Stefan Zweig

Austrian writer Stefan Zweig's final work, posted to his publisher the day before his tragic death, brings the destruction of a war-torn Europe vividly to life. Written as both a recollection of the past and a warning for future generations, The World of Yesterday recalls the golden age of literary Vienna; its seeming permanence, its promise, and its devastating fall....

Stefan Zweig's most famous novel, reissued with a new jacket and title. 'I can't take any more of your revolting merciful kindness!' Who would have thought that the great military hero Captain Hofmiller - that living monument to his own courage - would have anything burdening his soul? But when he reveals his story, it is not one of bravery...

Set aboard an ocean liner bound for Buenos Aires, Stefan Zweig's The Royal Game: A Chess Story delves into the eerie interplay of intellect and obsession. The novel introduces us to Mirko Czentovic, the reigning chess world champion, who compensates for his peculiar dullness in all but chess by effortlessly defeating any passenger daring enough to challenge him. His victories,...

Introducing Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. A group of passengers on a cruise ship challenge the world chess champion to a match. At first, they crumble, until they are helped by whispered advice from a stranger in the crowd – a man...

From the moment of her birth to her death on the scaffold, Mary Stuart spent her life embroiled in power struggles that shook the foundations of Renaissance Europe. Revered by some as the rightful Queen of England, reviled by others as a murderous adulteress, her long and fascinating rivalry with her cousin Elizabeth I led ultimately to her downfall. Zweig,...

Stefan Zweig based his biography of Marie Antoinette, who became the Queen of France at the age of fifteen, on the correspondence between her and her mother, and her great love, the Count Axel von Fersen. Zweig analyses the chemistry of a woman's soul from her intimate pleasures to her public suffering as a Queen under the weight of misfortune...

Six newly translated stories from the bestselling Austrian author. 'One of the masters of the short story' Guardian These six stories of obsession, secrets, delusions and desires from one of the greatest European writers show individuals caught up in forces beyond their control — whether an art dealer agreeing to a heartbreaking deception, a soldier destroyed by war, a servant...

90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books My delight in playing turned to a lust for playing, my lust for playing into a compulsion to play, a mania, a frenetic fury that filled not only my waking hours but also came to invade my sleep. I could think of nothing but chess, I thought only in chess moves...

Stefan Zweig's classic novella of obsession, madness and chess. In 1941, a cruise ship is heading to Buenos Aires, and on board, a group of eager passengers challenge the reigning world chess champion to a match. At first, they lose pitifully, until a kind stranger aids them by whispering instructions. He is a masterful chess player, and as they play,...

In this vivid biography, Stefan Zweig eschews traditional academic discussion and focuses on Nietzsche's habits, passions, and obsessions. Concentrating on the man rather than the work, on the tragedy of his existence and his apartness from the world in which he moved in enforced isolation, Zweig draws the reader inexorably into Nietzsche's tragic life. Nietzsche is illustrated with numerous photographs...

This collection from one of the great writers of Europe's Jewish diaspora shows the heat of individual passions blazing out against the levelling forces of history. In stories that move back through time from the First World War to Ancient Rome, we encounter heroes and bookworms, visionaries and gadabouts, patriarchs and rebel children—all tied together across the centuries by their...

The night does not belong to us. She harbours her own mysteries. Nocturnos delves into the ethereal world of the night, when the mundane vibes of the day cede to a mysterious atmosphere in which anything seems possible. In the twilight hours, the darkness feels vast and untameable, the dead can intrude upon the land of the living, and the...

The only novel written by one of the most popular writers of the twentieth century. Zweig's fictional masterpiece - The Guardian 'An intoxicating, morally shaking read... A real reminder of what fiction can do best' - Ali Smith 'It's just a masterpiece. When I read it I thought, how is it that I don't already know about this?' - Wes...

'One hardly knows where to begin in praising Zweig's work' - Ali Smith 'The Updike of his day... Zweig is a lucid writer, and Bell renders his prose flawlessly' - New York Observer Perfectly paced and brimming with passion - twenty-two tales from a master storyteller of the twentieth century In this indispensable collection of short stories, Stefan Zweig captures...

"I found it terrible, yet at the same time touching, for in all the years of the war I had not seen so perfect and pure an expression of bliss on any German face." An ostensibly whimsical story about the adventures of a Berlin art dealer, Stefan Zweig's The Invisible Collection is a powerful evocation of the condition of Germany...

Stefan Zweig's Montaigne delves into the influential life of Michel de Montaigne, a French Renaissance philosopher known for his profound works, particularly Essais. Zweig traces Montaigne's quest for self-knowledge and understanding of human nature, weaving his narrative through the backdrop of a turbulent Europe. The book not only explores Montaigne's philosophical musings but also reflects on his daily life, friendships,...

"I had never heard of Zweig until six or seven years ago, as all the books began to come back into print, and I more or less by chance bought a copy of Beware of Pity. I immediately loved this book, his one, big, great novel—and suddenly there were dozens more in front of me waiting to read." - Wes...

The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) is one of the most famous navigators in history. He was the first man to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean and led the first voyage to circumnavigate the globe, although he was killed en route in a battle in the Philippines. In this biography, Stefan Zweig brings to life the Age...

Exiled for nine years by the First World War, Ludwig has finally returned home to meet the woman he so passionately loved, and who promised to wait for him. But circumstances have changed. Confronted with an uncertain future, and still haunted by the past, they discover whether their love has survived hardships, betrayals, and the lapse of time. Journey Into...

In this magnificent collection of The Collected Stories of Stefan Zweig, the very best and worst of human nature are captured with sharp observation, understanding, and vivid empathy. A knock on a door that forces a whole community to take flight, an ageing womaniser who meets his match, a love soured into awful cruelty—these stories present a master at work,...

Confusion tells the story of Roland, a young student at a new university, who meets an inspirational teacher. This meeting pulls him into a world of literature and learning. As Roland moves into the same building as the teacher and his wife, he grows ever closer to this remarkable man. However, he begins to sense his mentor pulling away from...

Stefan Zweig's final work, The World of Yesterday, serves as a poignant memoir that beautifully captures the essence of a bygone era. Through eloquent prose, Zweig transports readers to the height of literary Vienna, exploring its cultural richness and intellectual vibrancy. With vivid descriptions, he paints a picture of a society where music, literature, and art flourished in an unprecedented...