Books › Zeit der Zauberer
Zeit der Zauberer
Das große Jahrzehnt der Philosophie 1919–1929
432 pages
A stylish, intellectually charged narrative that weaves together the turbulent lives and groundbreaking ideas of four philosophical giants between two world wars.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a grand, intellectually charged theater set between the ruins of one world war and the looming shadow of another. The narrative unfolds with a steady, stylish momentum, weaving the turbulent personal lives of four philosophical giants into a cohesive drama of the mind. It is a deeply atmospheric experience, steeped in the historical anxiety of 1920s Germany, yet crackling with the electric energy of profound intellectual discovery. The prose is elegant and narrative-driven, transforming abstract philosophical pursuits into gripping biographical stakes. It will delight readers who crave immersive, character-driven histories that explore how monumental ideas are forged in the crucible of personal struggle and global upheaval.
- Mood
- turbulent
- intellectually charged
- shadowed by war
- Tone
- intellectual
- dramatic
- stylish
- serious
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- the life of the mind · historical turbulence · intersecting destinies · intellectual awakening
- The writing
- Stylish and narrative-driven, weaving complex philosophical ideas into a grand, biographical drama.
- The arc
- Moves from the fresh horror and uncertainty of a post-war world into a period of intense intellectual fervor, shadowed by the looming dread of another global conflict.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love narrative history and intellectual biographies that explore how profound ideas are born from personal and historical turmoil.
Content notes
- war themes
- looming global conflict
- financial instability
About the book
"A grand narrative of the intertwining lives of Walter Benjamin, Martin Heidegger, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and Ernst Cassirer, major philosophers whose ideas shaped the twentieth century The year is 1919. The horror of the First World War is still fresh for the protagonists of Time of the Magicians, each of whom finds himself at a crucial juncture. Benjamin, whose life is characterized by false starts and unfinished projects, is trying to flee his overbearing father and floundering in his academic career, living hand to mouth as a jobbing critic. Wittgenstein, by contrast, has dramatically decided to divest himself of the monumental fortune he stands to inherit, as a scion of one of the biggest industrial families in Europe, in order to commit himself unswervingly to a life of the mind. Meanwhile, Heidegger, having managed to avoid combat in war by serving instead as a meteorologist, is carefully cultivating his career, aligning himself with the great Edmund Husserl, and renouncing his prior Catholic associations. Finally, Cassirer is working furiously on the margins of academia, applying himself intensely to his writing and the possibility of a career at Hamburg University. The stage is set for a great intellectual drama, which will unfold across the next decade. The lives and ideas of this great philosophical quartet will converge as they become world historical figures. But as the Second World War looms on the horizon, their fates will be very different. Wolfram Eilenberger, internationally-bestselling author, stylishly traces the paths of these remarkable and turbulent lives, which feature not only philosophy but some of the most important economists, politicians, journalists, and artists of the century, including John Maynard Keynes, Hannah Arendt, and Bertrand Russell. In doing so, he tells a gripping story about some of history's most ambitious and passionate thinkers, as well as illuminating with rare clarity and economy their brilliant ideas, which all too often have been regarded as enigmatic or opaque"--
Description from Open Library.
Books like Zeit der Zauberer
See why they match
Ludwig WittgensteinRay MonkA deeply humanizing portrait of a tortured mind that makes complex philosophy feel like an urgent matter of the soul.
The worldly philosophersRobert L. HeilbronerA sweeping, character-driven journey through the eccentric and brilliant minds that built the modern economic world.
At the Existentialist CaféSarah BakewellPull up a chair at a bustling Parisian café and eavesdrop on the brilliant, messy minds who defined modern freedom.
HelgolandCarlo RovelliA dizzying, poetic plunge into the quantum realm that will leave you questioning the very fabric of reality.
Faust in CopenhagenGino SegreAn intellectually charged glimpse into a fleeting moment of scientific camaraderie just before the world and physics lost their innocence.
Sein und ZeitMartin HeideggerA dense, paradigm-shifting descent into the very fabric of existence that demands you unlearn everything you thought you knew about reality.