When Stars Shine Bright (10 Moments That Decided Human History)

Author: (Austrian) Stefan Zweig
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: This is Zweig's renowned work, which unfolds grand historical scenes where individual destinies rise and fall with the tides of history, and strong personal wills clash fiercely with history at a moment, ultimately reshaping it. Moreover, the language is exquisite, and the profound and incisive analysis of thought is believed to deeply move readers, leaving them unforgettable. This book is one of Zweig's masterpieces as a biographer, known as the "best biographer in history," and includes 10 historical sketches that present 10 decisive moments in world history: the fall of the Empire of Byzantium, Balboa gazing at the boundless Pacific, Handel's miraculous spiritual revival, the tragic romance of an elderly Goethe, the minute at Waterloo, and the divine creation of the "Marseillaise." These 10 historical moments magically descend upon 10 subjects, some of whom are lifted high by fate and entered the hall of heroes, while others are cruelly mocked and cast into the ranks of eternal regret. When the strong will of individuals collides with historical destiny, sparks fly, and such moments shine brightly in the sky of human civilization. In short, Zweig brings these historical moments to life with dazzling color, no less spectacular than Hollywood blockbusters.