Walter Bendix Schoenflies Benjamin (\* 15. Juli 1892 in Charlottenburg; † 26. September 1940 in Portbou) war ein deutscher Philosoph, Literaturkritiker und Übersetzer der Werke von Balzac, Baudelaire und Marcel Proust. (Auszug aus Wikipedia)

Walter Benjamin - philosopher, essayist, literary and cultural theorist - was one of the most original writers and thinkers of the twentieth century. This new selection brings together Benjamin's major works, including "One-Way Street", his dreamlike, aphoristic observations of urban life in Weimar Germany; "Unpacking My Library", a delightful meditation on book-collecting; the confessional "Hashish in Marseille"; and, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction", his seminal essay on how technology changes the way we appreciate art. Also including writings on subjects ranging from Proust to Kafka, violence to surrealism, this is the essential volume on one of the most prescient critical voices of the modern age. It "Unpacking My Library"; "One-Way Street"; "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction"; "Brief History of Photography"; "Hashish in Marseille"; "On the Critique of Violence"; "The Job of the Translator"; "Surrealism"; "Franz Kafka"; and, "Pic

Walter Benjamin was fascinated by the impact of new technology on culture, an interest that extended beyond his renowned critical essays. From 1927 to ’33, he wrote and presented something in the region of eighty broadcasts using the new medium of radio. Radio Benjamin gathers the surviving transcripts, which appear here for the first time in English. This eclectic collection demonstrates the range of Benjamin’s thinking and his enthusiasm for popular sensibilities. His celebrated “Enlightenment for Children” youth programs, his plays, readings, book reviews, and fiction reveal Benjamin in a creative, rather than critical, mode. They flesh out ideas elucidated in his essays, some of which are also represented here, where they cover topics as varied as getting a raise and the history of natural disasters, subjects chosen for broad appeal and examined with passion and acuity. Delightful and incisive, this is Walter Benjamin channeling his sophisticated thinking to a wide audience, allowing us to benefit from a new voice for one of the twentieth century’s most respected thinkers.

»Nichts muß den Leser, der diesem Schriftsteller nahezukommen sucht mehr fesseln als einige Briefe aus der Epoche von 1783 bis 1883. Benjamin hat sie ausgewählt und kommentiert. Die Wahl gründet sich auf eine staunenerregende Vergegenwärtigung dieses Jahrhunderts als der Krone des Bürgertums. Die Kommentare machen die Briefe durchscheinend für den Augenblick, in dem sie entstanden, für den Mann, der sie schrieb; wobei Benjamin sich in seiner außerordentlichen Fähigkeit bewährt, den Karat der Sprache genau zu bestimmen. Das Ziel der Veröffentlichung jener Briefe offenbart die Unbeirrbarkeit Benjamins: er gab sie 1936 in der Schweiz heraus; unter dem Titel Deutsche Menschen hielt da ein Richter und ein Liebender dem verwirrten Vaterland den Spiegel vor und zugleich das Bild der deutschen Humanität die es einmal gegeben hatte.« Benno Reifenberg

Benjamin’s famous 'Work of Art' essay sets out his boldest thoughts—on media and on culture in general—in their most realized form, while retaining an edge that gets under the skin of everyone who reads it. In this essay the visual arts of the machine age morph into literature and theory and then back again to images, gestures, and thought. This essay, however, is only the beginning of a vast collection of writings that the editors have assembled to demonstrate what was revolutionary about Benjamin's explorations on media. Long before Marshall McLuhan, Benjamin saw that the way a bullet rips into its victim is exactly the way a movie or pop song lodges in the soul. This book contains the second, and most daring, of the four versions of the 'Work of Art' essay the one that addresses the utopian developments of the modern media. The collection tracks Benjamin's observations on the media as they are revealed in essays on the production and reception of art; on film, radio, and photography; and on the modern transformations of literature and painting. The volume contains some of Benjamin's best-known work alongside fascinating, little-known essays—some appearing for the first time in English. In the context of his passionate engagement with questions of aesthetics, the scope of Benjamin's media theory can be fully appreciated.

On The Concept of History written by legendary author Walter Benjamin is widely considered to be one of the top 100 greatest books of all time. This great classic will surely attract a whole new generation of readers. For many, On The Concept of History is required reading for various courses and curriculums. And for others who simply enjoy reading timeless pieces of classic literature, this gem by Walter Benjamin is highly recommended. Published by Classic House Books and beautifully produced, On The Concept of History would make an ideal gift and it should be a part of everyone's personal library.