A fascinating, readable biography of Friedrich Hayek. . . The book punctures some long-standing myths about Hayek . . . [and] deserves a wide audience. * The Economist *
An engrossing story . . . [and] as detailed an account of the first half of Hayek's life as anyone could ask for. * Literary Review *
A propulsive read. The authors are expert guides to Hayek's intellectual evolution. . . . [but] they are also perceptive guides to Hayek's private life. . . . Caldwell and Klausinger have triumphantly succeeded. * Prospect *
No one is likely to repeat this feat. . . . This is the definitive Hayek for our times. -- Robert Skidelsky * Spectator *
The story, presented here with more detail than anyone has previously unfolded, is a simple and tragic one. . . . [Hayek's] was a spectacular achievement, but one, in the end, that could not have been made by a gregarious man of deep friendships and profound personal commitments. * Times Literary Supplement *
In mind-stunning detail . . . Caldwell and Klausinger tell everything about Hayek's youth you wanted to know but were afraid to ask. -- Deirdre Nansen McCloskey * Reason Magazine *
Excellently researched . . . this biography offers exciting insights. * Der Standard (Austria) *
One of the best biographies of any economist, covers anything you might wish to know, and with conceptual understanding. This is a fantastic book. * Marginal Revolution *
As the authors state, they intended this to be the definitive biography and they have achieved this ambition. * The Enlightened Economist *
A 2022 Notable Book * Seminary Co-Op *
A magnificent achievement. Caldwell and Klausinger bring Hayek alive; they also bring his world alive. This is riveting reading, taken as biography, and it's much more than that. It casts a bright new light on Hayek's era, and on our own. -- Cass R. Sunstein, coauthor of 'Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness'
Hayek: A Life, 1899-1950 is a triumph of both scholarship and biography. Caldwell and Klausinger have given us an instant classic, sure to stimulate and enrich debates about this most controversial, and still misunderstood, economist and social philosopher. -- Joel Isaac, author of 'Working Knowledge: Making the Human Sciences from Parsons to Kuhn'
Admirers and opponents of Hayek alike will find much to savor in this deeply researched, sweeping biography. Even readers who well know Hayek and his times will be enlightened and enriched. -- Jennifer Burns, author of 'Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right'
Hayek: A Life, 1899-1950 is brilliant, comprehensive, and engaging. For any historian, social scientist, or philosopher interested in how ideas shaped the twentieth century and how the events of the twentieth century framed intellectual discourse, this is a must-read. -- Peter Boettke, author of 'Living Economics: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow'
By far the most careful and comprehensive treatment of his early life and works, Hayek: A Life, 1899-1950 is an invaluable resource, full of remarkable discoveries. -- Angus Burgin, author of 'The Great Persuasion: Reinventing Free Markets since the Depression'