Hitler's Cosmopolitan Bastard

"Martyn Bond has written a fascinating biography of Count Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi and has offered a rich portrait of his worlds. It is a welcome and much-needed contribution to our understanding of twentieth-century Europeanism and is a pleasure to read." Matthew D'Auria, University of East Anglia "As Martyn Bond writes in his sympathetic but not uncritical biography, it is striking how many of the count's ideas - a single currency, customs union, charter of human rights, common anthem and much more - have come to fruition as Europe's integration has proceeded, by fits and starts, to present day. Coudenhove-Kalergi left a lasting legacy of ideals and imagination. Bond's biography, the first English-language study of the count, is a fitting tribute to his memory." Tony Barber, Financial Times "An evocative portrait of an underappreciated statesman, someone who embraced the ideal of a united Europe long before others. In the time of Brexit and other manifestations of contemporary populism, it is well worth recalling the turbulence of the mid-twentieth century and the bravery of those who stood up against tyranny." John Kampfner, author of Why the Germans Do It Better: Notes from a Grown-Up Country "The writing of Hitler's Cosmopolitan Bastard sparkles. At last, the story of Count Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi can be widely shared in the English-speaking world. This is an enthralling tale of vanished worlds and a charismatic personality. It is a stunning achievement, telling the story of his fight for a United States of Europe alongside his complex personal life, and deserves rich praise." Anne Sebba, author of Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved, and Died under Nazi Occupation "A comprehensive study of Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi and his profound influence on the pan-European outlook of Churchill and Amery could not be more timely as a Conservative government forces the UK to turn its back on the grand European project that was Coudenhove's conception. Drawing on many hitherto unavailable family papers, Martyn Bond has constructed a rich, seamless narrative describing this mesmerizing personality." Richard Bassett, author of Last Days in Old Europe: Trieste '79, Vienna '85, Prague '89

Martyn Bond, former European civil servant and BBC foreign correspondent, is a distinguished senior fellow at Regent's University London and a senior fellow of the Salzburg Global Seminar.