Thunder at Twilight: Vienna 1913/1914

Library Journal

Like the author's earlier A Nervous Splendour: Vienna 1888-1889 ( LJ 11/15/79), which focused on the suicide of the Hapsburg Crown Prince Rudolph, this social history of the same city focuses on the events and personalities surrounding the assassination of the last Crown Prince, Franz Ferdinand. A remarkable procession of influential persons waltzed through Vienna during the two winter social seasons; some were already famous in their fields (Freud), others would only later attain powerful positions (Hitler). Extensively based on personal memoirs and contemporary periodicals, the work is less scholarly than Barbara Tuchman's The Proud Tower ( LJ 12/1/65) but adds a flavor which she omitted. It belongs in larger collections.-- Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New York

Booknews

A recreation of Vienna on the eve of WWI. By the author of A Nervous splendor and The Rothschilds (both nominated for the National Book Award). Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)