This biography of Thomas Mann, is a portrait of Mann's Germany, his work, and his life until his exile and arrival in America. The book considers Mann's relation to his literary ancestors, particularly Goethe and Nietzsche, as well as his contemporaries Gide and Kafka, and to the American writers, Whitman and Melville. Focusing on Mann's literary achievement, it provides social and psychological insights into the interplay of his life with such works as Death in Venice, The Magic Mountain and The Confessions of Felix Krull.