Perhaps a bit too much detail, but a fascinating look at a pivotal year in a pivotal place. Freud, Hitler, Stalin, Tito, Trotsky - not to mention the aging Emperor and Franz Ferdinand, all in the same place at the same time. Who knew? The world would never be the same, in Vienna or elsewhere. The end of the Belle Epoch. ( )

In the end it peters out but this is an interesting look at 1913 to early 1914 in Vienna as war becomes likely and how the killing of one man led to it. There is also an echo of the nationalistic jingoism that led to the 1916 revolution in Ireland (and the Irish Question does crop up occasionally too). It is interesting to me how the early 20th Century had so many things happening that still have echoes. The mess that is Syria etc are parts of this too, the failure to create a good idea of nationalism that doesn't other people is still echoing through today.

Vienna was the hub of the society that led to this war, a place where philosophers and composers found inspiration and where there were a lot of various people, including Hitler, a place where change was coming fast and often being resisted. Ironically Archduke Franz Ferdinand was a man who was arguing for better treatment of Serbs, he was a man frustrated by some of the limits of his role but determined to do the best job he could with what he had.

We still haven't fixed some of the issues, maybe in this period of remembrance of the First World War we should rip the sticking plasters off some of these wounds and see what the root causes are and start to mend them properly.

I did check what happened to Archduke Franz Ferdinand's kids, they were taken in by a family member and at one stage, because the two boys spoke out about the Anchluss they were interned in Concentration Camps during World War II but survived.

A recommended read to understand the period, a companion book and sequel to A Nervous Splendour.

An accessible read about Vienna in the 18 months before the start of the first world war. The action mostly involves the politicians and Hapsburgs, with occasional nods towards what other Viennese inhabitants are up to. The information is clearly presented and follows a chronology. ( )

This book evokes a vivid and comprehensive portrait of the time and place. ( )

Presents a good account of Vienna leading up to WW1. No great revelations but still good reading. Brings together info from different sources and presents it clearly. ( )