Language: English

BIO006000  –  Biography & Autobiography / Historical

BIO013000  –  Biography & Autobiography / Rich & Famous

Worldwide

The Zaharoff Dossier is based upon the fascinating life of Sir Basil Zaharoff, the early Twentieth Century international gun dealer once known throughout the world as the original Merchant of Death. Zaharoff is described as having been the most unethical, dishonest and ruthless businessman in all of Europe. Along with Krupp, Schneider and Skoda, he was responsible for arming opposing sides in dozens of conflicts including the scandalous European armaments race which led up to the First World War in which tens of millions lost their lives. A penniless Greek-Russian by birth, Zaharoff started out his colorful career as a crafty teenage pimp in a Turkish brothel then schemed his way through an astounding series of bold and daring acts marked by bribery, corruption and extraordinary ruthlessness into actually achieving great respectability as the powerful chairman of Vickers, the huge English armaments firm. At the height of his influence Zaharoff's spidery tentacles reached well beyond the international armaments industry into oil exploration and international banking. His chance encounter with a lovely Spanish duchess aboard the famed Orient Express led to their torrid romance and unexpected marriage. In time Zaharoff became the sole proprietor of the Monte Carlo Casino, luxurious ocean going yachts, grand country estates and luxurious mansions throughout Europe. Yet despite his well earned notoriety and intense criticism from high places including English Parliament and the United States Congress which accompanied Zaharoff nearly every step of the way all throughout his turbulent life he was knighted by Great Britain and received countless other honors and decorations from France, Russia and Germany. Unlike many of his rivals in the early Twentieth Century gun trade, Sir Basil Zaharoff, died of natural causes at a very old age in his Paris mansion.

Barth Jules Sussman

Over the past several decades Barth Jules Sussman has lived and worked as an author and screenwriter in London, Paris, Rome, Cannes, Hollywood, Ibiza and Florida. He is the author of such historical novels as Shanghai and The Crooked Cross (New American Library/Signet Books); the western thriller L'Homme au Boulet Rouge (editions Gallimard-Paris) - (title in Germany- Der Mann mit der roten Kugel); the screwball black comedy novel Save Me Cosmos Black; Muggy The Happy Pug children's picture book series (Hachette Jeunesse-Paris) as well as the Muggy CD-ROM coloring book (Muggy Press) which were created along with his late wife Jen Sussman. Barth Jules Sussman has written over a twenty original screenplays, including The Stranger & The Gunfighter (AKA Blood Money) starring Lee Van Cleef and Night Games directed by Roger Vadim; The Zaharoff Dossier; Charleston & Savannah. A number of Barth Jules Sussman's scripts have been either purchased or produced by Columbia Pictures;Avco-Embassy; Dino DeLaurentiis; Carlo Ponti; Sir Run Run Shaw and Raymond Chow amongst others.