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 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’ characters are compelling, his dialogue is dramatic, and his style is simple and straightforward." —The LA Times
In a raging sandstorm, two men with their pregnant wives fatefully meet in the desert: Samir Al Fay, a Muslim doctor whose son will be named heir to the Prince of Beirut; and Isaiah Ben Ezra, a grizzled Jewish militant Zionist heading to the Promised Land. The women give birth—Samir’s unconscious wife delivers a stillborn girl, Ben Ezra’s wife dies delivering a healthy boy. Transcending their differences, Ben Ezra gives his son to Samir. Only these two men know the truth of the boy’s origin, and Samir vows to raise him as his true son—naming him Badyr.
Years later, Badyr—now known as "The Pirate"—has become one of the wealthiest and most powerful Arabic entrepreneurs in the Middle East. Educated in the West, Badyr is more western than Arabic—but remains grounded in his perceived heritage and distrustful of Jews. The Pirate is seemingly invincible, and with his looks, charm, and unending supply of money, no woman can resist him. But two women have power over his fate: one a long-lost love, another obsessed with the search for her missing father.
However, it’s not just Badyr’s heart at risk. A web of political intrigue, corruption and terrorism threatens the business empire he worked to build, and he is drawn into a shadowy world of decadence, passion, and betrayal. Soon Badyr must decide whom he can trust, risking his life, family and fortune in that decision—and finds allies in the most unlikely of places, shocked by the reality he discovers.
From the author of The New York Times #1 best-seller The Carpetbaggers comes a compelling tale of decadence, luxury, greed, and international intrigue set against a backdrop of Middle East oil and global terrorism. The Pirate was later adapted into the star-studded CBS miniseries featuring Anne Archer, Eli Wallach, Christopher Lee, Ian McShane, Armand Assante and more.
From the author of The New York Times #1 best-selling novel The Carpetbaggers comes a novel exposing the money, fame, sex, politics and power that accompany being at the top of the entertainment industry.
Based on the real lives of network executives and other high-profile personalities in the early days when television first became a viable threat to the all-powerful business of the silver screen, The Inheritors is the first in Harold Robbins’ "Trilogy of Greed" and spent 21 weeks on The New York Times best sellers list.
Steve Gaunt, the rebellious visionary, is the head of a successful television empire, making him a hit in the ratings and with gorgeous women. Sam Benjamin, one of the last of the old motion picture tycoons, desperately wants to hold on to the power that has long been associated with the more "glamorous" part of the business—the movies. When the two combine forces, they have the potential to remake the entertainment industry—or be each other’s undoing. Will their friendship fall apart when their money is on the line, or will their partnership make them even more wealthy and powerful? Entertainment is a dirty business, built by ruthless mavericks. The only rule is that nothing is real in Hollywood.
