From the end of the Middle Ages to the First World War, Europe was dominated by one family: the Habsburgs. Their unprecedented rule is the focus of Simon Winder's vivid third book, Danubia.

Winder's approach is friendly, witty, personal; this is a narrative that, while erudite and well researched, prefers to be discursive and anecdotal. In his survey of the centuries of often incompetent Habsburg rule which have continued to shape the fate of Central Europe, Winder does not shy away from the horrors, railing against the effects of nationalism, recounting the violence that was often part of life. But this is a history dominated above all by Winder's energy and curiosity. Eminently readable and thrillingly informative, Danubia is a treat that readers will be eager to dip into.

西蒙·温德尔

英国著名大众历史作家、出版人、书评人、影评人。多年来对中欧历史、德国历史做了大量深入的研究，并在近20年间多次游历神圣罗马帝国故土，探寻各地遗迹中蕴藏的古老文化元素及其背后的历史渊源。与彼得·威尔逊（Peter Wilson）、蒂姆·布兰宁（Tim Blunning）、尼尔·弗格森（Niall Ferguson）等欧洲史和德国史学术大师建立了深厚的友谊，并持续获得他们的指导与建议，得以在写作中融入新的学术视角。

温德尔在企鹅兰登出版集团担任出版总监，曾因一举获得007系列作者伊恩•弗莱明作品的出版权而名声大噪，他同时还负责部分“企鹅经典”作品和当代外国小说的推广工作。丰富的出版经验让温德尔更了解读者的喜好与习惯。在严谨的历史考证之外，他善于打破传统范式，从视觉、听觉、味觉、触觉等多个角度传递信息，以时而幽默里面犀利的语言进行叙述，让读者获得全方位的、充满愉悦感的阅读体验。他经常接受BBC、CNN等媒体的采访，应邀赴大学演讲，推广英国文化和其一直醉心研究的德国史。目前已经出版著作三部，其中，《日耳曼尼亚：古今德意志》曾被评为《星期日泰晤士报》“年度十大畅销书”，《多瑙河畔：哈布斯堡的欧洲》曾获2013年度“塞缪尔•约翰逊奖”（英国颇负盛名的非虚构类写作奖）提名。