" . . . the range, power, and archival resourcefulness of Barnouw's book will make it impossible for anyone working in the field to ignore this powerful and disturbing historical meditation on the societal function and responsibility of the intellecutual." —The German Quarterly

" . . . a work of real value for patient readers." —American Journal of Sociology

" . . . a forceful and compelling thesis that challenges our understanding of several seminal figures writing during the first half of the century." —Monatshefte

In this challenging study of a complex period, Barnouw investigates the works of seven representative figures of the Weimar republic: Walter Rahtenau, Robert Musil, Thomas Mann, Walter Benjamin, Ernst Jünger, Hermann Broch, and Alfred Döblin.