Random House Inc.

As a young guardsman, Grigory Potemkin caught the eye of Catherine the Great with a theatrical act of gallantry during the coup that placed her on the throne. Over the next thirty years he would become her lover, co-ruler, and husband in a secret marriage that left room for both to satisfy their sexual appetites. Potemkin proved to be one of the most brilliant statesmen of the eighteenth century, helping Catherine expand the Russian empire and deftly manipulating allies and adversaries from Constantinople to London. This acclaimed biography vividly re-creates Potemkin’s outsized character and accomplishments and restores him to his rightful place as a colossus of the eighteenth century. It chronicles the tempestuous relationship between Potemkin and Catherine, a remarkable love affair between two strong personalities that helped shape the course of history. As he brings these characters to life, Montefiore also tells the story of the creation of the Russian empire. This is biography as it is meant to be: both intimate and panoramic, and bursting with life.

Relive 21 years of red carpet glamour in this new, updated edition of «Red Carpet» — an unprecedented collection of photographs by veteran celebrity photographer Frank Trapper. Trapper has had a front row seat to nearly every major star-studded Hollywood event for more than two decades. He shares this very exclusive point of view in «Red Carpet», an unending runway show of images that capture high fashion, fabulous footwear, glitzy gowns, immaculate grooming, and style dos and don'ts. Trapper's extensive collection is organized chronologically, and covers every type of red carpet event for the past 21 years, from the high-profile Academy Awards to the dressed-down movie premieres that capture celebrities as you've never seen them before. Even includes up-to-the-minute photos from the 2008 Academy Awards!

In this powerful and groundbreaking book, Misha Glenny takes us on a journey through the new world of international organised crime.

Paul Varderman could be at any normal school — bullies, girls and annoying teachers are just a part of life. Unfortunately 'normal' doesn't apply when it comes to the school's most evil bully, Roth, a twisted and threatening thug with an agenda quite unlike anyone else. When Paul ends up delivering a message from Roth to the leader of a gang at a nearby school, it fuels a rivalry with immediate consequences. Paul attempts to distance himself from the feud, but when Roth hands him a knife it both empowers him and scares him at the same time... This thought-provoking and original novel highlights the terrible consequences of peer pressure and violence, and casts a spotlight on the worrying rise in knife crime among teenagers.

'I, Danny Wallace, being of sound mind and body, do hereby write this manifesto for my life. I swear I will be more open to opportunity. I swear I will live my life taking every available chance. I will say Yes to every favour, request, suggestion and invitation. I WILL SWEAR TO SAY YES WHERE ONCE I WOULD SAY NO'. Danny Wallace had been staying in. Far too much. Having been dumped by his girlfriend, he really wasn't doing the young, free and single thing very well. Instead he was avoiding people. Texting them instead of calling them. Calling them instead of meeting them. That is until one fateful date when a mystery man on a late-night bus told him to 'say yes more'. These three simple words changed Danny's life forever. Yes Man is the story of what happened when Danny decided to say YES to everything, in order to make his life more interesting. And boy, did it get more interesting. This is the tie-in book that goes with the 2008 film of the Danny Wallace book — «Yes Man» — starring Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel, which is being released by Warner Bros in December 2008.

Camille is doing her best to disappear. She barely eats, works at night as a cleaner and lives in a tiny attic room. Philibert Marquet de La Durbellière is a stammering, erudite aristocrat who sells postcards outside a museum. One evening he overcomes his own excruciating reticence to rescue Camille, unconscious, from her freezing garret, and install her in the large, ornate apartment he is caretaking downstairs. He already has an unlikely flatmate, the foul-mouthed, talented working-class young chef, Franck, who is made more obnoxious by guilt about the beloved grandmother he's had to put in a home. Together, this curious, damaged little quartet may be able to face the world. Gorgeously original, full of wry humour and razor-sharp observation, redolent of Paris, its foibles, its food and its neglected corners, «Hunting and Gathering» is a universal story about despair, love and the virtues of ensemble-playing in a naughty world. It's a big novel that you will not want to put down.

Robert Prentice is eighteen, and his boyhood dreams have disintegrated on the battlefields of Europe. At home, his mother, Alice, wraps herself in fantasy against the relentless disappointments of life. From his compelling portraits of these two damaged souls, Richard Yates creates a brilliant novel of post-war America, at odds with its own identity, striving to combine prosperity and ideals, mercilessly exposed in the attempt to do so. At once tender and ironic, bitterly sad and achingly funny, «A Special Providence» is the second novel by the author of «Revolutionary Road».

The midnight hour approaches in an almost empty all-night diner. Mari sips her coffee and glances up from a book as a young man, a musician, intrudes on her solitude. Both have missed the last train home. The musician has plans to rehearse with his jazz band all night, Mari is equally unconcerned and content to read, smoke and drink coffee until dawn. Murakami, acclaimed master of the surreal, returns with a stunning new novel, where the familiar can become unfamiliar after midnight, even to those that thrive in small hours. With AFTER DARK we journey beyond the twilight. Strange nocturnal happenings, or a trick of the night?

When Lyra is studying at Oxford University, she comes across the story of Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnisson's first meeting, many years ago, along with much evidence of the adventure that brought them together. When a young Texan balloonist, Lee Scoresby, comes down to earth in the harbour of an Arctic town in the North, little does he realise that he is about to be embroiled in an out-and-out political brawl. Lee and his daemon, Hester, find themselves the target of political factions trying to take over the running (and oil) of the town. And also resident in the town are huge arctic bears, ignored and patronised by the people and treated like second-class citizens. When Lee and Iorek first meet, they cement a friendship that will continue throughout their lives, as the tensions and pressure in town lead to a deadly conclusion... Another wonderful tale from a master story-teller, giving us more extraordinary insight into the world of «His Dark Materials».

Take a rollercoaster ride through the vastness of space and, in the midst of an exciting adventure, discover the mysteries of physics, science and the universe with George, his new friends next door – the scientist Eric and his daughter, Annie – and a super-intelligent computer called Cosmos, which can take them to the edge of a black hole and back again. Or can it? And who else would like to get their hands on Cosmos? A funny and hugely informative romp through space, time and the universe.

Jason and his sister have just moved to Malibu — to a town full of beautiful rich kids whose lives revolve around money, fashion, cars and parties. But these teens hide a dark — and dangerous secret... Bloodlust Jason gets swept along by the excitement of his new crowd and is flattered to be included — and also very flattered by the apparent interest of the stunning Sienna. But when he finds out the truth behind his new friends, Jason has to decide if he can accept the status quo. Everyone else seems to be able to — and it might just mean he could get closer to Sienna... Initiation Something happens to take Jason's mind of the gorgeouse Sienna when he realises that there's something weird going on in De Vere Heights. Could his Aunt Megan be involved somehow? And when his old friend Tyler turns up too, and starts to mess with the wrong people, Jason starts to understand that they're all playing with something much more dangerous than it first seemed...

Jason and his sister have just moved to Malibu — to a town full of beautiful rich kids whose lives revolve around money, fashion, cars and parties. But these teens hide a dark — and dangerous secret... Ritual Jason takes his sister to a New Age fair — and they visit a psychic. Jason is given a warning of great danger — and sure enough, he is soon after attacked by a mysterious assailant. When he wakes up in hospital he discovers that he's been shot with a crossbow. Who would use such a weapon — possibly some kind of vampire hunter? Could Sienna be the one who's really in danger? Initiation Jason's new-found happiness with Sienna is under threat when her parents find out. They don’t believe a human-vampire relationship can work and forbid Sienna from seeing Jason. Jason’s vampire aunt Bianca has a suggestion that might solve the problem — for ever... Jason has to make a decision that could change his life completely. There are exciting new possibilities right at his fingertips, but what hidden dangers lurk beneath the glamorous surface?

Charles Strickland, a conventional stockbroker, abandons his wife and children for Paris and Tahiti, to live his life as a painter. Whilst his betrayal of family, duty and honour gives him the freedom to achieve greatness, his decision leads to an obsession which carries severe implications. Inspired by the life of Paul Gauguin, «The Moon and Sixpence» is at once a satiric caricature of Edwardian conventions and a vivid portrayal of the mentality of a genius.

Seize this wonderful chance to embark on a Wodehousian voyage on the luxurious liner S.S. Atlantic – in the company of Monty Bodkin, whose passion for Gertrude Butterwick knows no bounds (except those set by the wild-at-heart Hollywood starlet Lotus Blossom and her pet alligator). Also aboard are a movie mogul, the centre-forward for the All-England ladies hockey team and the two Tennyson brothers (one of whom has been mistaken for the late poet laureate and given a fat movie contract…). Also a chatty steward, and a mouse doll in which all manner of things can be hidden. This is Wodehouse afloat – a voyage of pure delight.

In the hopeful 1950s, Frank and April Wheeler appear to be a model couple: bright, beautiful, talented, with two young children and a starter home in the suburbs. Perhaps they married too young and started a family too early. Maybe Frank's job is dull. And April never saw herself as a housewife. Yet they have always lived on the assumption that greatness is only just around the corner. But now that certainty is about to crumble. With heartbreaking compassion and remorseless clarity, Richard Yates shows how Frank and April mortgage their spiritual birthright, betraying not only each other, but their best selves.

Against the seductive backdrop of Regency England, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh sweeps us into the sensual, enthralling world of four teachers at an elite academy for young ladies. As headmistress of Miss Martin’s School for Girls in Bath, Claudia Martin long ago resigned herself to a life without love. Until Joseph, Marquess of Attingsborough, arrives unannounced and tempts her to toss away a lifetime of propriety for an affair that can only lead to ruin, embarking on a plan of seduction that leaves them both yearning for more. But Claudia knows she has no place in Joseph’s aristocratic world. And now that world is about to be rocked by scanda.…An arranged marriage, a secret that will shock the ton, and a man from Claudia’s past conspire to drive the lovers apart. But Joseph is determined to make Claudia his at any cost—even if that means breaking every rule for a love that is everything he has ever wanted.…

At 59, Jack Watson owns one of the most successful boutiques in Beverly Hills, has two adult children who are the light of his life, and his choice of Hollywood's most beautiful women. After a failed marriage in the distant past, and a brief, tragic affair years afterward, Jack has become the perfect bachelor. And he loves it. Amanda Robbins knew Jack Watson only as her daughter's father-in-law, an incurable playboy whom she dislikes intensely. Theirs had been a relationship based solely upon the marriage of her daughter to his son. And Amanda wants no other relationship with him. But when she becomes a widow unexpectedly, twenty-six years after she retired from Hollywood stardom to become a wife and mother, Amanda finds herself on unfamiliar ground, and is surprised to find herself both befriended by, and attracted to, Jack Watson. Worse yet, she likes him. There is a lot more to him than she previously suspected. Amanda's shock at her attraction to Jack is equaled only by her children's. Then suddenly, a startling announcement stuns both families, as Jack and Amanda are faced with an unexpected gift that neither thought possible, and with a choice that provides them both considerable challenge. But at a time in their lives when they least expect to feel that way, they not only feel young again, but are blissfully happy, in spite of the confusion, opposition, and obstacles all around them. «Special Delivery» is about what two people do when life gives them everything they wanted, twenty years after they expected to find it. In her 40th bestselling novel, Danielle Steel makes us laugh and cry as she touches the heart with tenderness and accuracy.

Legendary designer Roehm conducts a private tour of her dazzling homes with hundreds of never-before-seen photographs that showcase her favorite color combination: blue and white.

This is a P.G. Wodehouse novel. If you come into a lot of money, life becomes easier, right? No, wrong — at least not for Sally Nicholas, whose generosity of spirit immediately runs into all the slings and arrows outrageous fortune can send. Her handsome fiance turns out not to be all he seems — and then there is the show he's written, which Sally puts on in the theatre. No, life is not straightforward at all. But waiting in the wings is Ginger Kemp, who really does adore her, seems to make a hash of everything he tries and yet is always ready to try something else. If money becomes a problem, perhaps Ginger can provide a solution.

When Maxudov's bid to take his own life fails, he dramatises the novel whose failure provoked the suicide attempt. To the resentment of literary Moscow, his play is accepted by the legendary Independent Theatre and Maxudov plunges into a vortex of inflated egos. With each rehearsal more sparks fly and the chances of the play being ready to perform recede. Black Snow is the ultimate back-stage novel and a brilliant satire by the author of The Master and Margarita on his ten-year love-hate relationship with Stanislavsky, Method-acting and the Moscow Arts Theatre.

An eminent, aging Australian writer is invited to contribute to a book entitled Strong Opinions. For him, troubled by Australia's complicity in the wars in the Middle East, it is a chance to air some urgent concerns: how should a citizen of a modern democracy react to their state's involvement in an immoral war on terror, a war that involves the use of torture? Then in the laundry room of his apartment block, he encounters an alluring young woman. He offers her work typing up his manuscript. Anya is not interested in politics, but the job will be a welcome distraction, as will the writer's evident attraction towards her. Her boyfriend, Alan, is an investment consultant who understands the world in harsh economic terms. Unsure about his trophy girlfriend's new pastime, Alan begins to formulate a plan...

Eric Clapton is far more than a rock star. Like Dylan and McCartney he is an icon and a living legend. He has sold tens of millions of records, played sell-out concerts all over the world and been central to the significant musical developments of his era. His guitar playing has seen him hailed as 'God'. Now for the first time, Eric tells the story of his personal and professional journeys in this pungent, witty and painfully honest autobiography. These are the memoirs of a survivor, someone who has reached the pinnacle of success, who has had it all, but whose demons have never left him. Eric tells his story as it is, hiding nothing, with a directness and searing honesty that will make this book one of the most compelling memoirs of our time.

'The moment I heard how McAra died I should have walked away. I can see that now...' The narrator of Robert Harris' gripping new novel is a professional ghostwriter — cynical, mercenary, and with a nice line in deadpan humour. Accustomed to working with fading rock stars and minor celebrities, he jumps at the chance to ghost the memoirs of Britain's former prime minister, especially as it means flying to the American resort of Martha's Vineyard in the middle of winter and finishing the book in the seclusion of a luxurious house. But it doesn't take him long to realise he has made a terrible mistake. His predecessor on the project died in circumstances that were distinctly suspicious, and the ex-prime minister turns out to be a man with secrets in his past that are returning to haunt him — secrets with the power to kill. The Times has called Robert Harris 'the leading current exponent of the intelligent literary thriller'. The Ghost is his most compelling novel yet.

The Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one function: to breed. If she deviates, she will, like dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire — neither Offred's nor that of the two men on which her future hangs...