Military mishaps and mistakes

As the world power of its time, the Habsburg empire not only was the main defender against the Turks in the east, but, over the centuries, also fought various alliances attacking in the west. For a long time, the Austrian army was counted among the world’s most powerful, and acclaimed commanders such as Prince Eugene of Savoy or Count Leopold von Daun were victorious on many battlefields – and horribly defeated on others. Glorious victories were achieved under the Austro-Hungarian flag, but there were also military mishaps, serious blunders and blatant misjudgements which turned the tides in a battle or even decided the outcome of a war. These are the stories told in this book. In fascinating case studies, Hans-Dieter Otto analyses the reasons for these mistakes and introduces the reader to captivating chapters in Austria’s military history.

Our daily event give us today.

Padre Pio can float in thin air, the dead can come back to life, faqirs can make themselves invisible and Virgin Mary can heal tumors. It seems like God never tires of trying out new things. Just like people never tire of miracles in their lives, whether its sports or a classical concert. This book is a perfect opportunity to marvel. Adolf Holl offers a concise overview of the long history of humankind’s belief in miracles. In a fine balancing act between stories and aphorisms he captures the rare moments that open our eyes to a world full of miracles. A must for everyone who wants to believe and marvel.

The most glamorous couple of the roaring twenties.

He gave an era its name. She was the main character in all his novels. Together they were the dream couple of the Jazz Age and the ‘lost generation’. The famous author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda lived their lives to the fullest, seeking happiness, yet finding desperation. Rich and successful, infamous for their antics and excessive drinking habits in New York, Paris and on the French Riviera, they were the idols of an entire generation. But soon the blessed were damned: their excessive lifestyle, creative blocks and mental issues all contributed to the couple’s downfall. The myth, however, continues to flourish… Michaela Karl paints a vivid biographical portrait of an entire era and the two main characters whose lives became literature.

Spiritual impulses for peaceful moments of inner contemplation.

For almost thirty years, he has been a monk at Stift Heiligenkreuz. But if you think the strict monastery regimen of prayer and work has detached Father Karl Wallner from the world, think again! His many tasks are truly a full-time job. He is a university teacher and counsels teenagers, works as the successful PR head of the monastery and is a best-selling author. Father Karl knows how difficult it is to keep an inner balance and stay calm. With his new book he wants to help those in need of a daily moment of inner peace. His “seven times seven thoughts” inspire self-reflection; his spiritual impulses encourage us to pause. Father Karl invites us to reflect on moments of togetherness and discover the power of Christian rituals. A companion for any season for all those seeking a daily source of energy.

Youths in resistance: the “Schlurfs”, their music and lifestyle.

Whoever refused to join the Nazi lock-step had to march to a different drummer. This book tells the story of a nearly forgotten rebellion: During the 1930s and 1940s thousands of teenagers made the decision for a lifestyle that was the absolute opposite of the ideals propagated by Nazi ideology. With their love of Swing and Jazz as well as their provocative clothing style these teenagers opposed the regime’s rhythm and chose a path of civil disobedience that lasted well beyond 1945. Many had to pay a high price for their resistance: they were sent to youth concentration camps, were deployed to the front or murdered. The authors have interviewed contemporary witnesses from Austria, Germany, France and the Czech Republic and tell the fascinating story of the “Schlurfs” – a teenage subculture whose protest through music and style triggered extreme counter-reactions.

Searching for the molecule of life

What is a human? Every person would like to know what or who he or she is. In her fascinating search for the molecule of life the biochemist Renée Schroeder has made groundbreaking discoveries. In her search for answers she does not hesitate to question the possibilities of genetics and in the dispute between belief and science clearly positions herself in favor of a society based on knowledge. In all this, she is never afraid addressing on taboos. The question of the origin of life leads Schroeder far beyond the boundaries of her own scientific field and towards fundamental issues of being. Where do we come from, where are we going? How does evolution work and what role does chance play? Renée Schroeder’s undogmatic approach to the boundaries of our perception opens the door to a new way of thinking and new perspectives. In this book the passionate scientist explains what applied bioethics is and what the hen-egg question means for our future, all while guiding us through the wonderful world of molecules.

From goddess to mouse hunter, from witches’ pet to queen of our home: a feline trip through the centuries.

Adored as a god in ancient Egypt, cats traveled the spheres of the known world on ship and on their four paws. They were at home in the libraries and kitchens of monasteries, roamed through backyards and allies, slept in royal beds, were useful against mice and served as muses. Humans have felt love, suspicion and hate towards cats. Their mysterious nature has raised superstitions, but has also been a source of inspiration. It was always artists, most of all writers who were on the cat’s side. Thus the history of the cat is also one of the arts, a cultural history, the history of humankind. Cats have come a long way and this book traces the steps: from early times all the way to the snuggly sofa of today.

Friend of famous men, wife of the misogynist: the biography of a wild bohemian life

She was married to August Strindberg, had a son with Franz Wedekind, shared the same fate as her “sister” Franziska zu Reventlow and was closely tied to famous men such as Arthur Schnitzler and Karl Kraus. She came from a good Viennese family, was witty and eccentric. In turn of the century Berlin she enjoyed life to the fullest while working as a feature journalist. One of the stars of the scene at the time was August Strindberg, the scandalous Swedish author. The two got married, but their relationship was full of drama and soon failed. The rest of her life was equally dramatic as she moved back and forth between Paris, London and New York. Before her death in Salzburg in 1943, Frida Strindberg published memoirs about her time with Strindberg – “a book without pauses” as Knut Hamsun “delightedly” notes. The same can be said of this first German biography of Frida Strindberg. In texts, photographs and moving personal accounts by Strindberg, we learn more about the eventful and turbulent life of a woman who spared no one, least of all herself.

A biography on the occasion of the composer’s 200th birthday.

Born in the year of the “Great Comet”, the path of this child prodigy from Raidling, Burgenland first led to Vienna and later Paris, the Mecca of the musical world at the time. There, Franz Liszt became highly successful as a piano virtuoso and led the life of a sought-after bohemian. Always searching for success as a composer, Liszt’s torn inner state marked his artistic development as much as his love affairs. After concert tours through all of Europe, he was appointed director of Weimar’s court orchestra, where he helped Richard Wagner’s opus achieve a breakthrough. Jan Jiracek von Arnim embarks on a fascinating journey exploring the composer’s life. He follows Liszt’s years on the road as a virtuoso, visionary, musical pioneer, superstar and soul-searcher as he takes a closer look at the person and musician. The result is this magnificent portrait of an exceptional artist.

The “War against Terror” and its wrong objectives

The world changed within a few hours. As the ORF’s correspondant in Washington D.C., Peter Fritz experienced how a nation at the peak of global power was humiliated to the core on September 11, 2001. The USA reacted with politics of fear, which in turn have affected the entire world. What at first seemed like successful campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq soon turned out to cost the price of human rights. Martial law had replaced the constitutional rule of law. Caught up in an obsession with security, the USA lost both their economic dominance and their moral integrity. In the global race for intellectual influence and cultural dominance they are now stuck in a precarious situation. Can the USA prevent their downfall as a global super power? In his new book, Peter Fritz takes stock of the situation ten years after the terror attacks in New York and reaches the conclusion that the “War Against Terror” has been following the wrong objectives.