Angel in the city.

The article discusses books like "Walter Benjamin: A Biography," by Momme Brodersen and "Benjamin's Crossing," by Jay Parini. Benjamin is said to have been a shy and awkward man, yet there was something about him that made people want to take his picture. One of the nicest things about Momme Brodersen's lavishly illustrated biography is that, more than half a century after Benjamin's death, American readers can finally get a good look at his face.