Before you is the work of life of the ancient Roman historian Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (ca. 70 AD – ca. 126 AD). He wrote it when being the secretary of the emperor Hadrian. The book is a collection of biographies of Julius Caesar and the eleven first Roman princeps – from Augustus to Domitian. Instead of listing military campaigns or government reforms of emperors, which is common for this genre, Suetonius collected anecdotes from the life of the rulers, described their appearance, habits, details of their personal life. And although the first pages of the book are irretrievably lost, and the biographies do not follow the chronology, the work became significant for the world history. It is this work that is the primary source and an inspiration behind a greater part of famous stories and plots: about Caligula’s horse, the actor’s exercises of Nero, Vespasian’s expression “money does not smell” and many others.

First published in the early 20th century, the book retains its uniqueness a century on. Its author, the famous Russian lawyer Pyotr Porokhovshchikov (1867 – 1954), had his works published under the pen-name P. Sergeich. He was the author of a plethora of works on judicial eloquence and criminal defence, it was he who translated Hints on Advocacy  by Richard Harris. But The Art of Arguments in Court is his main work. A barrister, and, incidentally, any lawyer in general, becomes an orator in court. And the book teaches accuracy and simplicity of speech and eloquence, rhetoric expression and the ways to look for truth. Its content is rich in observations and examples, and the design will satisfy any esthete.

A mysterious, mystical, written with the author’s distinctive humour, the parody-Gothic novel The Devil’s Elixirs written ca. 1815-1816, is a literary masterpiece of Ernst Theodore Amadeus Hoffmann (1776 – 1822). There is a deep insight into the human subconscious hidden in its plot. With this book, Hoffmann introduced the topic of dualism in the world literature and laid the foundation for the Renaissance mythology. The novel had influenced the work of Stendhal, Balzac, Dostoevsky, Merezhkovsky, Freud and many other great writers. The book will give great pleasure to a thoughtful reader who appreciates works in the spirit of romanticism.

One can say that the famous religious philosopher and national thinker of the 20th century, Ivan Ilyin (1883 – 1954), wrote a textbook of Russian life. And it is the name of the collection of his selected articles “About Russia”, with the feeling of love for the motherland and faith in its great future common to all of them. In the articles, the writer takes a look at the past of the country, discusses the structure of the state, its cultural and spiritual aspects, refers to the history of the revolution of 1917 and seeks its origins. The presented materials help to get a better insight into Russia’s problems and understand its historical paths. In a luxurious leather binding, the book will be a jewel for a well-versed bibliophile’s collection.

The master of a magical and satirical fairy tale of the 18th century, Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776 – 1822) was the author of many outstanding literary works, and The Royal Bride is one of the most characteristic of them. The mystical plot is ironic and intricate, but behind it lies a meamingful moral: it does not matter which horse the prince mounts. What matters is who rides the horse. It may be that the real prince will appear in the image of a gnome. And therefore one should not strive for easy money: the intricacies of fate are much more complex than we think. A beautiful piece in a beautiful mounting of the gift edition will delight any collector.

This legendary work by Generalissimo of the Russian Army Alexander Suvorov  (1730 – 1800), written in 1795 after the suppression of the Polish revolt, comprises the commander’s invaluable warfare considerations and instructions. In his commander’s carrier, Alexander Suvorov didn’t lose a day, time an again he zapped the outnumbered hostile armies. He is well-known for his caring for soldiers, including his participation in development of the new hard wearing uniform. The edition includes several parts (Watch Parade and Talking to Soldiers in Their Language), and is believed to be a literary monument of the Russian military thought. In this book, which was used to educate several generations of commanders, Suvorov explained his views on soldier training and tactics. This book doesn’t just reveal the strategic secrets – it also touches on ethic aspects of the war, starting with unneeded murders and ending with the call for taking care of ordinary people.

The monograph Hints on Advocacy is the first European practical textbook in the field of legal proceedings. In it, the nineteenth-century English attorney practitioner Richard Harris gathered a whole set of rules for successful conducting civil and criminal cases with practical instructions, case examples and recommendations on the art of defense in court. A brilliant lawyer with colossal experience, he speaks about all the stages of proceedings, psychological types of the interrogated and unusual cases. Even after two centuries, the book remains an invaluable guide for practicing lawyers and an adornment of the judicial literature in the lawyer’s library, for whom it will be the best gift.

“It is time that the national idea started to pursuit economics beyond Russia and foul the native ground with invasive replanting; it is high time that we came back home and came to know all the power of our people, in the absence of true connection with which economic arrangements will never become coordinated with the needs of our people,” the author writes. A brilliant businessman and patron of 60 to 70s of the 19^th century, Vasily Kokorev (1817 – 1889) always surprised his contemporaries with his original mind and large-scale schemes. His most important work concludes his reasoning about traditionalism, the national spirit, patriotism, and the appeal for abandoning bureaucracy and copying of the West and turning to the pursuit of our own economic basics.