Samuel Edwards

From ex-convict to the head of the first known private detective agency, Fran ois Eug ne Vidocq was the father of modern criminology. Perfect for fans of Tom Clavin, Hallie Rubenhold and Catherine Arnold. Long before Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was creating Sherlock or Agatha Christie was inventing the adventures of Poirot, the life and cases of Vidocq were inspiring Victor Hugo, Edgar Allen Poe and Honor de Balzac to create some of the first detectives in fiction, but as is so often the case, the truth is more fascinating than fiction. Using disguises, decoys and criminal stool pigeons, experimenting with fingerprints, inventing invisible inks, conducting blood and ballistic testing, devising methods for keeping records on all known criminals and pioneering handwriting analysis, are but a few of the real-life master sleuth's innovations. Noel B. Gerson's fascinating biography uncovers the life of the man who earned the respect of Emperor Napoleon after recovering Empress Josephine's stolen emerald necklace, attempted to reform ex-convicts and who revolutionized criminal investigations as the world's first private detective. "introduce s] the reader to a man who was a genuine pioneer and, in addition, one of the great adventurers of the century." The New York Times "Powerful" Kirkus Reviews

An authoritative biography of the Flemish Baroque artist Peter Paul Rubens. An ideal book for readers who wish to find out more about the life and work of one of seventeenth-century Europe's foremost painters. Artist, businessman, linguist, intellectual, husband, father, and international diplomat: few people have accomplished quite as much or achieved such acclaim as Peter Paul Rubens. Renowned for being one of the most prolific and emotive painters of his age, Rubens' Baroque works were celebrated for their distinctively vibrant colours, intense dynamism, and sensuous use of the human figure. In this engrossing biography, Noel B. Gerson charts the Flemish painter's path to greatness, from a childhood spent in exile following a scandal that disgraced his father, his apprenticeship in Antwerp and his studies in Italy, through to the establishment of his own studio and subsequent career that saw him become a colossal figure in the European art world. His ambition to become the greatest painter of his age included a tireless work-schedule that produced an enormous body of work. Yet his talent as an artist was matched by his skill as a diplomat, a profession that brought Rubens great wealth, royal patronage, and unprecedented honors, including elevation to the peerage by the monarchs of Spain and England. Drawing on contemporary material, Gerson combines a full appreciation of Rubens' work with a revealing insight into the eventful life of seventeenth-century Europe's most prodigious artist. Peter Paul Rubens vividly captures the culture, religious conflicts and political intrigue of seventeenth-century Europe and its most accomplished artist.