First published 2008
Ludwig Wittgenstein belongs to one of Austria's wealthiest families, but money cannot shield the Wittgensteins from the forces tearing Europe apart. As the philosopher wrestles with questions of language and meaning, his siblings face their own battles. Brother Paul loses his right arm in World War I yet continues his career as a concert pianist. The family's Jewish heritage puts them at risk as the Nazis rise to power. Three brothers take their own lives. The surviving Wittgensteins must decide whether to collaborate with Hitler's regime or resist it, even as their industrial empire crumbles around them. Alexander Waugh traces how external pressures and internal demons destroy a family that seemed to have everything. The story reveals how genius and madness intertwine, and how even the most privileged cannot escape history's brutal sweep.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, biography-memoir, 21st-century, family-drama, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, historical-fiction
Setting: Austria, Europe
Period: World War I, World War II
384 pages · Hardcover · doubleday
Content warnings: suicide