Great Lives – serie

The Pulitzer prizewinning biography of Peter the Great, the ruler who brought Russia from darkness into light.Against the monumental canvas of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe and Russia, Robert K. Massie unfolds the extraordinary story of Peter the Great. A volatile feudal tsar with a taste for barbaric torture; a progressive and enlightened reformer of government and science; Peter the Great embodied the greatest strengths and weaknesses of Russia while being at the very forefront of her development.Robert K. Massie delves deep into Peter's life and character, chronicling the pivotal events that transformed the boy star into a national icon. His portrayal of the complexities and contradictions of this most energetic of Russian rulers brings a towering historical figure unforgettably to life.

The fascinating true story behind HBO's Catherine the Great starring Dame Helen Mirren as Catherine the Great. Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into empress of Russia by sheer determination. For thirty-four years, the government, foreign policy, cultural development and welfare of the Russian people were in her hands. She dealt with domestic rebellion, foreign wars and the tidal wave of political change and violence churned up by the French Revolution. Robert K. Massie brings an eternally fascinating woman together with her family, friends, ministers, generals, lovers and enemies – vividly and triumphantly to life. History offers few stories richer than that of Catherine the Great.

A superbly crafted and humane portrait of the final days of the last Romanovs – Nicholas II of Russia and his wife Alexandra.Complementing his Pulitzer prize-winning Peter the Great, in this commanding book Robert K. Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of imperial Russia to tell the story of the decline and fall of the ruling Romanov family: Tsar Nicholas II's political naivete; his wife Alexandra's obsession with the corrupt mystic Rasputin; and their son Alexis's battle with haemophilia.Against a lavish backdrop of luxury and intrigue, Massie unfolds a family tragedy played out on the brutal stage of early twentieth-century Russian history – the tale of a doomed empire and the death-marked royals who watched it crumble.

"We desperately need role models worth following. Authentic heroes. People of integrity. Great lives to inspire us to do better, to climb higher, to stand taller." --Chuck SwindollGreat Days with the Great Lives is a collection of biographies taken from the Great Lives from God's Word series. Each day provides a Scripture reference and devotional thought based on the experience of some of the greatest heroes of the Bible--men and women whose authentic walk with God will teach you, encourage you, and warn you.These profiles in character from one of America's most beloved teachers, Chuck Swindoll, offer you hope for the future. They show you that God can do extraordinary things through ordinary men and women like you. They teach you what it means to be a genuinely spiritual person--someone after God's own heart.

Everyone loves a transformation story. Rags to riches. Plain to beautiful. Weak to strong. The story of Queen Esther is that and so much more. The second book in Charles Swindoll's Great Lives series, this book will show you Queen Esther's life and legacy like you've never seen it before.Innocently victimized by an unbearable situation, Esther stepped up and determined, by God's grace, to make a difference. But she doesn't despair. Instead, she embraces uncertainty and fights for her people. In doing so, she not only exposed and foiled the plans of an evil man--she singlehandedly saved her nation.As you dive deeper into Esther's story, you'll learn timeless lessons that you can apply to your own life, including:The importance of standing up for what you believe in, even when it's difficultHow to embrace your God-given strengthThe true limits of retaliationJoin Swindoll as he unravels the ancient, real-life story of Esther, sharing ways that modern believers can embody the integrity, dignity, and strength that empowered Esther as she did the impossible.

Discover more about the life of the real King David and transform your life as you learn from his successes and failures.The Bible tells us that David was a man after God's own heart, but what does that mean in practice? David, the Old Testament shepherd, king, and psalmist, offers an answer in the shape of his own incredible life.Poet, musician, courageous warrior, and national statesman, David distinguished himself as one of God's greatest men. He modeled invincible confidence in the face of impossible circumstances. He made decisions with wisdom and equity. And he wrote with transparent vulnerability and quiet trust. But how well do we really know David?In Great Lives: David, the first volume in Charles Swindoll's bestselling Great Lives series, Swindoll gives us a closer look at this incredible man who had his fair share of difficulties. Throughout his life, David was gripped by destructive passion, rocked by family chaos and personal tragedy, and motivated by political expediency. Like all of us, David was far from perfect, but Swindoll teaches us that David had the chance to become great when he placed himself at the Lord's disposal.As Swindoll guides us through David's remarkable life and legacy, he asks and answers key questions along the way, including:How did David become the national hero of God's chosen people?Why is he the one character in the Bible described as "a man after God's own heart?"How can modern believers become people after God's own heart? Join Swindoll as he teaches us that we can all endeavor to live a life marked by the humility, dependability, and integrity of David.

What can the incredible life of Moses teach us about modern Christianity? When you face your personal Red Sea, will you be prepared like Moses was? Join pastor and bestselling author Charles Swindoll as he explores the life and legacy of Moses, a man of selfless dedication. In Great Lives: Moses, the fourth book in his bestselling Great Lives series, Swindoll teaches us that our decision to go forward in life instead of retreating will be bolstered by studying the astonishing story of Moses.Swindoll gives us the facts based squarely on the truth revealed in God's Word. He also fills in the fine-line details of Moses' life with emotion and feeling, because Moses, like all of us, was a human being with faults and frailties. And finally, Swindoll helps us apply the lessons of Moses' life to our own daily dilemmas.From the Moses who tried to decline his assignment from God to the Moses who received the Ten Commandments, Swindoll shares his journey in a new light, inspiring you to:Find strength and confidence in God's powerEmbrace failure with graceBecome a servant leader in your own lifeCome along with Swindoll as he invites you to travel far back to another place in another era--allowing us to focus our attention on one man's life, clinging closely to his side. Hopefully, as a result, our lives will never again be the same.

Bestselling author Charles Swindoll challenges us to take a closer look at Job's life, carefully examining his response to the unexpected and painful experiences that assaulted his once peaceful and God-honoring existence--and we might just find that Job is a hero after all. When you think of Job, you may think of a hapless victim of unfair treatment. His disastrous circumstances overwhelmed him, his so-called friends belittled him, and his distraught wife discouraged and abandoned him. Even God seemed to desert him. At first glance, Job may not seem like the traditional portrait of a hero, but Job's patience, strength, and dedication in the face of unforeseen suffering makes his story worth knowing.As Swindoll traces Job's life and legacy, he challenges us to apply the lessons Job learned firsthand to our own lives, including the importance of:Maintaining integrity no matter what happensAccepting the challenge to changeCounting on the justice of the Lord to roll down in his time instead of seeking revengeResting contentedly in God's plan, timing, and purpose for youWe have no way of knowing what tomorrow may bring, but if it is anything like the past, we know that storms will always come. And when they do we have a choice--to react in bitterness and anger or fall to our knees like Job and trust God even though we cannot understand why he would permit such a thing to occur.

In this ninth and final biographical study in the best-selling Great Lives from God's Word series, beloved pastor and Bible teacher Charles Swindoll introduces you to the carpenter from Nazareth as you have never seen Him before.Jesus is, without question, the most influential person in history. Millions of people claim the truths of the religion that bears His name. But who exactly is Jesus? A popular religious teacher? An ancient martyr? Many today are still unsure. Even scholars debate whether the Jesus of history is the Christ of faith. Now, more than ever, we need a clear understanding of the person and work of the man millions call Savior.This fascinating biography, filled with biblical and historical insights, takes you on an unforgettable journey through the complex and provocative life of Jesus of Nazareth. Along the way, Swindoll's trademark warmth and insight offer up practical advice straight from the words and works of Jesus.Swindoll traces Jesus' life through five distinct phases:His unique birthHis astonishing powerHis controversial teachingHis shocking deathHis world-changing resurrection Refreshingly honest and deep, this in-depth profile reveals Jesus with a never-before-seen clarity, offering practical applications for your own life. Whether you're just curious about Jesus or you're a longtime follower of His life and teachings, join Swindoll as he invites you to experience His life in a brand-new light.

The apostle Paul was, in his own words, "the chief of all sinners." Yet, this colossal figure left an indelible signature of greatness. Join renowned pastor Charles Swindoll in Great Lives: Paul as he examines the influence and impact of this remarkable man.Tough, tenacious, and fiercely determined, Paul pursued his divine mission with unflinching resolve, and God used him mightily to turn the world upside down for Christ in his generation. Perhaps that's why Paul's life is such a source of hope for us. If the chief of sinners can be forgiven and become God's chosen vessel, can He not forgive and use us as well?In Great Lives: Paul, the sixth book in his bestselling Great Lives series, Swindoll argues that no other person in the Bible, aside from Christ himself, had a more profound influence on his world and ours today than Paul.Within the pages of Great Lives: Paul, Swindoll paints a vivid picture of Paul's incredible life and legacy, tracing the story of how God reached down to Paul in all his self-righteous zeal and:crushed his pridesoftened his heartand transformed this once-violent aggressor into an influential spokesman for ChristJoin Swindoll as he invites you to travel far back to another place in another era--allowing us to focus our attention on this one man's life, clinging closely to his side. Hopefully, as a result, our lives will never again be the same.

Join pastor and bestselling author Charles Swindoll as he explores the lives of 13 biblical hidden figures whose stories have remained in the shadows of history for long enough.Somehow life has taught us poorly. We're trained to think that the most significant people are star athletes, actors, and musicians--the ones we applaud, those whose autographs we seek, or those who have worldly fame.But Swindoll teaches us that most often, the people really worth noting are those who turn from a 'nobody' into a 'somebody' but never receive credit. Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives reminds us of a core truth: success in God's kingdom and in the church depends upon faithful people the public rarely knows.The Old Testament contains numerous fascinating stories of forgotten lives--unsung heroes whose actions, sacrifices, or battles failed to ascribe them worldly applause. These great lives, however, reveal significant people whom God honors in the pages of His Word and, therefore, deserve our serious attention and emulation.From the misfortunes of Esau to the bravery of Abigail, each of these unlikely heroes has four unique elements in common:A selfless sense of devotionA missionA love of harmonyA contagious joyJoin Swindoll in this eighth volume of the bestselling Great Lives from God's Word series as he examines little-remembered Bible characters and events, helping you discover biblical principles and practical applications for living so that you can be who you already are in God's eyes--a person of true significance.

Now, more than ever, we're in need of men and women who aren't afraid to live courageously. Thankfully, the Bible gives us timeless examples of great leaders who gracefully stood up for what they believed in, including God's mighty prophet Elijah. Join bestselling author Charles Swindoll as he explores the life and legacy of this incredible man of faith. Exploring the depths of Elijah's fascinating life as a prophet of God, Swindoll doesn't gloss over his human weaknesses; rather, he presents an honest picture of this ordinary man who God transformed into His personal spokesman to confront idolatry and evil in the ancient world.In Elijah, renowned Bible teacher Swindoll analyzes the impact of the Old Testament prophet. Elijah was uncompromisingly strong, yet self-controlled. Disciplined, yet forgiving. Audaciously courageous, yet kind. Heroic in the heat of battle, yet humble in the aftermath.The fifth book in Swindoll's Great Lives series, Elijah will give you the encouragement you need to:Walk humbly on the path that God has set out for youExhibit heroism under pressureUncover the life-changing power of prayerWithin the pages of Elijah, you're sure to find a life worth emulating.

Who do you say that I am?Whether or not you know it, this question, posed by Jesus, is the most important question you'll ever answer. But it's not only a question for those who haven't trusted Jesus for salvation; it's also one for those who call themselves followers of Christ.Many will claim to know the answer, but even Peter, who answered it correctly, didn't fully understand who Jesus was until later. And in a culture two millennia removed, Jesus' true identity and purpose are often obscure, making His question relevant and vital, both for non-Christians and Christians alike.This Bible Companion is designed to help you answer His question, so that you might know Jesus?the real Jesus as revealed in the Bible. But be warned. This book doesn't offer a mere biographical study because He was no mere man. Regardless of what you think of Jesus, encountering Him in the Bible is a mind-changing and life-altering event.So, if you're ready to answer Jesus' question truthfully, then this Bible Companion will serve as a good guide to His life and teachings. And it can help you grow to know Him better than you ever have.

Nelson was a young South African with a reputation for trouble-making. Who would have thought he would one day lead his people to freedom? Nelson grew up at a time when black South Africans suffered terrible injustice. He was determined to change this - even if it meant grave personal danger. Twenty seven years of his life were spent in prison, and everyone seemed to be against him - even his own family - but Nelson never stopped fighting for what he believed in: true equality for all, no matter what the colour of their skin.

If I were to write the story of my life it would shock the world'', Caterina Sforza, 1463-1509.As action packed as as a Game of Thrones novel, the complete life of one of Italy''s most fearless women. Between her birth in 1463 as the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Milan, and her death in 1509 as a member of the powerful Medici family, the life of Caterina Sforza crossed the firmament of Renaissance Italy like a shooting star. She was painted by Botticelli, feted by Pope Sixtus IV, slandered by Macchiavelli and celebrated as a warrior who led her own troops fearlessly into battle. While defending her fortress city-state of Forli, she was prepared to sacrifice her children rather than surrender – yet she was eventually defeated, imprisoned and raped by a Borgia. Caterina Sforza bore 8 children, buried 3 husbands, and wrote a recipe book that has since been through more than 100 editions. Her youngest child became, like his mother, a brilliant soldier and a national hero. But not even the determined Caterina could have planned that her son''s direct descendants would include the kings of France and of England... Or that she herself would be reborn 600 years later as the kick-ass lead character in the multimillion-selling videogame Assassin''s Creed.

In this commanding book, Robert K Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of imperial Russia to tell the story of the Romanovs. Nicholas''s political naivete, Alexandra''s obsession with the corrupt mystic Rasputin, and little Alexis''s brave struggle with haemophilia. Against a lavish backdrop of luxury and intrigue, Massie unfolds a powerful drama of passion and history – the story of a doomed empire and the death-marked royals who watched it crumble.

The extraordinary story of Frederick Bruce Thomas, the son of former slaves who fled America to build a life in Tsarist Russia. ''A fascinating tale'' Anne Applebaum ''Thoroughly enjoyable'' Spectator ''Extraordinary and gripping'' Adam HochschildAfter the brutal death of his father when he was a teenager, Frederick Thomas fled the stifling racism of the American South and headed for New York City, where he worked as a valet and trained as a singer. Through charisma and cunning, Thomas emigrated to Europe, where his acquired skills as a multilingual maitre d''hôtel allowed him to travel from London to Monte Carlo before settling in Moscow in the glorious days before the 1917 Revolution. There Thomas became a rich and respected nightclub impresario, opening a lavish nightclub called Maxim.With evocative backdrops in Moscow and later in Odessa and Constantinople, where Thomas rebuilt his life after the revolution, The Black Russian is an inspiring story of personal reinvention set in one of history''s richest periods.

A stunning volume of epic breadth which connects the lives and works of over 300 English-language poets of the last 700 years. LIVES OF THE POETS traverses the landscapes of biography, form, cultural pressures and important historical moments to tell not just a history of English poetry, but the story of English as a language. ''Astonishing'' New York Times. ''Deft critical judgements, lightness of touch, the ability both to examine minutely and to generalize boldly – this book is both a tonic and a continuing pleasure'' Independent. ''A celebration of poetry in the shape of a history from Chaucer up to the present day. A book to put into the hands of any young man or woman beginning to be aware that poetry is the glory of our language'' Scotsman. ''A masterly exercise of cogency and compression'' Times Literary Supplement.

The compelling quest to solve a great mystery of the twentieth century: the ultimate fate of Russia''s last tsar and his family.In July 1991, nine skeletons were exhumed from a shallow grave near Ekaterinburg, Siberia, a few miles from the infamous cellar where the last tsar and his family had been murdered seventy-three years before. Were these the bones of the Romanovs? If so, why were the bones of the two younger Romanovs missing? Was Anna Anderson, celebrated in newspapers, books, and film, really Grand Duchess Anastasia?This book unearths the truth. Pulitzer Prize winner Robert K. Massie presents a colourful panorama of contemporary characters, illuminating the major scientific dispute between Russian experts and a team of Americans, whose findings – along with those of DNA scientists from Russia, America, and the UK – all contributed to solving one of history''s most intriguing mysteries.

The King is dead: long live the King. In 1509, Henry VII was succeeded by his son Henry VIII, second monarch of the house of Tudor. But this is not the familiar Tudor world of Protestantism and playwrights. Decades before the Reformation, ancient traditions persist: boy bishops, pilgrimage, Corpus Christi pageants, the jewel-decked shrine at Canterbury. So Great a Prince offers a fascinating glimpse of a country and people that at first appear alien – in calendar and clothing, in counting the hours by bell toll – but which on closer examination are recognisably and understandably human. Lauren Johnson tells the story of 1509 not just from the perspective of king and court, but of merchant and ploughman; apprentice and laundress; husbandman and foreign worker. She looks at these early Tudor lives through the rhythms of the ritual year, juxtaposing political events in Westminster and the palaces of southeast England with the liturgical and agricultural events that punctuated the year for the ordinary people of England.

THE SUNDAY TIMES LITERARY NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2014. THE ECONOMIST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2014. For more than a decade, the book now considered the most important novel in the English language was illegal to sell, advertise or import. Its author lived in exile; his supporters on the edge of the law. THE MOST DANGEROUS BOOK tells the painful yet exhilarating story of how Joyce''s ULYSSES was conceived, written, published, burned, acclaimed and excoriated before taking its place as a masterpiece of world literature.

England, late 1547. Henry VIII is dead. His 14-year-old daughter Elizabeth is living with the old king''s widow Catherine Parr and her new husband Thomas Seymour. Ambitious, charming and dangerous, Seymour begins an overt flirtation with Elizabeth that ends in her being sent away by Catherine. When Catherine dies in autumn 1548 and Seymour is arrested for treason soon after, the scandal explodes into the open. Alone and in dreadful danger, Elizabeth is closely questioned by the king''s regency council: Was she still a virgin? Was there a child? Had she promised to marry Seymour? In her replies, she shows the shrewdness and spirit she would later be famous for. She survives the scandal. Thomas Seymour is not so lucky. The Seymour Scandal led to the creation of the Virgin Queen. On hearing of Seymour''s beheading, Elizabeth observed ''This day died a man of much wit, and very little judgement''. His fate remained with her. She would never allow her heart to rule her head again.

The untold story of Winston Churchill''s precarious finances – and the most original and surprising book about Churchill to emerge for many years. The popular image of Churchill – grandson of a duke, drinking champagne and smoking a cigar – conjures up a man of wealth and substance. The reality is that Britain''s most celebrated 20th-century statesman lived for most of his life on a financial cliff-edge. Only fragments of information about his finances, or their impact on his public life, have previously emerged. With the help of unprecedented access to Churchill''s private records, David Lough creates the first fully researched narrative of Churchill''s private finances and business affairs. As he reveals the scale of Churchill''s financial risk-taking, combined with an ability to talk or write himself out of the tightest of corners, the links between the private man and public figure become clear.

Admiral Lord Collingwood, the eldest son of a Newcastle merchant, went to sea in 1761 at the age of thirteen. In his nearly fifty years in the Navy he rose to become a fine seaman, a master of gunnery, a battle commander the equal of his friend – and rival in love – Nelson. He was also an accomplished writer and wit, a doting father, inveterate gossip and consummate diplomat and strategist. Collingwood''s service took him to Boston, where he lived and fought during the American War of Independence; to Antigua, where he and Nelson both fell in love with Mary Moutray; to Corsica; Sicily; and Menorca, where he began as a young midshipman and ended his career as the effective viceroy of the Mediterranean. ADMIRAL COLLINGWOOD is an intimate portrait of a forgotten British naval hero and a thrilling portrait of the glory years of the age of sail.

''The book is a gem: fresh, intelligent and assured'' Sunday TimesNancy Mitford was, in the words of her sister Lady Diana Mosley, ''very, very complex''. Her biographies and novels, her journalism, and the vast body of letters to her family, friends such as Evelyn Waugh, and to the great love of her life, Gaston Palewski, all tell an intriguing story. Drawing from these, as well as conversations with Mitford''s two surviving sisters and colleagues, prize-winning author Laura Thompson has fashioned a portrait of a contradictory and courageous woman.Thompson approaches her subject with wit, perspicacity and affection, while eschewing clichés about the eccentricities of the Mitford clan. Life in a Cold Climate is full of the sound of Mitfordian laughter; but tells also the often paradoxical and complex story beneath the smiling and ever elegant façade.''A brilliant study, original, perceptive, passionate'' Selina Hastings''Well-nigh perfect'' Diana Mosley, Literary Review

''Wonderfully readable... Emphasises their sheer extraordinariness and celebrates them'' MAIL ON SUNDAY. The eldest was a razor-sharp novelist of upper-class manners; the second was loved by John Betjeman; the third was a fascist who married Oswald Mosley; the fourth idolized Hitler and shot herself in the head when Britain declared war on Germany; the fifth was a member of the American Communist Party; the sixth became Duchess of Devonshire. They were the Mitford sisters: Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah. Born into country-house privilege, they became prominent as ''bright young things'' in the high society of interwar London. Then, as the shadows crept over 1930s Europe, the stark – and very public – differences in their outlooks came to symbolise the political polarities of a dangerous decade. The intertwined stories of their lives – recounted in masterly fashion by Laura Thompson – hold up a revelatory mirror to upper-class English life before and after World War II.

When Michael Holroyd''s life of Strachey first appeared in the late 1960s, it was hailed as a landmark in contemporary biography. Drawing on new material, published and unpublished, Holroyd completely revised and rewrote his masterwork in 1995 to tell the full story of this complex man and his world as it could not be told while many of Strachey''s friends and lovers were still alive. At the heart of the story is the poignant liaison between Strachey and the painter Dora Carrington. A panorama of the social, literary, political and sexual life of a generation, LYTTON STRACHEY reverberates in the mind like a great novel.

Playwright, wit, socialist, polemicist, vegetarian and charmer, Bernard Shaw was a controversial literary figure, the scourge of Victorian values and middle-class pretensions. This is Michael Holroyd''s essential biography of George Bernard Shaw. With its pace and verve, its comedy, drama and politics, it portrays a provocative and paradoxical figure sympathetically and movingly.