Creativity, the willingness to change things – and the grouchy humor he was known for: Kreisky’s multifaceted personality was reflected in his unusual life. The open-minded intellectual was a key figure in the political and economic rise of postwar Austria. As Federal Chancellor (1970-1983), he implemented fundamental reforms as well as long overdue modernizations, thus helping the SPÖ (Social Democratic Party of Austria) become one of the most successful social democratic parties in Western Europe. Willy Brandt was a close friend. Kreisky was a mediator between East and West, a global political player. A smart analyst who also had the talent of connecting with everyday people. This biography is based on the author’s decade-long engagement with the Kreisky phenomenon, including information from hitherto unknown sources. Wolfgang Petritsch held numerous interviews with international contemporaries as well as private friends to complete the dazzling image of this impressive personality.