass market—from lending libraries to the internet, from the first public concerts to music downloads. In itself a cultural tour de force, the book covers high and low culture, readers and writers, audiences and prima donnas, Rossini and hip hop, Verdi and the Beatles, Zola and Tintin, Walter Scott and Jules Verne, the serialized novel of the 19th century as well as Dallas and Coronation Street. Included in its vast scope are fairy tales, best-sellers, crime and sci-fi, non-fiction, magazines, newspapers, comic strips, plays, opera, musicals, pop music, sound recording, films, documentaries, radio, and television. A continent-wide survey, this majestic work includes discussions of rock music under communism, Polish and Danish bestsellers, French melodramas and German cabarets, fascist and Soviet cinema. It examines the ways culture travels—how it is produced, transformed, adapted, absorbed, sold, and consumed; how it is shaped by audiences and politics, and controlled by laws and conventional morality; and why some countries excel in particular genres. It examines the anxiety and attraction felt by Europeans towards American culture, and asks to what extent European culture has become Americanized. Stylishly written, devoid of jargon, this is global non-fiction narrative at its best.

Compelling, wide-ranging, and hugely ambitious, this book offers an integrated history of the culture produced and consumed by Europeans since 1800, and follows its transformation…

To tie-in with a major film, starring Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Judi Dench, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh and Dominic Cooper. This edition combines Colin Clark's acclaimed The Prince, the Showgirl and Me and My Week with Marilyn.n 1956, fresh from Eton and Oxford, the 23-year-old Colin Clark (son of 'Lord Clark of Civilisation', brother of maverick Tory MP and diarist Alan) worked as a humble 'gofer' on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl, the film that disastrously united Laurence Olivier with Marilyn Monroe. Forty years on, his account of this was chosen as book of the year by Jilly Cooper, Joan Collins and others. This is the story of when Clark escorted a Monroe desperate to escape from the pressures of stardom. Her new husband Arthur Miller was away, and the coast was clear for Colin to introduce her to the pleasures of British life. How he ended up sharing her bed is a tale too rich to summarise!

To tie-in with a major film, starring Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Judi Dench, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh and Dominic Cooper. This edition combines Colin Clark's acclaimed…

In the course of a distinguished career spanning nearly 40 years, multi-award-winning BBC reporter and documentary-maker Peter Taylor has frequently come face-to-face with terrorists and their victims in his attempt to explain the actions of the individuals behind some of the world's most notorious terror attacks.
As a green young journalist he was sent to Northern Ireland to report on "Bloody Sunday" in 1972, and he devoted the next 30 years to investigating the Troubles, becoming one of the foremost experts on the subject. In the decade following 9/11, he switched his focus to the far more deadly threat posed by Al Qaeda, breaking news stories about intelligence-gathering in the period up to the 7/7 bombings and the plot to blow up a series of passenger planes mid-Atlantic.
What are terrorists really like? What motivates them? Should governments do the unthinkable and talk to them? How do the intelligence agencies elicit information from them? When interrogation become torture?

In the course of a distinguished career spanning nearly 40 years, multi-award-winning BBC reporter and documentary-maker Peter Taylor has frequently come face-to-face with…

Kohima. In this remote Indian village near the border with Burma, a tiny force of British and Indian troops faced the might of the Imperial Japanese Army. Outnumbered ten to one, the defenders fought the Japanese hand to hand in a battle that was amongst the most savage in modern warfare.

A garrison of no more than 1,500 fighting men, desperately short of water and with the wounded compelled to lie in the open, faced a force of 15,000 Japanese. They held the pass and prevented a Japanese victory that would have proved disastrous for the British. Another six weeks of bitter fighting followed as British and Indian reinforcements strove to drive the enemy out of India. When the battle was over, a Japanese army that had invaded India on a mission of imperial conquest had suffered the worst defeat in its history. Thousands of men lay dead on a devastated landscape, while tens of thousands more Japanese starved in a catastrophic retreat eastwards. They called the journey back to Burma the ‘Road of Bones’, as friends and comrades committed suicide or dropped dead from hunger along the jungle paths.

Fergal Keane has reported for the BBC from conflicts on every continent over the past 25 years, and he brings to this work of history not only rigorous scholarship but a raw understanding of the pitiless nature of war. It is a story filled with vivid characters: the millionaire's son who refused a commission and was awarded a VC for his sacrifice in battle, the Roedean debutante who led a guerrilla band in the jungle, and the General who defied the orders of a hated superior in order to save the lives of his men. Based on original research in Japan, Britain and India, ‘Road of Bones’ is a story about extraordinary courage and the folly of imperial dreams.

Kohima. In this remote Indian village near the border with Burma, a tiny force of British and Indian troops faced the might of the Imperial Japanese Army. Outnumbered ten to one,…

Forty-three year old Ria is used to being alone. As a child, her life changed forever with the death of her beloved father and since then, she has struggled to find love. That is, until she discovers the swimmer.

Ben is a young illegal immigrant from Sri Lanka who has arrived in Norfolk via Moscow. Awaiting a decision from the Home Office on his asylum application, he is discovered by Ria as he takes a daily swim in the river close to her house. He is twenty years her junior and theirs is an unconventional but deeply moving romance, defying both boundaries and cultures – and the xenophobic residents of Orford. That is, until tragedy occurs.

Forty-three year old Ria is used to being alone. As a child, her life changed forever with the death of her beloved father and since then, she has struggled to find love. That is,…

This panoramic history of the defining conflict of the last century investigates the myriad decisions that shaped World War II in order to explore the moral sentiment of both individuals and entire societies.
Whereas previous histories of the war have tended to focus on grand strategy or major battles, Burleigh brings his astonishing scholarship and profound sensibility to bear on what shaped choices that were life and death decisions. These were made in real time, without the benefit of a philosopher's reflection, giving a moral content to the war which shaped it as decisively as any individual battle. The Nazis and the Japanese had radically different moral universes from those of their Allied opponents, as reflected in the atrocities they committed, although the western Allies found themselves aligned with a no less cruel dictatorship after rejecting the option of appeasing aggression. The war was the sum total of myriad choices made by governments, communities and individuals, leading some to enthusiastically embrace evil, and others to consciously reject it, with a range of more ambiguously human responses in between. Spanning both major theatres and ranging across these issues and more, from the 'predators' - Mussolini, Hitler and Hirohito - to appeasement, the rape of Poland, Barbarossa, strategic bombing and the complexities of justice and retribution, "Moral Combat: A History of World War II" sheds a revealing light on how entire nations changed under the impact of total war. Fascinating and deeply engaging, this insightful history presents readers with a fresh and powerful perspective on a conflict whose legacy haunts us to this day. Original, perceptive and astonishing in scholarship and scope, this is an unforgettable and hugely important work of Second World War history.

This panoramic history of the defining conflict of the last century investigates the myriad decisions that shaped World War II in order to explore the moral sentiment of both…