Eine sechsköpfige Jury - Rudolf Walter Leonhardt, Hans Mayer, Rolf Michaelis, Fritz J. Raddatz, Peter Wapnewski, Dieter E. Zimmer - präsentierte während der letzten zwei Jahre Woche für Woche in der ZEIT "Die 100 Bücher der Weltliteratur". Diese literarische wie literaturkritische Anthologie ist hier zu einem einmaligen Band zusammengefaßt.
Fritz Joachim Raddatz was a German feuilletonist, essayist, biographer and romancier. Aged 20 he started to write for Berliner Zeitung. From 1953 to 1958 he led the foreign department of the publishing house Volk und Welt in East Berlin. Because Raddatz had ongoing conflicts with East German authorities he moved back to West Germany in 1958.
In 1960 he became chief editor and deputy publishing manager of Rowohlt Verlag. He held hese positions until 1969, when he had to step down due to the "balloon affair". From 1976 until 1985 he was leading the feuilleton of Die Zeit.
Raddatz was one of the most influential literary critics in the field of German literature. He also published his diaries as well as many essays, novels and biographies.
Raddatz lived openly as a bisexual. In Hamburg he lived for more than 30 years with his partner Gerd.
In September 2014 Raddatz announced his retirement from active writing.
Raddatz, who was an advocate of Euthanasia, committed suicide at the age of 83 on 26 February 2015 in Zurich. He never wanted to become a nursing case. In full possession of his powers he decided: "That's it, it's enough."
He was chairman of the Kurt Tucholsky Foundation and a member of PEN-Zentrum Germany and the Freie Akademie der Künste Hamburg.
No one would dare to come up with a list like this, anymore. A very high percentage of truly important books. And some of the reviews quite good as well.