The Austrians cover

The Austrians

by Gordon Brook-Shepherd

Who are the Austrians and what is their significance as a nation? Are they the heirs of composers such as Mozart and Schubert, of revolutionary thinkers such as Freud and Wittgenstein, or of politicians such as Hitler and Kurt Waldheim? To what extent have the Austrians come to terms with their Nazi past, as opposed to the Germans? Is their future founded in the Holy Roman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Habsburg Dynasty, or the Anschluss? These are some of the questions. Noted historian Gordon Brook-Shepherd addresses in this authoritative work. With a lifetime's personal intimacy with Austria, associations with several of its leaders, and access to private Habsburg family archives, Brook-Shepherd traces the identity of a nation, as it developed over a millennium, at the heart of Europe's political existence.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?