Zweig is one of the most popular writers of the curious period between the two world wars and, above all, one of the great writers of the twentieth century. His work has been translated into over fifty languages.

During World War because of his pacifist ideas, was exiled in Zurich, Salzburg and later in England. Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, sought refuge across the Atlantic, settling in Brazil. Convinced of the ultimate destruction of European cultural and spiritual values under the totalitarian boot of Nazism Hitler killed himself and his wife in 1942. His funeral, held in Rio de Janeiro with honors head of state, was an act multitudinous.

Zweig has earned a reputation for complete writer, excelling in all genres. As a novelist reflects the struggle of men under the control of the passions released with a style all melodramatic tinge. His tense narratives reflect life in moments of crisis, whose glow characters are revealed. Their biographies, based on the most rigorous investigation of historical sources, skillfully hidden his scholarly background behind a balanced composition and admirable style, which give their books the category of art.