The Red Prince

From the bestselling author of On Tyranny, the definitive biography of Wilhelm Von Habsburg, enigmatic and eccentric archduke of Austria.

“Not often does scholarly history soar and entrap like a fine historical novel, but here it does.” —Foreign Affairs

Wilhelm von Habsburg wore the court regalia of a Habsburg archduke, the simple suit of a Parisian exile, and every so often, a dress. After his youthful dream of a Ukrainian kingdom collapsed following the First World War, Wilhelm was, by turns, an ally of German imperialists, a notorious French lover, an angry Austrian monarchist, a calm opponent of Hitler, and finally a spy against Stalin.

In The Red Prince, acclaimed historian Timothy Snyder offers an indelible portrait of a man who embodied the many contradictions of twentieth-century Europe; a figure whose journeys spanned the continent and whose politics and ambitions united the old order of empire with the new politics of the nation-state.

• “Not often does scholarly history soar and entrap like a fine historical novel, but here it does.”
  Foreign Affairs
• “A splendid, eccentric book.”
  Harper’s
• “Snyder conveys the flamboyance of Wilhelm’s life, and its underlying sadness. Wilhelm’s political associations were sometimes unsavory, but Snyder makes them understandable by placing them in historical context; this aristocrat and monarchist emerges as surprisingly sympathetic, his devotion to the Ukrainian cause heartfelt rather than merely opportunistic. . . . In The Red Prince, a lost chapter of history becomes vivid and pertinent to our own times.”
  Boston Globe
• “Unlike novelists, historians are not usually inclined to humor or absurdity. A few jokes are allowed, but most historians of late Austria-Hungary dissect the empire’s various national conflicts, ponder the political machinations of the time, and debate the causes of its dissolution. With a certain amount of bravado, Timothy Snyder, a Yale historian who specializes in Europe’s eastern borderlands, has now bucked that tradition. His new book, The Red Prince, is in a deep sense not humorous at all: it ends in profound tragedy. But it is a book about a fundamentally silly man—though one whose escapades, both humorous and tragic, are emblematic of his era.”
  New York Review of Books
• “Deeply researched and beautifully written, The Red Prince captures in shimmering colors the death of old Europe and the continent’s descent into barbarism. It abounds with a cast of unforgettable characters, from bloodthirsty nationalist strongmen and shady conspirators to alluring demimondaines and debauched nobles. Snyder, an award-winning historian at Yale University, has written a compelling biography as well as a vivid depiction of an era and offers insightful observations on the mutability of personal and national identity.”
  Seattle Times
• “The Red Prince is more than a biography of the little known Wilhelm Habsburg. Timothy Snyder, a prominent Yale University historian, weaves the story of the archduke and his family into the rich canvas of European history. Were it not for a most impressive array of sources and a scholarly apparatus, the book could almost qualify as a vie romancée.”
  Journal of Cold War Studies
• “Snyder deftly handles the still-thorny questions about national and sexual identity embodied in this single, remarkable life.”
  Kirkus Reviews
• “Snyder’s portrait of the Habsburgs in all their eccentricity is a delight.”
  Sunday Times (UK)
• “There are few historians who possess Timothy Snyder’s winning combination of languages, stylish story-telling, and analytic insight; in The Red Prince, he has produced a gem.”
  Guardian (UK)
• “Timothy Snyder is a brilliant storyteller.”
  Telegraph (UK)
• “Snyder is probably the most intelligent and sensitive historian working on East Central Europe today, and he is eminently fitted for the task of telling this tale. He has unearthed a wealth of unknown material and fascinating detail. . . . A wonderful book, a gripping read full of surprises and memorable vignettes, which fills a gap in our knowledge and provides an accessible introduction to a badly neglected area of European history.”
  Spectator (UK)
• “Snyder’s biography brilliantly baits his readers with a glittering subject to teach them historical and political truths about 20th-century Europe.”
  Times (UK)
• “Just occasionally, a book comes along that is simply not long enough. If you like European history, you will long for The Red Prince. . . . A hugely stylish and flowing narrative. . . . Essential reading for historians of the period.”
  Sunday Tribune (Ireland)
• “One of this country’s most talented and innovative historians.”
  Niall Ferguson, author of The Ascent of Money
• “Timothy Snyder has already shown that he has a masterly intellectual grasp of complex issues such as the identity problems of Central and Eastern Europe. He now demonstrates that he can tell a good tale: lucidly, briskly and seductively. The Red Prince delves into areas of history with which most western readers will be unfamiliar. In consequence, it educates as it informs as it entertains.”
  Norman Davies, author of Europe: A History
• “Here is a master historian at work—patient, determined, scrupulous and smart. And how many times a year am I told a story that I’ve never even heard of? Not often. So, caution, highly addictive! And now I plan to read his others—and you will too.”
  Alan Furst, author of Night Soldiers
• “Timothy Snyder is one of the most remarkable and original historians of Eastern Europe of his generation. His work commands our attention.”
  Timothy Garton Ash, author of The Magic Lantern
• “The Red Prince must be devoured by anyone who has any interest in the history of Central and Eastern Europe. But the radius of this book ought to reach beyond that. This is a radiant combination of stunning research, worldly knowledge, and good writing. A very rare achievement.”
  John Lukacs, author of Five Days in London