“A panorama of 20th century Central European history.”
—
Citation for the 2013 Adelbert von Chamisso Prize
“This exuberant, astute and vividly written account of the world of the art connoisseur is by turns autobiographical and historical, scholarly and anecdotal, offering a unique insight into a fascinating though often concealed realm, inhabited by larger-than-life characters, not least the author himself.”
John Brewer, author of The American Leonardo and The Pleasures of the Imagination