As an American who once lived a number of years in Vienna, Austria, Frederic Morton's continued ability to capture in his novels and histories the intimate nuances of the streets, the sounds, the culture and the conflicted personalities of the Viennese always intrigues and entertains me.

Morton's books have taught me a great deal about the history and culture of Vienna and of the impact the conflicting rulers and people of the region had on the world today. Reading his books, has helped me to understand the reasons behind many of the international disasters that grew out of the reign of Emperor Joseph II over the Austrian Hungarian Empire have become clearer. Morton focuses on small periods of time in history to illuminate the details of the pivotal events that brought the world to where we are today.

A great example of this is his history on The Rothschilds. You may think that reading history is somewhat dry, but this book was so interesting that it was ultimately turned into a Broadway musical by the songwriting duo Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick six years after sweeping the Tonys with Fiddler on the Roof. The book covers the family's rise to international prominence from its humble beginnings in Frankfurt-am-Main.

Among the family’s many world changing acts is their decision to construct railways in Continental Europe. Although the project met much resistance, (the Duke of Wellington’s opinion was that “railroads will only encourage the lower classes to move about needlessly”), Salomon Rothschild convinced the Kaiser that “this undertaking is on a colossal scale such as has never been contemplated in Europe before… and will remain as an everlasting monument to your Majesty’s reign.” For a detailed discussion on how the railway systems came about in England, Europe and the USA, as well as the account of the Rothschild generations and the changes they made to our history, I heartily recommend The Rothschilds.

Unlike his histories, The Forever Street by Morton is a chronicle of a displaced family living in Vienna during an era of hardship just prior to the beginning of World War II. It places us squarely in the lives of people forced to leave everything they know and love in order to survive. The story of people coming to the big city of Vienna for work magically brings to life the day-to-day struggle of staying alive, keeping faith, finding friendship and love, building something of substance, and ultimately being forced to decide to once again let go of everything they have and believe in.

Not all of the characters in this novel, including the protagonist head of the household, Berek, are people you get close to or admire, but then that is part of the realism of the book. We are not entranced by everyone we know in our journey through life. The ultimate cruelty of their lifelong neighbors, partners and friends is all the more thought provoking for Berek's stubbornly human failings.

If you want to understand the historical background of the conflicts that erupted in Europe, dragging the rest of the world into one of the darkest moments of history, Morton's histories of the period are a must. If your goal is simply a great read, The Forever Street can take you there.