Title: 1913: Der Sommer des Jahrhunderts
Author: Florian Illies
First published January 1, 2012
318 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9783100368010
Rating: 3.87
Overview
1913: The Summer of the Century by Florian Illies is a masterful portrayal of a remarkable year that marked the beginning of modern times. Illies paints a vivid picture of a year of artistic and cultural extremes, where everything was pushed to the limit.
Proust searches for lost time, Malevich paints a square, Benn loves Lasker-Schüler, Stravinsky celebrates The Rite of Spring, Kirchner gives the city a new face, Kafka, Joyce, and Musil sip cappuccinos in Trieste on the same day, and in Munich, an Austrian postcard painter named Adolf Hitler sells his mundane cityscapes. 1913 is a time of triumph and melancholy, a time where everything becomes art.
After this summer, nothing will be the same. Illies’ elegant style, infused with subtle humor, brings to life the magic of a pivotal moment in cultural history like no other.
About the Author
Florian Illies is a multi-talented individual with a diverse range of skills. He has an impressive background as a journalist, art dealer, art historian, and author.
Recently, he took on the role of Managing Director at the Rowohlt Verlag publishing house. Illies has made significant contributions to the world of culture and literature throughout his career.
Notably, he co-founded “Monopol,” a popular magazine that covers art, literature, and lifestyle topics. His experiences and accomplishments have made him a respected figure in the art and publishing communities.
Editoral Review
1913: Der Sommer des Jahrhunderts by Florian Illies is a fascinating historical account of a pivotal moment in the early 20th century that shaped the course of world history. Illies weaves together anecdotal and factual evidence of a single summer that saw everything from avant-garde art movements to the beginning of World War I.
The author’s passion and knowledge in the subject matter translate into a gripping and engaging narrative that leaves readers with a better understanding of the period. Illies dives into the summer of 1913, a time of great cultural and historical shifts, particularly in European society.
He explores the lives of iconic figures of the period such as Sigmund Freud, Igor Stravinsky, and Franz Kafka, among others. The author does an excellent job of contextualizing these figures within broader societal movements, painting an elaborate picture of their interactions and collaborations over the summer.
Illies’ style of writing is engaging and immersive, providing the reader with a vivid description of the era in a manner that often feels like fiction. One problem with the book, however, is that readers who are not already familiar with the period may find it challenging to keep pace with the author’s fast-paced narrative.
While the eclectic range of figures and events keeps the reader engaged, at times, the pace of the text can feel frenetic, causing some confusion over the significance of the events unfolding. The book’s strength lies in its ability to offer some insight and context into recent historical events that have shaped the 21st century.
The author provides a detailed examination of a pivotal moment in European history when new forms of art, literature, and music emerged. He also shows how these cultural shifts coincided with a rising sense of nationalism, which led to one of the most significant conflicts in human history.
Overall, the book is a must-read for anyone who is interested in 20th-century history or who wants to explore the origins of modern-day culture. Illies’ research is extensive and provides an authentic and deeply informative depiction of the period.
A rating of 4 out of 5 is well-deserved for this book, with particular praise going to the author’s elegant writing style and careful blend of individual portrayal and historical context.
