‘Shining Hours of Humanity’ was the title Stefan Zweig gave to his 1927 collection of historic miniatures. Almost a hundred years later, the weekly newspaper Die Zeit published a new collection of shining hours, which gave rise to this book. These defining moments are different from Zweig’s and reflect our changed view of the world. They range from hippies throwing LSD parties, to the great speech made by Social Democrat Otto Wels against Hitler’s Enabling Act. Some are great adventures, like Thor Heyerdahl’s on his raft in the Pacific, and some involve scientific progress, like when Rosalind Franklin decoded the structure of DNA only to see three men take credit for her work. Some are great achievements, like the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, and some are missed opportunities, as in the case of Patrice Lumumba, who was a beacon of hope to many Africans before his execution in 1961. They are also deeply moving – like the story of the American pilots who rescued Vietnamese villagers from their own US army comrades during the My Lai massacre: a spark of humanity even in the midst of the most horrific barbarity. And these defining moments are all worth reading about – because great history always consists, first and foremost, of great stories.

• In cooperation with Die ZEIT

• Shining hours for our time

• Deeply moving stories

• There is a little light to be found even in the darkest moments

• Featuring texts by Iris Radisch, Michael Thumann, Volker Weidermann and other prominent authors

• Great history consists of great stories

• A perfect gift and a rewarding read