Harold Robbins (1916–1997) is one of the best-selling American fiction writers of all time, ranking 5th on the World’s Best-Selling Fiction Author List just behind William Shakespeare and Agatha Christie. He wrote over 25 best-selling novels, sold more than 750 million copies in 42 languages and spent over 300 weeks combined on The New York Times best sellers list. His books were adapted into 13 commercially successful films and also television series that garnered numerous Oscar®, Golden Globe® and Primetime Emmy® nominations starring Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley, Laurence Olivier, Bette Davis, Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones and more.
The self-proclaimed "world’s best writer in plain English," Robbins wrote novels that resonated with audiences due to their graphic depictions of sex, violence, power and drugs, and the multilayered complexities of his characters, as evidenced by his best-selling novels Never Love a Stranger, The Carpetbaggers, Where Love Has Gone, and The Adventurers. He once said in an interview: "People make their own choices every day about what they are willing to do. We don’t have the right to judge them or label them. At least walk in their shoes before you do."
Robbins’ personal life was as fascinating to the public as his novels. An enthusiastic participant in the social and sexual revolution of the 1960s, Robbins cultivated a "playboy" image and maintained friendships with stars including Frank Sinatra, Clint Eastwood, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dino De Laurentiis, Robert Evans, Ringo Starr, Barbara Eden, Lena Horne and Quincy Jones, and was one of the first novelists to be prominently featured in gossip magazines, earning him the title of "The World’s First Rock Star Author."
From the author of The New York Times #1 best-selling novel The Carpetbaggers comes a revealing saga that exposes the shocking, merciless world of the American automobile industry.
Angelo Perino lives life on the bleeding edge of speed and success—a race car driver of humble origins who dominates on and off the track. Loren Hardeman is the ruthless patriarch of an auto empire, fighting to keep his family from self-destructing under the weight of its own greed and decadence. The two men, bound by their passionate vision as well as their charismatic power over women, come together to create the world’s fastest, most advanced automobile, "The Betsy"—named after Hardeman’s great-granddaughter, who has captured Perino’s heart.
Their creation threatens to disrupt the industry, whose power brokers are determined to prevent it no matter the cost. This pits Hardeman’s own grandson, the company’s current CEO, against him, revealing the depths to which Hardeman went to build his empire—including murder, incestuous adultery and organized crime. As the family feud escalates, Perino makes his move to conquer Hardeman’s empire as well as his great-granddaughter.
When it was published, The Betsy spent 21 weeks on The New York Times best sellers list—and inspired a film of the same name starring Laurence Olivier, Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Duvall and Katharine Ross. This novel from master storyteller Harold Robbins pulls back the curtain on the glittering world of fame, fortune, and passion at the height of the auto industry, giving a look into the world that is now shown to be full of scandal and product recalls.
From the author of The New York Times #1 best-selling novel The Carpetbaggers comes a story of a tragic love triangle between Marja Fluudjincki (aka Maryann Flood), an ambitious and sensual young woman from the slums who is forced into prostitution, but reinvents herself as an elegant Park Avenue madam; Mike Keyes, a hardworking, honest man who works his way up to Assistant District Attorney and is the only man Marja ever loved; and Ross Drego, who introduces her to money and the gambler’s world of Joker Martin, and is willing to pay any price for her. And does.
79 Park Avenue starts on the seedy streets of inner NYC and ends on luxurious Park Avenue. Over time, Marja claws her way from street urchin to stripper—ultimately becoming the madam of a Mob-owned pleasure empire. Marja—now known as Maryann—provides access to the city’s most exciting and sensual "escorts." But when Maryann runs afoul of the law, endangering her empire and angering the Mob, she must face an ambitious prosecutor who stands to benefit by bringing down the call girl ring. However, unbeknownst to the indefatigable ADA Mike Keyes, fate has dealt him a devastating blow. The madam he’s been chasing, Maryann Flood, is none other than the love of his life who has repeatedly broken his heart, Marja Fluudjincki.
Does he set aside his personal feelings for the sake of justice, or fall under Maryann’s seductive spell, betraying his life’s work? Knowing that Maryann is unafraid to use seduction to get what she wants, will Mike fall prey to her charm and violate his solid sense of justice?
Harold Robbins presents a vision of post-WWII New York that is as common now in shows like Revenge as it was then—a stark reminder that corruption, greed, and vengeance are timeless. Spending 12 weeks on The New York Times best sellers list, this novel tells a sizzling story of sexuality, power, and lust that inspired the 1977 Golden Globe®-winning miniseries of the same name.
"Robbins grabs the reader and doesn’t let go…" —Publishers Weekly
"His characters are compelling, his dialogue is dramatic, and his style is simple and straightforward." —The LA Times
From the depths of the poverty-stricken West Virginia coal mines to the heights of power as one of the nation’s most prominent and feared labor organizers, "Big Dan" Huggins is a hero worthy of Harold Robbins’ attention. After its release in 1979, Memories of Another Day spent 24 weeks on The New York Times best sellers list, topping the list at #1—and now it’s available for digital download. Recognized as one of the world’s most captivating storytellers, Robbins has written what is arguably the most significant book ever published about the rise of the labor unions in America.
Born to a life of violence and tragedy, Dan becomes one of the most powerful and dangerous labor organizers in the country—at the expense of his personal relationships. He’s a man who embraced violence, fierce ambition, lust and a deep hunger for justice even as he accumulated personal wealth, fame and power. The novel opens at Dan’s funeral, where his estranged son Jonathan is relieved by his father’s death. But Jonathan is quickly thrust into his father’s role and must return to his father’s origins to better understand the man who shaped his past and continues to shape his future. Looking into the lives and childhoods of both father and son, Memories of Another Day gives a close look into the perks—and costs—of power.
Robbins’ gift for combining popular fiction with the most pertinent subjects of the twentieth century allowed him to create a snapshot in time. In this novel, Robbins creates a magnificent epic portrait of fifty years of the bitter birth and tarnished maturity of American labor. Relevant, respectful, and engaging, Memories of Another Day proves once again why Harold Robbins’ books have sold more copies than almost any other American writer in history.