Marlene Dietrich and Leni Riefenstahl, born less than a year apart, lived so close to each other that Riefenstahl could see into Dietrich's Berlin flat. Coming of age in the Weimar Republic, both sought fame in Germany's silent film industry. While Dietrich's depiction of Lola Lola in The Blue Angel catapulted her to Hollywood stardom, Riefenstahl-who missed out on the part-insinuated herself into Hitler's inner circle and directed Nazi propaganda films, most famously, Triumph of the Will. Dietrich could never truly go home again, while Riefenstahl was contaminated by her political associations. Moving deftly between two stories never before told together, Karin Wieland contextualises these lives, chronicling revolutions in politics, fame and sexuality on a grand stage.

A splendid new translation of an extraordinary work of modern literature—featuring facing-page commentary by Kafka’s acclaimed biographer In 1917 and 1918, Franz Kafka wrote a set of more than 100 aphorisms, known as the Zürau aphorisms, after the Bohemian village in which he composed them. Among the most mysterious of Kafka’s writings, they explore philosophical questions about truth, good and evil, and the spiritual and sensory world. This is the first annotated, bilingual volume of these extraordinary writings, which provide great insight into Kafka’s mind. Edited, introduced, and with commentaries by preeminent Kafka biographer and authority Reiner Stach, and freshly translated by Shelley Frisch, this beautiful volume presents each aphorism on its own page in English and the original German, with accessible and enlightening notes on facing pages. The most complex of Kafka’s writings, the aphorisms merge literary and analytical thinking and are radical in their ideas, original in their images and metaphors, and exceptionally condensed in their language. Offering up Kafka’s characteristically unsettling charms, the aphorisms at times put readers in unfamiliar, even inhospitable territory, which can then turn luminous: “I have never been in this place before: breathing works differently, and a star shines next to the sun, more dazzlingly still.� Above all, this volume reveals that these multifaceted gems aren’t far removed from Kafka’s novels and stories but are instead situated squarely within his cosmos—arguably at its very core. Long neglected by Kafka readers and scholars, his aphorisms have finally been given their full due here.

From one of Germany's most beloved celebrities, a cross between Bill Bryson and Paulo Coelho.
It has sold over 3 million copies and been translated into eleven different languages. Pilgrims have increased along the Camino by 20 percent since the book was published. Hape Kerkeling's spiritual epiphany has struck a nerve.
Overweight, overworked, and physically unfit, Kerkeling was an unlikely candidate to make the arduous pilgrimage across the French Alps to the Spanish Shrine of St. James, a 1,200-year-old journey undertaken by nearly 100,000 people every year. But that didn't stop him from getting off the couch and walking. Along the way, lonely and searching for meaning, he began the journal that turned into this utterly frank, engaging book. Simply by struggling with his physical limitations and the rigors of long-distance walking, he discovered a deep sense of peace that transformed his life and allowed him to forgive himself, and others, more readily. He learned something every day, and he took to finishing each entry with his daily lessons.
Filled with quirky fellow pilgrims, historic landscapes, and Kerkeling's self-deprecating sense of humor, "I'm Off Then "is an inspiring travelogue, a publishing phenomenon, and a spiritual journey unlike any other.

How did Kafka become Kafka? This eagerly anticipated third and final volume of Reiner Stach's definitive biography of the writer answers that question with more facts and insight than ever before, describing the complex personal, political, and cultural circumstances that shaped the young Franz Kafka (1883-1924). It tells the story of the years from his birth in Prague to the beginning of his professional and literary career in 1910, taking the reader up to just before the breakthrough that resulted in his first masterpieces, including "The Metamorphosis." Brimming with vivid and often startling details, Stach's narrative invites readers deep inside this neglected period of Kafka's life. The book's richly atmospheric portrait of his German Jewish merchant family and his education, psychological development, and sexual maturation draws on numerous sources, some still unpublished, including family letters, schoolmates' memoirs, and early diaries of his close friend Max Brod. The biography also provides a colorful panorama of Kafka's wider world, especially the convoluted politics and culture of Prague. Before World War I, Kafka lived in a society at the threshold of modernity but torn by conflict, and Stach provides poignant details of how the adolescent Kafka witnessed violent outbreaks of anti-Semitism and nationalism. The reader also learns how he developed a passionate interest in new technologies, particularly movies and airplanes, and why another interest--his predilection for the back-to-nature movement--stemmed from his "nervous" surroundings rather than personal eccentricity. The crowning volume to a masterly biography, this is an unmatched account of how a boy who grew up in an old Central European monarchy became a writer who helped create modern literature.

A splendid new translation of an extraordinary work of modern literature-featuring facing-page commentary by Kafka's acclaimed biographer In 1917 and 1918, Franz Kafka wrote a set of more than 100 aphorisms, known as the Zurau aphorisms, after the Bohemian village in which he composed them. Among the most mysterious of Kafka's writings, they explore philosophical questions about truth, good and evil, and the spiritual and sensory world. This is the first annotated, bilingual volume of these extraordinary writings, which provide great insight into Kafka's mind. Edited, introduced, and with commentaries by preeminent Kafka biographer and authority Reiner Stach, and freshly translated by Shelley Frisch, this beautiful volume presents each aphorism on its own page in English and the original German, with accessible and enlightening notes on facing pages. The most complex of Kafka's writings, the aphorisms merge literary and analytical thinking and are radical in their ideas, original in their images and metaphors, and exceptionally condensed in their language. Offering up Kafka's characteristically unsettling charms, the aphorisms at times put readers in unfamiliar, even inhospitable territory, which can then turn luminous: "I have never been in this place before: breathing works differently, and a star shines next to the sun, more dazzlingly still." Above all, this volume reveals that these multifaceted gems aren't far removed from Kafka's novels and stories but are instead situated squarely within his cosmos-arguably at its very core. Long neglected by Kafka readers and scholars, his aphorisms have finally been given their full due here.

How did Kafka become Kafka? This eagerly anticipated third and final volume of Reiner Stach's definitive biography of the writer answers that question with more facts and insight than ever before, describing the complex personal, political, and cultural circumstances that shaped the young Franz Kafka (1883-1924). It tells the story of the years from his birth in Prague to the beginning of his professional and literary career in 1910, taking the reader up to just before the breakthrough that resulted in his first masterpieces, including "The Metamorphosis." Brimming with vivid and often startling details, Stach's narrative invites readers deep inside this neglected period of Kafka's life. The book's richly atmospheric portrait of his German Jewish merchant family and his education, psychological development, and sexual maturation draws on numerous sources, some still unpublished, including family letters, schoolmates' memoirs, and early diaries of his close friend Max Brod. The biography also provides a colorful panorama of Kafka's wider world, especially the convoluted politics and culture of Prague. Before World War I, Kafka lived in a society at the threshold of modernity but torn by conflict, and Stach provides poignant details of how the adolescent Kafka witnessed violent outbreaks of anti-Semitism and nationalism. The reader also learns how he developed a passionate interest in new technologies, particularly movies and airplanes, and why another interest--his predilection for the back-to-nature movement--stemmed from his "nervous" surroundings rather than personal eccentricity. The crowning volume to a masterly biography, this is an unmatched account of how a boy who grew up in an old Central European monarchy became a writer who helped create modern literature.

A Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year, chosen by Tom Stoppard "A revelation."-Marc Weingarten, Washington Post Acclaimed film director Billy Wilder's early writings-brilliantly translated into English for the first time Before Billy Wilder became the screenwriter and director of iconic films like Sunset Boulevard and Some Like It Hot, he worked as a freelance reporter, first in Vienna and then in Weimar Berlin. Billy Wilder on Assignment brings together more than fifty articles, translated into English for the first time, that Wilder (then known as "Billie") published in magazines and newspapers between September 1925 and November 1930. From a humorous account of Wilder's stint as a hired dancing companion in a posh Berlin hotel and his dispatches from the international film scene, to his astute profiles of writers, performers, and political figures, the collection offers fresh insights into the creative mind of one of Hollywood's most revered writer-directors. Wilder's early writings-a heady mix of cultural essays, interviews, and reviews-contain the same sparkling wit and intelligence as his later Hollywood screenplays, while also casting light into the dark corners of Vienna and Berlin between the wars. Wilder covered everything: big-city sensations, jazz performances, film and theater openings, dance, photography, and all manner of mass entertainment. And he wrote about the most colorful figures of the day, including Charlie Chaplin, Cornelius Vanderbilt, the Prince of Wales, actor Adolphe Menjou, director Erich von Stroheim, and the Tiller Girls dance troupe. Film historian Noah Isenberg's introduction and commentary place Wilder's pieces-brilliantly translated by Shelley Frisch-in historical and biographical context, and rare photos capture Wilder and his circle during these formative years. Filled with rich reportage and personal musings, Billy Wilder on Assignment showcases the burgeoning voice of a young journalist who would go on to become a great auteur.

This volume of Reiner Stach's acclaimed and definitive biography of Franz Kafka tells the story of the final years of the writer's life, from 1916 to 1924--a period during which the world Kafka had known came to an end. Stach's riveting narrative, which reflects the latest findings about Kafka's life and works, draws readers in with nearly cinematic precision, zooming in for extreme close-ups of Kafka's personal life, then pulling back for panoramic shots of a wider world blighted by World War I, disease, and inflation. In these years, Kafka was spared military service at the front, yet his work as a civil servant brought him into chilling proximity with its grim realities. He was witness to unspeakable misery, lost the financial security he had been counting on to lead the life of a writer, and remained captive for years in his hometown of Prague. The outbreak of tuberculosis and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire constituted a double shock for Kafka, and made him agonizingly aware of his increasing rootlessness. He began to pose broader existential questions, and his writing grew terser and more reflective, from the parable-like Country Doctor stories and A Hunger Artist to The Castle. A door seemed to open in the form of a passionate relationship with the Czech journalist Milena Jesenska. But the romance was unfulfilled and Kafka, an incurably ill German Jew with a Czech passport, continued to suffer. However, his predicament only sharpened his perceptiveness, and the final period of his life became the years of insight.

This is the acclaimed central volume of the definitive biography of Franz Kafka. Reiner Stach spent more than a decade working with over four thousand pages of journals, letters, and literary fragments, many never before available, to re-create the atmosphere in which Kafka lived and worked from 1910 to 1915, the most important and best-documented years of his life. This period, which would prove crucial to Kafka's writing and set the course for the rest of his life, saw him working with astonishing intensity on his most seminal writings--"The Trial," "The Metamorphosis," "The Man Who Disappeared" ("Amerika"), and "The Judgment." These are also the years of Kafka's fascination with Zionism; of his tumultuous engagement to Felice Bauer; and of the outbreak of World War I.

"Kafka: The Decisive Years" is at once an extraordinary portrait of the writer and a startlingly original contribution to the art of literary biography.

A Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year, chosen by Tom Stoppard "A revelation."-Marc Weingarten, Washington Post Acclaimed film director Billy Wilder's early writings-brilliantly translated into English for the first time Before Billy Wilder became the screenwriter and director of iconic films like Sunset Boulevard and Some Like It Hot, he worked as a freelance reporter, first in Vienna and then in Weimar Berlin. Billy Wilder on Assignment brings together more than fifty articles, translated into English for the first time, that Wilder (then known as "Billie") published in magazines and newspapers between September 1925 and November 1930. From a humorous account of Wilder's stint as a hired dancing companion in a posh Berlin hotel and his dispatches from the international film scene, to his astute profiles of writers, performers, and political figures, the collection offers fresh insights into the creative mind of one of Hollywood's most revered writer-directors. Wilder's early writings-a heady mix of cultural essays, interviews, and reviews-contain the same sparkling wit and intelligence as his later Hollywood screenplays, while also casting light into the dark corners of Vienna and Berlin between the wars. Wilder covered everything: big-city sensations, jazz performances, film and theater openings, dance, photography, and all manner of mass entertainment. And he wrote about the most colorful figures of the day, including Charlie Chaplin, Cornelius Vanderbilt, the Prince of Wales, actor Adolphe Menjou, director Erich von Stroheim, and the Tiller Girls dance troupe. Film historian Noah Isenberg's introduction and commentary place Wilder's pieces-brilliantly translated by Shelley Frisch-in historical and biographical context, and rare photos capture Wilder and his circle during these formative years. Filled with rich reportage and personal musings, Billy Wilder on Assignment showcases the burgeoning voice of a young journalist who would go on to become a great auteur.

A seminal biography, essential reading for anyone studying the philosophy of history's most enigmatic and fascinating thinker

No other modern philosopher has proved as influential as Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) and none is as poorly understood. In the first new biography in decades, Rüdiger Safranski, one of the foremost living Nietzsche scholars, re-creates the anguished life of Nietzsche while simultaneously assessing the philosophical implications of his morality, religion, and art. Struggling to break away from the oppressive burdens of the past, Nietzsche invented a unique philosophy based on compulsive self-consciousness and constant self-revision. As groundbreaking as it will be long-lasting, this biography offers a brilliant, multifaceted portrait of a towering figure.

Hercules is a dachshund puppy with the very highest standards. In his opinion, the perfect woman has an excellent pedigree, owns a nice big sofa for naps and will give away half her dinner at a flash of his big brown eyes. That's what he loves about his owner, Caroline. There's just one problem: Caroline has terrible taste in men. Hercules managed to get rid of her last boyfriend, but now she's miserable... which means Hercules is miserable too. Luckily, Hercules has a faultless plan to find Caroline the perfect man - someone who adores her as much as he does. But when he brings home a delicious smelling stranger he found snoozing on a park bench, Caroline is not impressed. Perhaps she would be happier with someone she already knows - like her dog-loving best friend Daniel? Once again, it's all up to Hercules. But as his elaborate schemes start to unravel, even he has to admit the human heart is more complicated than he'd thought. Maybe true love is never a walk in the park...

This study of eunuchs guides readers as they travel through various lands and periods, familiarizing themselves with the duties and responsibilities, the unspeakable torments and the passions and joys of these individuals. Eunuchs were not simply ""bedchamber attendants"", as the Greek term suggests. Nor were they always slaves. They could just as well be ascetics, priests, magicians, scholars, physicians, military commanders, admirals or senior officials at the courts of both eastern and western rulers. In the Byzantine empire, the only office they were precluded from attaining was that of emperor. The rich and varied forms of religious, social and sexual life associated with eunuchs and castrati embrace a wealth of myths relating to gods and demons, initiation rites, rituals and magic. They touch on the history of law and medicine, various systems of government, and secret societies. And they are presented to us in terms of the cruellest punishments and tortures. On the one hand, they facilitated unique developments in the evolution of vocal music, and on the other, they gave rise to a multiplicity of human behavioural patterns that reflect every aspect of good and evil. Readers should become acquainted with various forms of sexuality, such as androgyny, transvestism, transsexualism and homosexuality, and learn about the historical, religious and social issues associated with their characteristic ""life settings"". Whether out of a sense of shame or because of moral considerations, these phenomena appear only on the margins of the history of customs and mores.

An exploration of African-American freedom fighters in Jamaica, presenting a history of resistance instead of a history of domination. The context of marronage is carefully established: the plantation system as an economic and ideological machine fuelled by the abuse of black working power.

In a concise and colourful style, Saraiya Faroqui lays out the history of one of the most powerful empires of the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern era. At its height, the Ottoman Empire spread over three continents and matched the size of the Roman Empire, covering the territories of modern day Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and parts of Greece.This text traces the political history of the Ottomans from the 14th century to the dissolution of the empires after WWI, and it employs a balanced approach that encompasses economic, social, and cultural history. The result is a unique, colourful picture of the Ottoman empire that depicts soldiers such as Mehmed II the Conqueror and the janissary corps; the wars with Persia, Russia and Venice; court life in Istanbul, including patronage of the arts; the role of the sultan as defender of Sunni Islam; the tax system; agriculture and trade; life in the cities and the country; the relationship between Europe and the Ottoman Empire; the rise of nationalism; and upheaval during the 19th century.

Hercules is a dachshund, and his new mistress Caroline is the greatest human being on earth. She's the one who rescued him from the animal shelter, who smells of summer and strawberries, and who laughs when the little pup snuggles up with her on the sofa. So when Caroline is badly treated by her bossy, dog-hating boyfriend, Hercules decides it's high time he rescued his mistress for a change. And so begins an epic quest to find his favourite woman the perfect man. Touching, original, and very funny, Puppy Love is a story about love, life, and the best friend a girl could ever have.

This study of eunuchs guides readers as they travel through various lands and periods, familiarizing themselves with the duties and responsibilities, the unspeakable torments and the passions and joys of these individuals. Eunuchs were not simply ""bedchamber attendants"", as the Greek term suggests. Nor were they always slaves. They could just as well be ascetics, priests, magicians, scholars, physicians, military commanders, admirals or senior officials at the courts of both eastern and western rulers. In the Byzantine empire, the only office they were precluded from attaining was that of emperor. The rich and varied forms of religious, social and sexual life associated with eunuchs and castrati embrace a wealth of myths relating to gods and demons, initiation rites, rituals and magic. They touch on the history of law and medicine, various systems of government, and secret societies. And they are presented to us in terms of the cruellest punishments and tortures. On the one hand, they facilitated unique developments in the evolution of vocal music, and on the other, they gave rise to a multiplicity of human behavioural patterns that reflect every aspect of good and evil. Readers should become acquainted with various forms of sexuality, such as androgyny, transvestism, transsexualism and homosexuality, and learn about the historical, religious and social issues associated with their characteristic ""life settings"". Whether out of a sense of shame or because of moral considerations, these phenomena appear only on the margins of the history of customs and mores.

This book explores the origins of Zionism within Jewish tradition, the variety of Zionist ideologies, and the political circumstances that fostered this movement. Jewish immigration to Palestine, shifting British policies, Arab reactions to Jewish settlements, and the impact of the Holocaust are among the book's central topics. A final chapter summarises the major problems and achievements of the Jewish state, and examines possible directions for its post-Zionist future.

Revered today as perhaps the greatest of Renaissance painters, Leonardo da Vinci was a scientist at heart. The artist who created the Mona Lisa also designed functioning robots and digital computers, constructed flying machines, and built the first heart valve. His intuitive, ingenious approach,a new mode of thinking,linked highly diverse areas of inquiry in startlingly original ways, ushering in a whole new era. In Leonardo's Legacy , award-winning science journalist Stefan Klein provides an illuminating new look at Leonardo's unique genius" ( Publishers Weekly ), which delves into the brilliant, complex mind of this quintessential Renaissance man.

In a concise and colourful style, Saraiya Faroqui lays out the history of one of the most powerful empires of the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern era. At its height, the Ottoman Empire spread over three continents and matched the size of the Roman Empire, covering the territories of modern day Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and parts of Greece.This text traces the political history of the Ottomans from the 14th century to the dissolution of the empires after WWI, and it employs a balanced approach that encompasses economic, social, and cultural history. The result is a unique, colourful picture of the Ottoman empire that depicts soldiers such as Mehmed II the Conqueror and the janissary corps; the wars with Persia, Russia and Venice; court life in Istanbul, including patronage of the arts; the role of the sultan as defender of Sunni Islam; the tax system; agriculture and trade; life in the cities and the country; the relationship between Europe and the Ottoman Empire; the rise of nationalism; and upheaval during the 19th century.

One hundred and fifty years after its first publication, this thrilling document remains one of the most important sources for the study of 19th-century Cuba and especially of slavery in the Caribbean. Cubans celebrate Humboldt as the second ""discoverer"" of the island, after Columbus, and the publication history of this book is a mirror of Cuba's history. It was translated into several languages and two editions stood out: The Spanish version was banned in colonial Cuba and the American copy created a diplomatic incident. The translator, J.S. Thrasher, called openly for the American annexation of Cuba. He also deleted a chapter in which Humboldt condemned slavery in order to please the pro-slavery party. This new edition includes an English translation of the missing chapter on slavery, the letter by Humboldt complaining about the censorship and Thrasher's answer, which were both published in the New York Daily Times, and Humboldt's controversial preface. Luis Fernandez Martinez analysizes the publication history of Humboldt's Cuba work, including a politically-motivated edition published under Fidel Castro, and emphasizes the Cuban point of view on Humboldt for the last 180 years.

An exploration of African-American freedom fighters in Jamaica, presenting a history of resistance instead of a history of domination. The context of marronage is carefully established: the plantation system as an economic and ideological machine fuelled by the abuse of black working power.

One hundred and fifty years after its first publication, this thrilling document remains one of the most important sources for the study of 19th-century Cuba and especially of slavery in the Caribbean. Cubans celebrate Humboldt as the second ""discoverer"" of the island, after Columbus, and the publication history of this book is a mirror of Cuba's history. It was translated into several languages and two editions stood out: The Spanish version was banned in colonial Cuba and the American copy created a diplomatic incident. The translator, J.S. Thrasher, called openly for the American annexation of Cuba. He also deleted a chapter in which Humboldt condemned slavery in order to please the pro-slavery party. This new edition includes an English translation of the missing chapter on slavery, the letter by Humboldt complaining about the censorship and Thrasher's answer, which were both published in the New York Daily Times, and Humboldt's controversial preface. Luis Fernandez Martinez analysizes the publication history of Humboldt's Cuba work, including a politically-motivated edition published under Fidel Castro, and emphasizes the Cuban point of view on Humboldt for the last 180 years.