Life and love in it

This is the book of life and love, written by the great German-Swiss writer Emil Ludwig (1881-1948) who emigrated to America in 1940, and translated by a pioneering translator, Adel Zaaiter (1895-1957). The author is famous for his biographies of great figures, most notably his internationally renowned book about Napoleon, along with his books about Bismarck, Cleopatra, Goethe, Lincoln, and others. In Arabic, he is known through the translation of his famous book, The Nile: Life of a River. Emil Ludwig learned a lot about life and love from his studies of the biographies of great figures and his writings about them. His life itself was an exciting journey from Germany to Switzerland and then to America, and back again, during a critical historical period that included two world wars. Ludwig presents himself in this book as a student of the philosopher Epicurus, and as a steadfast, serious individual who progresses from studying the human heart to studying nature, which is a realm free from all calamity, completely pure. These ideas and feelings are particular to Europeans seeking individual happiness, and in the ideals around which his being revolves—love, happiness, and greatness—he searches diligently to offer his recipe to every reader.