Erasmus of Rotterdam

Erasmus of Rotterdam

This Plunkett Lake Press eBook is produced by arrangement with Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Hailed as a parable for modern times, Erasmus of Rotterdam is the biography of a great humanist who, when pressed for a confession of faith, said, â€œI love freedom, and I will not and cannot serve any party.â€ At no time does Zweig mention Hitler by name, but it is obvious that his biography of a man who tried to remain above the battle, and who was torn to pieces by both Lutherans and Catholics, was aimed to illustrate the predicament of a man who refrains from activism and prefers to focus on his work.

Erasmus believed in a united Europe, and thought that Luther was splitting it in two. He first tried to reconcile the Pope to Lutherâ€™s Wittenberg theses, then to bring the German Protestants together with the representatives of Rome. Zweig portrays a steadfast Erasmus, unwilling to let emotion betray the lucidity of his thought, who knew he was the most famous intellect of his age, and evaded any commitment that would bring a host of enemies down upon his head. In Erasmus, Zweig may have seen parts of himself. (adapted from â€œBook of the Timesâ€ by John Chamberlain, The New York Times, November 2, 1934)

â€œUnder Zweigâ€™s magic pen Erasmus leaps into vital existence... The books is a quietly astounding bit of biographical and historical achievement.â€ â€” Percy Hutchison, The New York Times
Country USA
Manufacturer Plunkett Lake Press
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2015-10-02
Format Kindle eBook

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Plunkett Lake Press
Binding	Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate	2015-10-02
Format	Kindle eBook

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