Every Man for Himself and God against All

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

Werner Herzog is the undisputed master of extreme cinema: building an opera house in the middle of the jungle; walking from Munich to Paris in the dead of winter; descending into an active volcano; living in the wilderness among grizzly bears - he has always been intrigued by the extremes of human experience.

From his early movies to his later documentaries, he has made a career out of exploring the boundaries of human endurance: what we are capable of in exceptional circumstances and what these situations reveal about who we really are. But these are not just great cinematic themes. During the making of his films, Herzog pushed himself and others to the limits, often putting himself in life-threatening situations.

As a child in rural Bavaria, a single loaf of bread had to last his family all week. The hunger and deprivation he experienced during his early years perhaps explain his fascination with the limits of physical endurance.All his life, Herzog would embrace risk and danger, constantly looking for challenges and adventures.

Filled to the brim with memorable stories and poignant observations, Every Man for Himself and God against All unveils the influences and ideas that drive his creativity and have shaped his unique view of the world. This book tells, for the first time, the story of his extraordinary and fascinating life.

©2023 Werner Herzog (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critics Review

PRAISE FOR EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF AND GOD AGAINST ALL

Werner Herzog's life story reads like a Hollywood film

Daily Telegraph
Most film memoirs are boring because film-makers don't have a life outside film. But Herzog has lived the nine lives of a cat ... and his book actually gets more interesting the further it gets from the big films
Sunday Times *Book of the Week*
Herzog's memoir... is as intense, surprising and wacky as his films, with a real sense of reason underlying all the madness and eccentricity
New Statesman, *Books of the Year*
A visionary masterpiece
John Gray, New Statesman
A joyous, fulfilling read ... there are some terrific, wild stories ... [Herzog] has lived an extreme and extraordinary life
Observer
A fascinating glimpse into the mind of an original, anarchic filmmaker. His family tales are weird and funny ... and he gives revealing accounts of his professional career and acting roles on hit shows such as The Simpsons and The Mandalorian
The Independent
A bracing dive into the film-maker's darkly beguiling mind ... The glory of this book is that Herzog lets us see him making the world up. He writes throughout with enviable attention to the world around him [and] demands that we wonder at the tangible world, in all its mystery.
Guardian
[Every Man for Himself and God Against All is] an evocative, shocking encounter with a man who has experienced life at its most extreme
Daily Telegraph
[Herzog's] new book is a hypnotic series of recollections and visions that you cannot help but read in that iconic voice ... It's a journey through the heart of Herzog, with Herzog at the wheel
Empire
[Herzog] really is a kind of genius
Spectator

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
5.0
5.0
The most incredible life narrated perfectly by the man himself. If you like anything to do with Werner Herzog, this is not to be missed.
tgh 25/05/2025

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