Shooting Stars: 10 Historical Miniatures

I enjoyed the snapshots of historical people and events. My favorite was reading about G.F. Handel.A very good book and great for reading a section at a time. Really good if you have a busy life and your reading gets interrupted.

An absolute treasure. I would give this six stars if I could. Fascinating collection of moments that changed the course of history that have largely been lost to history. The sort of book that will make your jaw drop time and again. It's an injustice that this book has largely been forgotten.

The book was shipped from London so it take a bit longer to be delivered. I've read thousands of books but this is the first one I paid to send to friends. It's amazing that it was written almost one hundred years ago. If you like history at all, this book is a delight.

This is classical literature at it's peak. Zweig is heavily unappreciated by youth these days.

Loved it!

Each of these historical miniatures is meant to look in detail at a remarkable moment that centres on an otherwise unremarkable man - in other words, how destiny is often touched by the commonplace. That is not quite how the book works out, however; the best of these stories do indeed offer miniature biographies of figures that wider historical accounts overlook, such as Grouchy at Waterloo and the writer of the Marseillaise. But others, such as Lenin's return to Russia, don't fit this scheme and feel oddly out of place. That's a slight shame, but it shouldn't distract too much from what is otherwise an excellent, highly readable book full of interest and intrigue.

A collection of short essays by Zweig. A most welcome reprint.

A wonderful and compelling account of ten pivotal moments in history, engagingly and enticingly told, with much wisdom weaved in. A pleasure to read.

Interesting moments from history amplified into detailed accounts. Zweig was a superb writer and here shows his scholarly worth. Don't miss his novelletes elsewhere "The Royal Game" and "Letters from an unknown woman".

The individual miniatures give remarkable insight into the minds of the people written about. They put flesh onto the bones of characters one had heard of, but perhaps never thought of the workings of their mind.