At a glittering society party in St Petersburg in 1805, conversations are dominated by the prospect of war. Terror swiftly engulfs the country as Napoleon's army marches on Russia, and the lives of three young people are changed forever. The stories of quixotic Pierre, cynical Andrey and impetuous Natasha interweave with a huge cast, from aristocrats and peasants, to soldiers and Napoleon himself. In War and Peace (1868-9), Tolstoy entwines grand...

In London, Dr John Watson convalesces after his disastrous Afghan war experiences. Sharing rooms with an enigmatic, new acquaintance, Sherlock Holmes, their quiet bachelor life at 221B Baker Street is short-lived. A dead man is discovered in a grimy house in south-east London, his face contorted with horror and hatred. On the wall, the word 'rache' - German for 'revenge' - is written in blood, yet there are no wounds on the victim or signs of a struggle....

"Travel to 1920s China, a time when the last emperor still ruled and the sweeping changes of the twentieth century were distant rumblings, with this timeless, evocative classic tale of the honest farmer Wang Lung and his family as they struggle to survive in the midst of vast political and social upheavals" --

A dynamic backwoods lawyer batters his way into the governor's mansion, where he uses his unprincipled charm to become a brutal dictator.

"California has always been our Shangri-la - the promised land of countless pilgrims in search of the American Dream. Now the Golden State's premier historian, Kevin Starr, distills the entire sweep of California's history into one splendid volume. From the age of exploration to the age of Arnold, this is the story of a place at once quintessentially American and utterly unique. Arguing that America's most populous state has always been blessed with...

The adventures of Don Quixote, a common man from La Mancha, who has convinced himself that he is a knight. With his portly peasant squire, Sancho Panza, who recognizes his master's madness but is nonetheless captivated by promises of kingdoms and riches, Don Quixote mistakes windmills for giants and flocks of sheep for armies.

Explores the ways in which history has been used to influence people and government, focusing on how reportage of past events has been manipulated to justify religious movements and political campaigns.

libreka classics — These are classics of literary history, reissued and made available to a wide audience. Immerse yourself in well-known and popular titles!