author
Max Simon Nordau
1849–1923
A doctor, critic, and fiery public speaker, he became one of the early leading voices of political Zionism while also writing sharp, widely discussed books about modern culture. His life moved between medicine, journalism, and activism, giving his work an unusual mix of argument, urgency, and style.
8 Audiobooks
Degeneration
by Max Simon Nordau
How Women Love (Soul Analysis)
by Max Simon Nordau
The malady of the century
by Max Simon Nordau
Morals and the Evolution of Man
by Max Simon Nordau
Zionism and Anti-Semitism
by Max Simon Nordau, Gustav Gottheil
The dwarf's spectacles, and other fairy tales
by Max Simon Nordau
On art and artists
by Max Simon Nordau
Soap bubbles
by Max Simon Nordau
About the author
Born in Pest, Hungary, on July 29, 1849, he was originally named Simon Maximilian Südfeld. He studied medicine, worked as a physician, and also built a reputation as a journalist, author, and social critic, later becoming widely known under the name Max Nordau.
His books on society and culture brought him an international readership, especially The Conventional Lies of Our Civilisation and Degeneration. He wrote in a forceful, combative way that made him one of the better-known intellectual figures of his time.
Nordau is also remembered as a major early Zionist leader. Working closely with Theodor Herzl, he helped found the Zionist Organization and played a prominent role in the early Zionist congresses. He died in Paris on January 23, 1923.