8 3 5 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 7 . ▁Mann ▁drew ▁deeply ▁from ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁family , ▁the ▁Mann ▁family ▁of ▁Lü beck , ▁and ▁their ▁milieu . ▁This ▁was ▁Mann ' s ▁first ▁novel , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁edition ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 , ▁Bud den bro oks ▁became ▁a ▁major ▁literary ▁success . ▁The ▁work ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁Nobel ▁Prize ▁in ▁Liter ature ▁for ▁Mann ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 ; ▁although ▁the ▁Nobel ▁award ▁generally ▁recogn ises ▁an ▁author ' s ▁body ▁of ▁work , ▁the ▁Swedish ▁Academy ' s ▁c itation ▁for ▁Mann ▁identified ▁" his ▁great ▁novel ▁Bud den bro oks " ▁as ▁the ▁principal ▁reason ▁for ▁his ▁prize . ▁Mann ▁also ▁wrote , ▁between ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁a ▁four - part ▁novel ▁Joseph ▁and ▁His ▁Brothers . ▁In ▁it ▁Mann ▁ret ells ▁the ▁familiar ▁bib lic al ▁stories ▁of ▁Gen esis , ▁from ▁Jacob ▁to ▁Joseph ▁( ch ap ters ▁ 2 7 – 5 0 ), ▁setting ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁historical ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Ak hen aten ▁( 1 3 5 3 – 1 3 3 6 ▁BC ) ▁in ▁ancient ▁Egypt . ▁ ▁Britain ▁Robert ▁Gra ves ▁of ▁Britain ▁wrote ▁several ▁popular ▁historical ▁nov els , ▁including ▁I , ▁Claud ius , ▁King ▁Jesus , ▁The ▁Golden ▁Fle e ce ▁and ▁Count ▁Bel is arius . ▁John ▁Cow per ▁Pow ys