Engineers of Human Souls Audiobook By Simon Ings cover art

Engineers of Human Souls

Four Writers Who Changed Twentieth-Century Minds

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection of titles.
Yours as long as you’re a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for $8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Engineers of Human Souls

By: Simon Ings
Narrated by: Mark Elstob
Try Standard free

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.92

Buy for $24.92

Four writers. Four dictators. One world, changed out of all recognition. ENGINEERS OF HUMAN SOULS is an intimate and shocking shadow history of creative vanity in a time that turned writers - once the faithful servants of authority - into figures of political consequence.

Maurice Barrès, who first wielded the politics of identity. Gabriele D'Annunzio, whose poetry became a blueprint for fascism. Maxim Gorky, dramatist of the working class and Stalin's cheerleader. The Maoist Ding Ling, whose stories exculpated the regime that kept her imprisoned.

All four nursed extravagant visions of the future, and believed they were vital to its realisation. Each was lured to the centre of political action. Each established a dangerous and damaging relationship with a notorious dictator. And when writers and rulers find a use for each other, the consequences can be shattering for us all. These stories - of courage and compromise, vanity and malevolence - speak urgently to the uncontrollable power of words.©2024 Simon Ings (P)2024 Hachette Audio UK 20th Century Art & Literature Authors Biographies & Memoirs Historical Literary History & Criticism Modern

Critic reviews

An utterly thrilling and intellectually revelatory book. At a time when everything seems to be in freefall, and we are all trying to make sense of who we should be in a time of crisis, this is a stunningly wise book. If you read it, you'll learn about some of the deepest questions human beings can ask - and get closer to the answers (Johann Hari)
All stars
Most relevant
An interesting book - I knew the stories of D'Annuzio and Gorky already. The others were new to me. Still, because he's giving us four condensed lives in a single short book inevitably the observations are somewhat superficial and obvious. Still, it's a fun enough read and I recommend. Very well narrated.

Well written, well paced but superficial

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.