The Wittgenstein family was one of the richest, most talented and most eccentric in European history. Karl Wittgenstein, who ran away from home as a wayward and rebellious youth, returned to his native Vienna to make a fortune in the iron and steel industries. He bought factories and paintings and palaces, but the domineering and overbearing influence he exerted over his eight children resulted in a generation of siblings fraught by inner antagonisms and nervous tension. Three of his sons committed suicide; Paul, the fourth ...
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The Wittgenstein family was one of the richest, most talented and most eccentric in European history. Karl Wittgenstein, who ran away from home as a wayward and rebellious youth, returned to his native Vienna to make a fortune in the iron and steel industries. He bought factories and paintings and palaces, but the domineering and overbearing influence he exerted over his eight children resulted in a generation of siblings fraught by inner antagonisms and nervous tension. Three of his sons committed suicide; Paul, the fourth, became a world-famous concert pianist (using only his left hand), while Ludwig, the youngest, is now regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century.In this dramatic historical and psychological epic, Alexander Waugh traces the triumphs and vicissitudes of a family held together by a fanatical love of music yet torn apart by money, madness, conflicts of loyalty and the cataclysmic upheaval of two world wars. Through the bleak despair of a Siberian prison camp to the terror of a Gestapo interrogation room, one courageous and unlikely hero emerges from the rubble of the house of Wittgenstein in the figure of Paul, an extraordinary testament to the indomitable spirit of human survival.
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PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
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New. 2009. Paperback. The true story of a one-handed pianist and the fall of his aristocratic family Num Pages: 384 pages. BIC Classification: 1DFA; 3JJ; BGH. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 198 x 130 x 26. Weight in Grams: 342. A Family At War. 384 pages. The true story of a one-handed pianist and the fall of his aristocratic family. Cateogry: (G) General (US: Trade). BIC Classification: 1DFA; 3JJ; BGH. Dimension: 198 x 130 x 26. Weight: 290......We ship daily from our Bookshop.
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Very Good in Very Good jacket. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall Copy in black cloth on boards in unclipped D/J. "SIGNED BY AUTHOR ON TITLE PAGE." Clean text with b/w plates.
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Fine. 384 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
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Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 368 p. Contains: Illustrations, black & white. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
This is one of the most intriguing biographies I've ever read. The Wittgensteins were an extraordinary family - eccentric, artistic, neurotic, tragic - who both shaped and reflected the history of late 19th/early 20th century Viennese history.
The book is beautifully written, filled with insightful analysis, and colored by a wealth of personal and professional anecdotes about the individual family members. It explores the dynamic between their many conflicting personalities, as well as broadening their stories to include their interaction with the luminaries of their day: Scientists, musicians, painters, industrialists, politicians - the list is a veritable who's who of that period.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in turn-of-the-century Europe, whether from a political or cultural standpoint, but also to anyone who's drawn to family history and conflict.
