Wolfram Eilenberger Book order

Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous decade from 1933 to 1943, the narrative explores the lives and philosophies of four influential women whose ideas shaped the 20th century. Simone de Beauvoir laid the groundwork for modern feminism, while Ayn Rand emerged as a powerful political voice. Hannah Arendt contributed pivotal leftist concepts, and Simone Weil dedicated herself to humanitarian efforts amidst the chaos of war. Their intersecting paths highlight a rich dialogue of contrasting ideologies during one of history's darkest times.

The year is 1933. Hannah Arendt escapes Berlin, seeking refuge among the stateless gathering in Paris. Simone de Beauvoir reimagines the dance between consciousness and the world outside in a Rouen cafe. Ayn Rand labours in Hollywood exile on the novel she believes destined to reignite the flame of liberty in her adoptive nation. Simone Weil, disenchanted with the revolution's course in Russia,[Bokinfo].

The year is 1919. Walter Benjamin flees his overbearing father to scrape a living as a critic. Ludwig Wittgenstein signs away his inheritance, seeking spiritual clarity. Martin Heidegger renounces his faith and align his fortunes with Husserl's phenomenological school. Ernst Cassirer sketches a new schema of human culture on a cramped Berlin tram. The stage is set for a great intellectual drama. Over the next decade, the lives and thought of this quartet will converge and intertwine as each gains world-historical significance, between them remaking philosophy. Time of the Magicians brings to life this unparalleled burst of intellectual creativity and with it an entire era, from post-war exuberance to economic crisis and the emergence of National Socialism. It becomes an intellectual adventure story, a captivating journey through the greatest revolution in Western thought told through its four protagonists, each with their own penetrating gaze and answer to the question which has animated philosophy from the very beginning: What are we?