A lesson fro today
This is a wonderful book from a pre-WWII European author, Stefan Zweig who is little known today. He lived through great times of turmoil and this book is his witness to the cultural tectonic shifts between 1900 & 1940. He explains very clearly how the elegant and highly civilized Austrian culture was devastated overnight by economic & political turmoil. It is a must-read for today's times as a reminder that even the best societies can change overnight. In other words, don't take your society for granted!
A wonderful & tragic book. Zweig & his wife on the run from the Nazis committed suicide in 1942.