Klaus Mann: A captivating biography for the 75th anniversary of his death in 2024.
Klaus Mann personified the turbulent first half of the 20th century like few others, as a charismatic bohemian and a prominent writer. In this expansive biography, Thomas Medicus traces Klaus Mann's remarkably modern life journey, from his sheltered childhood in Munich to his glamorous career as a dandy in the Weimar Republic, where he championed homosexual emancipation. The narrative continues through his years in political exile across Europe and the United States, marked by constant travel and prolific writing. Klaus Mann's life was characterized by extremes, including struggles with addiction and a persistent death wish from a young age. The biography concludes with his return to Germany in 1945 as an American GI, followed by his somber final years leading to his tragic suicide in Cannes.
This biography offers a compelling reevaluation of the brilliant writer who was a keen observer of his era, presenting his life as a captivating panorama of contemporary history.
"Thomas Medicus has penned a gripping biography: inside the world of a family dynasty." Kultur Spiegel on Heinrich und Götz George
"A brilliantly written and documented biography" Süddeutsche Zeitung on Melitta von Stauffenberg
