Born inNew York City in 1949, as Adam Stefan Zamoyski, the youngest son of CountStefan Zamoyski (1904–1976), member of theZamoyski family and his wife, Princess ElizabethCzartoryska (1905–1989), who left their homeland when it was invaded byGermany in 1939. When the Soviets took power at the end ofWorld War II, they found themselves stranded in the West, eventually settling in London.[2]
Zamoyski has dual Polish-British nationality. He was brought up inEngland and educated at St Philip's Preparatory School,Downside School,The Queen's College, Oxford, where he read History and Modern Languages (BA Hons. 1970, MA Hons 1974).
Zamoyski lives in London with his wife, the painter Emma Sergeant. He has a second home in Poland.[3]
Zamoyski is a historian and author of numerous books including a history of Poland,The Polish Way, andMoscow 1812: Napoleon's Fatal March, an account ofNapoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812. His biography ofFrédéric Chopin,Chopin. Prince of the Romantics, was serialised as the 'Book of the Week' onBBC Radio 4 in 2012.[4] His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.[5][2]
