Paulo Coelho: A Warriors Life The Authorized Biography

(Paperback)

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Fernando Morais, provides an exhaustive look at Paulo Coelho's fascinating and varied life, taking several years to research his subject. Paulo Coelho was born in Rio de Janeiro, in August 1947. As a teenager, he was subjected to the brutality of electric shock treatment in the psychiatric hospital where his parents, who took his rebelliousness as a sign of madness, interned him three times. As a member of the esoteric underworld, he was put in prison for alleged subversive activities against the Brazilian dictatorship and subjected to physical torture. Later, Paulo joined forces with rock star Raul Seixas and together they composed songs that revolutionised Brazilian rock music. Hippie, journalist, rock star, actor, playwright, theatre director and producer of television programmes, this whirlwind life came to an end in 1982, during a trip to Europe. In Dachau and later in Amsterdam, Paulo had a mystical meeting with 'J', his new mentor, who persuaded him to walk the Road to Santiago de Compostela, a medieval pilgrim's route between France and Spain. In 1986, Paulo walked the Road to Santiago, and it was there that he reconverted to Christianity and found again the faith bequeathed to him by the Jesuit fathers of his school years. He would later describe this experience in his first book, The Pilgrimage. The following year, The Alchemist established his worldwide reputation. The novel has already achieved the status of a universally admired modern classic. Now, for the first time, discover the story of the man behind some of the world's most loved books.

Author Bio

Paulo Coelho was born in Brazil and has become one of the most widely read and loved authors in the world. Especially renowned for THE ALCHEMIST and ELEVEN MINUTES, he has sold more than 100 million books worldwide and has been translated into 68 languages. The recipient of numerous prestigious international awards, amongst them the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum and France's Legion d'Honneur, Paulo Coelho was inducted into the Brazilian Academy of Letters in 2002. He writes a weekly column syndicated throughout the world.