A politician with an image, a rebel as orator: passionate, fervent, vehement

Johannes Voggenhuber is an exceptional political orator. For him, rhetoric is an instrument essential in dealing with the world’s contemporary conflicts and main concerns: democracy on all levels of governing, the social structure of modern societies, Europe’s unity. Whether as a city’s politician, in the federal government or as a member of the European parliament, he has always fought passionately for his cause. Consequently, he has achieved and changed a lot in the city he comes from, in his country and in Europe. This book shows him as a vehement proponent, an energetic opponent and as one who is never indifferent.

A fascinating journey through the history of an immortal myth.

They are stuck somewhere between this life and the hereafter, roaming through the night and biting pretty women’s necks. Fantasies and fears manifest themselves in the figure of the vampire, who became world-famous in novels and films, but also appears in TV advertisements, political campaigns and psychoanalysis. The vampirologist Rainer M. Köppl tells us about a fear-filled hysteria between superstition and enlightenment. He describes how vampires first found refuge in romantically idealized literature, were reborn in 20th century film and have become more successful than ever at the dawn of the 21st century. Using vivid examples, the author illustrates the perfection of form and function in the figure of the vampire: as a mirror for our fantasies of sex, violence, fear, blood, death, eternal love and immortality.

What are we doing in Afghanistan?

Democracy, human rights, rule of law – it is in the name of these ideals that the West is fighting a war against the Taliban and against terror. Ulrich Ladurner reports from the sites of conflict, where central values of the Western world are being damaged. His journey leads him through a land full of opposites as he follows the traces of conquests and defeats. He looks back on the lively past of an old battlefield that has been both an American and European obsession and tells us about the lives of its people. His stories help us understand why the Great Powers are failing in Afghanistan. A hi(story) book on enemy images and the power of memory, seeking an answer to the controversial question of what we are doing in Afghanistan.

Is God the better manager? The abbot of the “singing monks” answers questions that affect us all.

The basic motto of Saint Benedict – “work and pray” – is followed in the monastery. Does that make monks happier people? Doesn’t an abbot also have to function a crisis manager? Abbot Gregor Henckel Donnersmarck, who had a successful business career before he heard the calling, tells how he and his community in the Monastary of the Holy Cross deal with the trials and tribulations of everyday life. And why the monks’ prayers on the album “Chant – Music for Paradise” were sold over a million times worldwide. Abbot Gregor bases his beliefs on the three Christian virtues faith, hope and love, which are supported by the four Cardinal virtues temperance, prudence, fortitude and justice. He shares his personal experiences to illustrate why religion, spirituality and values are such important sources of strength in times of crisis.

Post-World War II literature in Austria, from Ilse Aichinger to Christoph Ransmayer, exemplified in interpretations of the most important works of the time.

Never was the connection between Austrian identity and Austrian literature as evident as after 1945. And no one has been more able to clearly illustrate the correlation between literature and socio-cultural and political conditions as Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler. With “Bruchlinien”, he coined a term that brings Austria’s post-War literature, its developments and its struggles to the point. And he has left us a work that succeeds in demonstrating how passionate and lively literature can be discussed and pondered: enthusiastic and enthusing. The re-edition of “Bruchlinien” is the first of two volumes of Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler’s famous lectures on contemporary Austrian literature.

State terrorism and its executors: the best-selling author on Islamic intelligence agencies.

They are among the most dangerous underground organizations in the world. In a constant state of war, the intelligence agencies of Middle Eastern countries operate unscrupulous and beyond the law. Their operations have increasingly brought them to Europe, where they pose a serious threat to security. They utilize varying terror groups to attain their political goals with brutal violence. When they forge alliances with the West, they torture and kill on behalf of democracies. Best-selling author Wilhelm Dietl is the first to describe the hidden structures and most spectacular operations of Islamic intelligence agencies. After many trips to the Middle East and numerous conversations with insiders, investigators and rival agencies, Dietl describes the agencies’ involvement in activities ranging from organized crime to prohibited nuclear technology and sheds light on the gray area of collaboration with Western partners.

With a preface by Paul Lendvai

Right-wing parties and neo-fascist groups are becoming an ever-increasing problem in young democracies throughout East and Central Europe. Next to these parties’ successes in elections in Hungary and Slovakia, brutal attacks on minorities by paramilitary groups or Nazi skinheads in Serbia and the Czech Republic are making headlines. There is an urgent need for more thorough information on East Europe’s right-wing extremist scene in order to make an appropriate assessment of the threat these groups pose. News correspondents Gregor Mayer and Bernhard Odehnal have been watching the growing threat for years – sometimes even putting themselves in the line of fire. In their reports, comprised in this book, they analyze the right-wing extremist scene in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia and Bulgaria. They gathered inside information on the subject in both on-site research and interviews. On the basis of these insights, they outline the historical and ideological background of these events in the respective countries. The authors demonstrate how animosity against Roma, Jews and homosexuals is fueled and point out connections to extremist groups in Germany and Austria, who are striving for the creation of a “North-South axis” of “National resistance”. Mayer and Odehnal clearly name the threat emanating from these ultra-nationalist agitations – a threat for the political stability of each of these countries as well as for democracy in the entire European community.

The opera and music theater of Nikolaus Harnoncourt, from Monteverdi to Stravinsky: a life in the light of opera.

The art form of opera is more than 400 years old, but it has maged to stay young and fresh thanks to artists such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt and his unfailing endeavor to continuously renew this art form and our understanding of it. His 80th birthday serves as the perfect opportunity to revisit his life in the colorful world of opera. Numerous examples, from Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo“ and Mozart’s “Figaro“ to Stravinsky’s “The Rake’s Progress“ illustrate how vivid and lively opera can be. Opera is a theater for all senses, not a dusty relic from the past, a hallow traditon or elitist vanity fair. Text, music, drama and an image of the world portrayed on stage all come together in the unique cosmos of opera, with the purpose of reflecting our human nature. And thus opera is a necessity, like all forms of art. This is what Nikolaus Harnoncourt demonstrates once more with great passion, intelligence and conviction in this enthralling book.

Beyond the walls of Baghdad: a captivating report on living in fear of terror.

The information we receive on the current security situation in Iraq is based on reports from the Green Zone in Baghdad, which, out of fear of terror attacks, is cut off from regular life by barricades, police and the military. Paul Flieder left behind the Green Zone and traveled the country on his own, documenting his journey with a film camera. What interests him are the lives of regular people who have been forced to change their daily lives out of constant fear of terror attacks or harassment by the military. He tells us about a country whose people have been traumatized and face a future without hope. And yet, they have not lost their faith in god as they cope with their daily lives with courage and humor. Flieder does not rely on official statements by politicians or state officials, but instead speaks to the widows and orphans, victims of kidnappings and bombings, business people and theater groups, imams and police officers he encounters on the road – or in a barber shop in Baghdad. Traveling without an escort through Mosul, Erbil, Kirkuk and Baghdad, he at times is confronted with difficult situations, which he can only escape from by acting valiantly at the right moment. His experiences paint an alarmingly clear picture of the actual security situation in Iraq at the time of US troop removal. A report on human tragedy in Iraq that holds back nothing.

The life stories of rebellious women who defied the law in favor of their beliefs.

When men stand up for their beliefs and contest social and political conventions, they are deemed heroes. When women do the same, they are considered fanatics. Michaela Karl describes the lives of women who, like the Greek mythological figure of Antigone, put their beliefs before the law. Women who would not shy away from violence in their courageous fight for women’s and general human rights, for freedom and peace. Setting high moral standards for themselves and others did not always keep them from making wrong decisions, but they bravely faced the consequences of their radical actions. With a keen sense for inner conflict and self-doubt, Michaela Karl bases her portraits on personal letters, journals, writings and memories, tracing the impressive lives of women who swam against the tide of their time. Charlotte Corday, the murderer Jean Paul Marats Mathilde Franziska Anneke, the German amazone Harriet Tubman, Moses of her people Bertha von Suttner, the champion for universal peace Vera Figner, the prisoner of the tsar Clara Zetkin, the Grande Dame of the German labour movement Emmeline Pankhurst, the Queen of the suffragettes Constance Markievicz, the rebellious countess Emma Goldman, the most dangerous woman of the United States Tina Modotti, the Jeanne d’Arc with a camera Tamara Bunke, the combatant of Che Guevaras Phoolan Devi, the queen of the outlaws