The World of Yesterday

Memoirs of a European

By: Stefan Zweig, Anthea Bell - translator

Narrated by: David Horovitch

Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Stefan Zweig's memoir, The World of Yesterday, recalls the golden age of prewar Europe - its seeming permanence, its promise and its devastating fall with the onset of two world wars. Zweig's passionate, evocative prose paints a stunning portrait of an era that danced brilliantly on the brink of extinction. It is an unusually humane account of Europe from the closing years of the 19th century through to World War II, seen through the eyes of one of the most famous writers of his era. Zweig's books (novels, biographies, essays) were translated into numerous languages, and he moved in the highest literary circles; he also encountered many leading political and social figures of his day.

The World of Yesterday is a remarkable, totally engrossing history. This translation by the award-winning Anthea Bell captures the spirit of Zweig's writing in arguably his most important work, completed shortly before his tragic death in 1942. It is read with sympathy and understanding by David Horovitch.

©1942 Fischer Verlag. 2011 Anthea Bell (translation) (P)2017 Ukemi Productions Ltd

Critic reviews

"One of the greatest memoirs of the twentieth century." (David Hare)
"Zweig's celebration of the brotherhood of peoples reminds us that there is another way." ( The Nation)

Amazing Performance!

Such a sad story and knowing it really happened is heart breaking. occasionally the story would become dry.... but what kept me glued was the narrator The finest narrator I've ever listened to....

Beautifully written

Stefan Zweig wrote so clearly that I suspect that if had written a commentary on the telephone book, it would make for fascinating reading.
The World of Yesterday evokes the decades leading up to World War II in Europe, most notably in Austria, as ones of high culture and good relations among its people. That all changed with the rise of Hitler and the Nazis.

best use of 2x speed

doubling the speed kind of fixes the audio.
the story is very interesting especially juxtaposed to current events.

Lost world

Paradoxical - beautiful descriptions of Zweig's charmed life before WWI and during the Weimar republic, imbued with sadness and foreboding of WWIi. The joy of life that shines through is hard to reconcile with his suicide - taking his young wife with him - so soon after finishing the book. Beautifully read.

A beautifully rendered account of pre/post Europe

I read a short story of Stefan Zweig in German in college. I was floored by the beauty of the language, the superb phrasing. It gave me a new respect of translators who have a thankless job trying to match the beauty of their native language into English. So before listening to this book, I felt I already found an intimacy with Stefan. This book did not disappoint. He brings the world of Europe into close contact. His friends and acquaintances become breathing individuals. You enter a world of yesteryear. He helps you understand a time you only vaguely knew.

A most read - especially in our times

A most read !!!!!
Superb writer.
We must never stop trying to learn from history.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana

An astonishing, illuminating book!

How did the optimistic faith in culture, progress, & reason in 1900 blind & betray an entire generation of European artists? How did a myopic, partisan & nationalist press promote the Great War? What did it feel like to be a pacifist during an era of casual cruelty & manufactured consensus for mass murder? How did violent bigots take over Vienna, once a cosmopolitan center of music & books? Zweig tells the odd, fascinating story in dozens of small, poignant stories from his life & conversations. It's an astonishing, illuminating book that explains the dangers of political fanaticism & nationalist ideologies in vivid details.

What a loss

Stefan Zweig was one of the great literary minds and social observers of the 20th century and deserves to be better known than he is.

His description of prewar Europe is better than anything that I’ve ever read in a textbook and although one might quibble over the details the affection for the culture and the fear that it is being destroyed are unforgettable. I wish that he had not given up on Europe and on himself.

History brought to life and feeling!

This is remarkable! Through his eyes we see Europe at the end of the nineteenth century up until the Second World War. More importantly human nature at its best and worst. Self deception fueled by a hope for peace enables the worst of our species to destroy people , culture and civilization (a way of life).Given what is happening in our country this book
Could be written today,about today. I had nightmares! The human nature or should I say lack of it remains a threat to existence!

a must read or listen

encapasses humanity before and in our world, ars poetica, the horror of war and cruelty of man and so so much more. written in 1941 by a great person of art and humanity. a must read for today!