▁Mor r ison ), ▁numerous ▁Pul itzer ▁Prize , ▁Book er ▁Prize ▁and ▁National ▁Book ▁Award ▁w inners , ▁and ▁continued ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁publishing ▁important ▁French , ▁German , ▁Italian , ▁Spanish , ▁Sc and in av ian , ▁South ▁American , ▁African , ▁Asian ▁writers ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁work ▁by ▁such ▁contemporary ▁leaders ▁as ▁U . S . ▁pres idents ▁George ▁H . ▁W . ▁Bush ▁and ▁Bill ▁Cl inton , ▁UK ▁Prime ▁Minister s ▁Margaret ▁Th atch er ▁and ▁Tony ▁Bla ir , ▁and ▁Pope ▁John ▁Paul ▁II . ▁Me ht a ' s ▁ten ure ▁at ▁Kn opf ▁featured ▁new ▁transl ations ▁of ▁Tol sto y , ▁Thomas ▁Mann , ▁Robert ▁Mus il , ▁and ▁Albert ▁Cam us ; ▁best s ellers ▁included ▁Ken ▁Burn s ' s ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Michael ▁Cr icht on ' s ▁Jur ass ic ▁Park , ▁St ieg ▁Lar sson ' s ▁Girl ▁with ▁the ▁Dragon ▁T atto o ▁tr il ogy , ▁James ▁Ell roy ' s ▁crime ▁fiction , ▁and ▁the ▁Fif ty ▁Sh ades ▁tr il ogy . ▁Me ht a ▁recognized ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁genre ▁of ▁graph ic ▁nov els , ▁publishing ▁prize - win ning ▁titles ▁M aus ▁and ▁Per se pol is . ▁ ▁Although ▁Alfred ▁A . ▁Kn opf ▁has ▁been ▁publishing ▁books ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁hundred ▁years , ▁Me ht a ▁was ▁only ▁the ▁third ▁editor - in - ch ief . ▁He ▁told ▁Van ity ▁Fair : ▁"