Ryszard Kapuscinski

He studied History at the University of Warsaw and took a Master's degree in Humanities. As of 1959 he devoted himself to journalism as a war correspondent of the Polish Press Agency, where he worked until 1981. He has covered 17 revolutions in 12 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He is a permanent contributor to The New York Times, Times and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. He speaks six languages: Russian, Polish, English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

He is the author of 20 books published in over 20 languages, with sales of over one million copies, including The Emperor and Shah of Shahs, which have earned him great international prestige. The following have been published in English: Shah of Shas (1987), The Emperor (1989), The Soccer War (1998), Imperium (1994) and The Shadow of the Sun (2002).