Given the current upheaval in global politics, one often wonders whether more significant events might be looming on the horizon, another world war, perhaps. Then comes the inevitable question: did people in the past see big global events coming? How did the day-to-day life look like? Stefan Zweig's account is an interesting resource in this regard, as he describes his experiences pre- and post-WW1. We get to experience the vivid cultural atmosphere of Belle Époque Vienna, the feeling of European-ness, just before everything turns into shambles in WW1 and then WW2. While this account is understandably subjective, its value can be seen by the fact that many documentaries use quotes from Zweig's work when trying to depict the era.

Although this was an interesting read, I found it repetitive at times. In addition, while sympathizing with the anti-war views of the author, I think the complexity of war isn't very evident in the book. Zweig led a privileged life in Vienna before the outbreak of the war and was largely an apolitical figure, so it seems that he was rather detached from the realities in the empire and its socioethnic problems.