George Weidenfeld fled Nazi Vienna at nineteen with nothing. He landed in Britain as a refugee and transformed himself into one of the most influential publishers of the twentieth century. Through animated discussions with biographer William Shawcross, Weidenfeld recounts his integration into English society and the rise of his publishing house, Weidenfeld & Nicolson. He reveals his relationships with major political figures like Prime Minister Harold Wilson and describes his path to the peerage. The conversations expose Weidenfeld's vast network of international connections and his talent for cultivating friendships across cultural and political boundaries. This book captures the mind of a man who shaped literary culture while moving among the most compelling figures of the postwar world. Shawcross presents these exchanges as intimate glimpses into the thoughts of a cultural architect whose influence extended far beyond books into the realms of politics and society.
Genres: biography, history, literary-criticism, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water
Setting: Britain, Vienna
Period: Postwar, Twentieth Century
Paperback · Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )