Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) is now generally recognized as one of the most influential thinkers of the last century. This Very Short Introduction explores his extraordinary life and thought. His complex system of criticism is difficult for many, but it is coherent in its combination of a Judaic theological perspective with cultural Marxism. Benjamin's distinctive approach considered literary criticism, visual media, and the impact of cosmopolitanism. This innovative messianic understanding of history would go on to inspire countless critics and even entire schools of academia.

Born into a wealthy German-Jewish family, Benjamin lived much of his life in poverty and exile, and he committed suicide in 1940 while fleeing the Nazis. In his lifetime, he was known only to a small group of intimate friends, notably Gershom Scholem, Bertold Brecht, and Theodor Adorno. His close compatriots had been trying desperately to rescue him at the time of his death. All attempts failed—but his thought remains crucial to understanding the crises of our present world.