{"product_id":"civilizations-9781250858870","title":"Civilizations","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn ambitious and highly entertaining novel of revisionist history from the author of the international bestseller \u003ci\u003eHHhH\u003c\/i\u003e, Laurent Binet's \u003ci\u003eCivilizations\u003c\/i\u003e is nothing less than a strangely believable counterfactual history of the modern world, fizzing with ideas about colonization, empire building, and the eternal human quest for domination. It is an electrifying novel by one of Europe's most exciting writers.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eC. 1000 CE: Erik the Red's daughter heads south from Greenland\u003cbr\u003e1492: Columbus does not discover America\u003cbr\u003e1531: The Incas invade Europe\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFreydis is the leader of a band of Viking warriors who get as far as Panama. Nobody knows what became of them . . . \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFive hundred years later, Christopher Columbus is sailing for the Americas, dreaming of gold and conquest. Even after he is captured by the Taínos, his faith in his superiority and his mission is unshaken. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThirty-nine years after that, Atahualpa, the last Inca emperor, arrives in Europe. What does he find? The Spanish Inquisition, the Reformation, capitalism, the miracle of the printing press, endless warmongering between the ruling monarchies, and constant threat from the Turks. But most of all, downtrodden populations ready for revolution. Fortunately, he has a recent guidebook to acquiring power--Machiavelli's \u003ci\u003eThe Prince\u003c\/i\u003e. It turns out he is very good at it. So, the stage is set for a Europe ruled by Incas and for a great war that will change history forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLaurent Binet\u003c\/b\u003e lives and works in France. His first novel, \u003ci\u003eHHhH\u003c\/i\u003e, was an international bestseller that won the prestigious Prix Goncourt du premier roman, among other prizes. His second novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Seventh Function of Language\u003c\/i\u003e, won the Prix du Roman Fnac and the Prix Interalli?. \u003ci\u003eCivilizations\u003c\/i\u003e is a bestseller and won the Grand Prix du roman de l'Acad?mie fran?aise. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eSam Taylor\u003c\/b\u003e is an award-winning literary translator and novelist. His four novels have been translated into ten languages, and he has translated more than sixty books from the French, including Laurent Binet's \u003ci\u003eHHhH\u003c\/i\u003e and Leila Slimani's \u003ci\u003eThe Perfect Nanny\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Picador USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50727035273490,"sku":"9781250858870","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_f684c8b0-1b81-4793-b091-545027dfd2dc.jpg?v=1737253220","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/civilizations-9781250858870","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}