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. / The fascinating and relatively untold history of how Lenin came, saw, and very nearly conquered western Europe. / As well as being of great consequence for Europe and the world, the events of 1920 make a gripping story. Although the ideologies were 20th-century, the military tactics belonged largely to the 17th: aeroplanes and tanks were swamped by swirling masses of Cossacks and lancers in scenes reminiscent of the Napoleonic wars. / Great historical figures were involved: Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky, Pilsudski, Lloyd George; the future Polish leader General Sikorski and the future French one, General de Gaulle (both of whom fought in the battle for Warsaw) and Winston Churchill. / The only other book on the subject in English, by Norman Davies, was published 30 years ago. / Written by one of the great narrative historians, Adam Zamoyski (himself of Polish origins), author of the bestselling '1812: Napoleon's Fatal March on Moscow' and 'Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna'. / '1812' has sold over 55,000 copies and 'Rites of Peace' has sold over 5,000 copies in hardback in the UK alone.
Adam Zamoyski was born in New York, was educated at Oxford, and lives in London. A full-time writer, he has written biographies of ‘Chopin’ (Collins 1979), ‘Paderewski’, and ‘The Last King of Poland’,‘1812: Napoleon’s Fatal March on Moscow’, which was a Sunday Times bestseller and ‘Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna’. He is married to the painter Emma Sergeant.
Praise for 'Rites of Peace': 'Deeply researched, elegantly written, gleaming with the political and sexual depravity of the Congress that decided the fate of Europe, Zamoyski's "Rites of Peace" is outstanding -- a delicious, triumphant feast of a book.' Daily Mail 'Impressively detailed diplomatic history; it deals with the fate of nations and dynasties and the doings of emperors, kings and princes. The author keeps up a strong narrative drive, guiding the reader through the tortuously involved negotiations of the Congress.'The Economist 'Zamoyski's!account of the labyrinthine twists of diplomacy is both masterly and exhaustive!I closed the book full of admiration for its author.' Sunday Times
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