It seems, from Florian Illies’ wonderful read about the lives of (mostly European) artists, writers, politicians, thinkers and lovers, that life was carefree or, at least, free of much care about any impending disaster during the twelve months of 1913.  And, yet, for such seemingly carefree lives, the characters which weave in and out of Illie’s jam-packed history, are all in a state of high anxiety.  The parade of characters – a sampling includes Kokoschka, Stravinksy, Thomas Mann, D.H. Lawrence, Rilke, Freud, Wittgenstein, Adolf Hittler, Alma Mahler  and Picasso –  are drawn with such care and detail that they spring right off the page.  It is the kind of history that makes converts of lazy readers.  The selective presentation moves rapidly, humorously and, often, with a gripping intensity.  Kokoschka’s love affair with Alma and Kafka’s with Felice Bauer, in particular, are related with stunning immediacy.

Books like 1913: The Year Before the Storm also create an extraordinary sense of place and, as a devoted armchair traveler, I find them essential reading.  What a rich, fascinating time this was in a Europe that feels surprisingly secure.