Author(s): Austin Ratner

Fiction

Austin Ratner's superbly crafted, prize-winning novel The Jump Artist tells the story of one of the twentieth century's most renowned artists - and a murder trial that shook Europe. 

A young man stands unjustly accused of murdering his father. Albert Einstein and Thomas Mann speak out on his behalf. Sigmund Freud is called to testify. The trial that ensues, in which he attempts to clear his name, sends shockwaves throughout Europe. In this crucible of injustice and grief, one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century is formed.

From prison cell and psychological trauma to bohemian Paris at its height and Europe on the eve of war, from tragedy and injustice to freedom and, eventually, to fame, this is the story of The Jump Artist. In this superbly crafted, prize-winning novel, Austin Ratner recreates the remarkable true story of Philippe Halsman, a photographer whose portraits of some of the greatest names of our times - Dali, Einstein and Monroe among them - ensured his enduring fame, but whose renown masked a shocking tragedy that haunted him throughout his life, and a remarkable journey from darkness into the light...