Sensational: Newly discovered records on the Habsburg Monarchy’s largest case of espionage

Alfred Redl, officer of the Austrian general staff under Franz Joseph I. and in his majesty’s secret service, sold explosive military secrets of the Habsburg empire to Russia, Italy and France to pay for his extravagant lifestyle and love life. His suicide, however, averted the final solution of this scandalous case of espionage that affected half of Europe – stuff that myths and legends are made of... 100 years later, Verena Moritz and Hannes Leidinger went on a fascinating search for clues: What information was sold? Was Redl the head of a whole network of secret agents? What was his motivation? How has this treason influenced World War I? The two historians unearthed sensational material from the archives and shed light on one of the most mysterious chapters in Austrian history.

The school of geniuses: Vicky Baum, Anna Freud, Else Pappenheim, Hilde Spiel, Helene Weigl Eugenie Schwarzwald, Alice Herdan-Zuckmayer.

Eugenie Schwarzwald (1872-1940) was one of the most fascinating women of her generation. With great enthusiasm she advocated progressive education, social work, communal kitchens and holiday camps and was one of the first women in Austria to obtain a doctoral degree. She also worked as a journalist and invited writers such as Thomas Mann, Sinclair Lewis and Egon Friedell to her literary salon in Vienna, which was, in many respects, one of the most progressive of the time. Schwarzwald founded Austria’s first real secondary school for girls, aiming at providing a “school of joy”. “Boredom is toxic“ was her motto. As teachers she invited artists and great minds of the Wiener Moderne from her circle, among them Adolf Loos, Arnold Schönberg and Oskar Kokoschka. In her later life though, she had to witness how the financial crisis and political extremism ruined her life’s work. In 1938 she fled to Switzerland, where she died in 1940. .

Of saintly and unsaintly people, martyrs and spies: a different history of Iran.

Iran is an unpredictable country. Everything seems impenetrable, nebulous and threatening. In an attempt to bring light into the darkness, Ulrich Ladurner scouted Azari Square in the capital city of Tehran and collected the stories of its citizens. There’s Amit who becomes a saint (which also makes for good business), Baba Zede who notices every single hypocritical move of his neighbours, and then there’s beautiful Robabe who makes a significant decision. Ladurner tells how people suffered under the rule of the Shah, how they experienced the Islamic Revolution and how they are living today, on the verge of a new war. He intertwines historic facts and stories from everyday life in Iran, thus giving a valuable insight, story by story.

Austrian contemporary literature from Christoph Ransmayr to Robert Menasse in exemplary interpretations of their most important works.

Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler coined the term Bruchlinien (faultlines) to describe all the shifts and faults in Austrian literature after World War II. This anthology of all his legendary lectures on the topic has become a standard reference long ago. It also shows how exciting, vivid, inspirational and enthusiastic talks and thoughts on literature can be. Schmidt-Dengler observed and followed contemporary literature in Austria to the last, not only as a critic, but also in these previously unpublished lectures in which he examined the evolutions in Austrian literature from 1990 to 2008 from both a critical distance and a compassionate closeness.

Military mishaps and mistakes

As the world power of its time, the Habsburg empire not only was the main defender against the Turks in the east, but, over the centuries, also fought various alliances attacking in the west. For a long time, the Austrian army was counted among the world’s most powerful, and acclaimed commanders such as Prince Eugene of Savoy or Count Leopold von Daun were victorious on many battlefields – and horribly defeated on others. Glorious victories were achieved under the Austro-Hungarian flag, but there were also military mishaps, serious blunders and blatant misjudgements which turned the tides in a battle or even decided the outcome of a war. These are the stories told in this book. In fascinating case studies, Hans-Dieter Otto analyses the reasons for these mistakes and introduces the reader to captivating chapters in Austria’s military history.

Our daily event give us today.

Padre Pio can float in thin air, the dead can come back to life, faqirs can make themselves invisible and Virgin Mary can heal tumors. It seems like God never tires of trying out new things. Just like people never tire of miracles in their lives, whether its sports or a classical concert. This book is a perfect opportunity to marvel. Adolf Holl offers a concise overview of the long history of humankind’s belief in miracles. In a fine balancing act between stories and aphorisms he captures the rare moments that open our eyes to a world full of miracles. A must for everyone who wants to believe and marvel.

The most glamorous couple of the roaring twenties.

He gave an era its name. She was the main character in all his novels. Together they were the dream couple of the Jazz Age and the ‘lost generation’. The famous author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda lived their lives to the fullest, seeking happiness, yet finding desperation. Rich and successful, infamous for their antics and excessive drinking habits in New York, Paris and on the French Riviera, they were the idols of an entire generation. But soon the blessed were damned: their excessive lifestyle, creative blocks and mental issues all contributed to the couple’s downfall. The myth, however, continues to flourish… Michaela Karl paints a vivid biographical portrait of an entire era and the two main characters whose lives became literature.

Spiritual impulses for peaceful moments of inner contemplation.

For almost thirty years, he has been a monk at Stift Heiligenkreuz. But if you think the strict monastery regimen of prayer and work has detached Father Karl Wallner from the world, think again! His many tasks are truly a full-time job. He is a university teacher and counsels teenagers, works as the successful PR head of the monastery and is a best-selling author. Father Karl knows how difficult it is to keep an inner balance and stay calm. With his new book he wants to help those in need of a daily moment of inner peace. His “seven times seven thoughts” inspire self-reflection; his spiritual impulses encourage us to pause. Father Karl invites us to reflect on moments of togetherness and discover the power of Christian rituals. A companion for any season for all those seeking a daily source of energy.

Youths in resistance: the “Schlurfs”, their music and lifestyle.

Whoever refused to join the Nazi lock-step had to march to a different drummer. This book tells the story of a nearly forgotten rebellion: During the 1930s and 1940s thousands of teenagers made the decision for a lifestyle that was the absolute opposite of the ideals propagated by Nazi ideology. With their love of Swing and Jazz as well as their provocative clothing style these teenagers opposed the regime’s rhythm and chose a path of civil disobedience that lasted well beyond 1945. Many had to pay a high price for their resistance: they were sent to youth concentration camps, were deployed to the front or murdered. The authors have interviewed contemporary witnesses from Austria, Germany, France and the Czech Republic and tell the fascinating story of the “Schlurfs” – a teenage subculture whose protest through music and style triggered extreme counter-reactions.

From goddess to mouse hunter, from witches’ pet to queen of our home: a feline trip through the centuries.

Adored as a god in ancient Egypt, cats traveled the spheres of the known world on ship and on their four paws. They were at home in the libraries and kitchens of monasteries, roamed through backyards and allies, slept in royal beds, were useful against mice and served as muses. Humans have felt love, suspicion and hate towards cats. Their mysterious nature has raised superstitions, but has also been a source of inspiration. It was always artists, most of all writers who were on the cat’s side. Thus the history of the cat is also one of the arts, a cultural history, the history of humankind. Cats have come a long way and this book traces the steps: from early times all the way to the snuggly sofa of today.