*Includes pictures of Robespierre and other important people, places, and events in his life.
*Includes Robespierre's most famous and controversial quotes about the French Revolution, Louis XVI, and more.
"Citizens, did you want a revolution without a revolution?" - Maximilien Robespierre
A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' French series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of France's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.
In many ways it is fitting that Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) is one of the best known figures of the French Revolution, if not its most famous. The early years of the Revolution were fueled by Enlightenment ideals, seeking the social overthrow of the caste system that gave the royalty and aristocracy decisive advantages over the lower classes. Few were as vocal in their support of Enlightenment ideals as Robespierre, who was heavily versed in Rousseau and Montesquieu, a champion of the bourgeoise, and an advocate of human rights who opposed both slavery and the death penalty.
But history remembers the French Revolution in a starkly different way, as the same leaders who sought a more democratic system while out of power devolved into establishing an incredibly repressive tyranny of their own once they acquired it. For that reason, the Reign of Terror became the most memorable aspect of the Revolution, and at the head of it all was Robespierre, whose position on the Committee of Public Safety made him the Reign of Terror's instrumental figure, until he himself became a victim of the Revolution's extremism.
Robespierre has remained one of the Revolution's most controversial figures, an enigma in both life and death. Known as "The Incorruptible" to supporters and a bloodthirsty dictator to his opponents, what all could agree on was that he was a vital figure during one of history's most momentous events. French Legends: The Life and Legacy of Maximilien Robespierre looks at the life and legacy of one of history's most famous revolutionaries, explaining his role in the French Revolution and analyzing his legacy. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Robespierre like you never have before, in no time at all.

Of all Queen Victoria's nine children, none was more intriguing than her second daughter, Alice. The contradictions in her personality are so striking that, while she has often been overshadowed by her more illustrious brother, King Edward VII, and her brilliant sister, the German Empress Frederick, she remains to this day an enigma, the depths of whose character are virtually impossible to penetrate. By the time of her premature death at the age of only thirty-five, Alice had lived through two wars, had lost two of her children, and had exhausted herself in her devotion to duty to the extent that she suffered from disillusionment almost to the point of despair. Nonetheless, in the final tragic weeks of her life, she met unimaginable grief with courage and serenity, and her last words demonstrated her ultimate redemption and the beautiful restoration of all she had loved and lost.

This accessible, immensely readable biography of Xerxes by Jacob Abbott is part of the 'Makers of History' series, and is the best single-volume introduction to the life and times of the Persian king of kings.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1901 Edition.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1873 Edition.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1921 Edition.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1873 Edition.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1858 Edition.

Books by this author include the Nobel Prize nominated "Death of Democracy: The Erosion of Freedom Doctrine of the Second American Revolution" and "The True King of England Lives in America"

She has been called America's princess - and with good reason. Long before she married a prince, Grace Kelly had the looks and bearing of royalty. Born and raised in Philadelphia, the daughter of an Irish Catholic father and a German immigrant mother, Grace's blend of blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty and poise was dubbed a "snow-covered volcano" by director Alfred Hitchcock. But like most icons, there is more to Grace than what you see in film. While, on the surface, she appeared to have lived a real-life fairy tale filled with handsome men, beautiful clothes and an adoring public, in reality, her life seems to have been more of an often sad reflection of the times in which she lived. It was a time of movie megastars, of hushed-up love affairs, of prejudice and gossip, and of images not always being what they appeared to be. Long before the world admired Kate Middleton's sophisticated sense of style, and long before the world fell in love with young Lady Diana's shy smile, there was a breathtakingly beautiful princess from Philadelphia. Her name was Grace Kelly, and this is her story.

*Includes pictures.
*Includes a bibliography for further reading.

"If I wasn't an actor, I think I'd have gone mad. You have to have extra voltage, some extra temperament to reach certain heights. Art is a little bit larger than life - it's an exhalation of life and I think you probably need a little touch of madness." - Laurence Olivier

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' British Legends series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of Britain's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

Of all the great actors of the 20th century, none personifies acting royalty more than Laurence Olivier, and some of this is simply due to the fact that he was actually knighted in 1947, along with a lengthy list of other honors that include being named a life peer in 1970 and admission to the Order of Merit in 1984. To speak of The Right Honourable Lord Laurence Olivier is not a figure of speech but rather a fact. Of course, in addition to the literal sense of the term, there is undeniably a manner in which Laurence Olivier qualifies as acting royalty, as it is not for nothing that Spencer Tracy once referred to Olivier as "the greatest actor in the English-speaking world" (Bacall). It is also important to note that Tracy refers to Olivier not as a film or theater actor specifically, because much of Olivier's lofty standing derives from his ability to successfully navigate different mediums like stage, film, and television. The breadth of mediums in which he worked, the various roles he inhabited within them (actor, producer, director), and the formidable time span of his career lend Olivier's career a scope of perhaps unmatched magnitude.

Indeed, Laurence Olivier worked for so long and was so successful that few actors receive the level of visibility that he still enjoys, even more than two decades after his death. While his theatrical performances exist only as memories, his cinematic adaptations of several of Shakespeare's most famous plays remain the most canonical even to this day. Hamlet, for example, has been produced for the screen by several famous directors, but his version, released in 1948, is the most well-known and best-received. It is through his films that viewers also gain a full appreciation of his creative style, as Olivier assumed full authorial control (from actor to director to producer) over many of his films, particularly the Shakespearean ones. In this sense, it is appropriate to claim that Laurence Olivier was not only a storied actor but also an artist who worked best when enjoying full authority over his productions.

Laurence Olivier's career was incredibly decorated, but questions still remain regarding the relationship between his career and his life outside of the stage and screen. To what extent do Olivier's upbringing and personal life cohere with or complicate the reputation he cultivated through his body of work? Other aspects of his life that are consequential and are yet often overlooked include his strict childhood, his experience fighting in World War Two, his discreet sexual life, and his troubled marriage to actress Vivien Leigh.

British Legends: The Life and Legacy of Laurence Olivier examines the life and work of one of the world's most critically acclaimed actors. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Olivier like never before, in no time at all.

ANDREW ROSE'S "THE WOMAN BEFORE WALLIS" RECOUNTS THE UNTOLD STORY OF PASSION, SCANDAL, AND DECADENCE BETWEEN A COURTESAN AND A BRITISH PRINCE
Prince Edward was the King of England when he famously abdicated his crown over his love for the American divorcee Wallis Simpson. But two decades earlier, he was an awkward and inexperienced young man, socializing with Europe's elite while stationed behind the lines during World War I. It was there he met the alluring Marguerite Alibert, the queen of the Paris demimonde.
Marguerite had fought her way up from street gamine to a woman "haut de gamme" to become one of the highest-ranking courtesans in Paris. Prince Edward was instantly smitten, but their affair eventually turned sour. Edward thought he was free of Marguerite--until she murdered her husband, a wealthy Egyptian playboy, by shooting him three times in the back at the Savoy Hotel in London. With Marguerite on trial for murder, Edward was at risk of having their affair exposed. What happened next was buried for decades, uncovered now thanks to exceptional access to documents held in the Royal Archives and private collections.

With the world watching, Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, third in line of succession to the throne, was born on 22nd July 2013. The next day, his proud parents stepped out of St Mary's hospital, London, to present their baby to the excited crowds. From the beginning, the world had watched with bated breath as the charming prince and his future bride overcame the struggles of university, rumours and a brief break-up before finally reconciling and becoming engaged. The royal wedding in 2011 - watched by an incredible estimated 2 billion people worldwide - was a defining moment, not only in their young lives, but also for the perception of the monarchy. When the Palace announced the Duchess's much-anticipated pregnancy in 2012, a public frenzy surrounded the arrival of the heir to the throne. Now that the Duke has left the military to focus on his royal duties and charity work, there is already speculation as to whether George will follow in his father's footsteps, with a passion for wildlife and conservation. Packed with expert analysis and exclusive photographs, this is an essential read for royalists and romantics alike.