The House of Wittgenstein is a saga dedicated to the fate of a brilliant and tragic Viennese family, from which came both a famous philosopher and the world's greatest one-armed pianist. This was one of the richest, most talented and eccentric families in the history of Europe. A fanatical love of music united the Wittgensteins, but money, madness and the vicissitudes of two world wars sowed discord. Of the eight children, three committed suicide; Paul lost an arm in the war, but stubbornly followed his calling as a musician; and Ludwig, the quirky younger son, is now known as one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century. Alexander Waugh, himself from a distinguished and eccentric family and the author of the acclaimed memoir Fathers and Sons, unfolds the whimsical tapestry of the Wittgenstein story with a vivacity and depth comparable to Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks.