Laurent Binet Books

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Two men have been enlisted to kill the head of the Gestapo. This is Operation Anthropoid, Prague, 1942- two Czechoslovakian parachutists sent on a daring mission by London to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich - chief of the Nazi secret services, 'the hangman of Prague', 'the blond beast', 'the most dangerous man in the Third Reich'. His boss is Heinrich Himmler but everyone in the SS says 'Himmler's brain is called Heydrich', which in German spells HHhH. HHhH is a panorama of the Third Reich told through the life of one outstandingly brutal man, a story of unbearable heroism and loyalty, revenge and betrayal. It is a moving and shattering work of fiction. Laurent Binet's highly anticipated new novel, The Seventh Function of Language, is available for pre-order now...

'One of the funniest, most riotously inventive and enjoyable novels you'll read this year' - Observer`The most outrageously entertaining novel of the year... A joy' - Philip HensherRoland Barthes is knocked down in a Paris street by a laundry van.

An ambitious and highly entertaining novel of revisionist history from the author of the international bestseller HHhH, Laurent Binet’s Civilizations 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. C. 1000 CE: Erik the Red’s daughter heads south from Greenland 1492: Columbus does not discover America 1531: The Incas invade Europe Freydis is the leader of a band of Viking warriors who get as far as Panama. Nobody knows what became of them . . . Five 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. Thirty-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 The Prince. 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.

Set in Florence during the early morning of New Year's Day 1557, the story unfolds with the shocking discovery of a painter murdered in a church. As the investigation begins, the narrative delves into the intrigue of Renaissance art, the complexities of human relationships, and the dark secrets that lie beneath the surface of a vibrant city. The unfolding mystery reveals the interplay between creativity and jealousy, painting a vivid picture of the era's cultural landscape.