This first English language biography of Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) in two decades paints a
strikingly new picture of one of the twentieth century's most controversial cultural icons.
First published in 2014 and now available in paperback it was critically lauded and declared
the definitive life of this great artist and writer. Drawing on letters diaries and
unpublished material including Brecht's medical records Parker offers a rich and enthralling
account of Brecht's life and work viewed through the prism of the artist. Tracing his
extraordinary life from his formative years in Augsburg through the First World War his
politicisation during the Weimar Republic and his years of exile up to the Berliner Ensemble's
dazzling productions in Paris and London Parker shows how Brecht achieved his transformative
effect upon world theatre and poetry. Bertolt Brecht: A Literary Life is a powerful portrait of
a great compulsively contradictory personality whose artistry left its lasting imprint on
modern culture.
