The founder of the Austrian School is Carl Menger (1840-1921). In his book The Principles of Economics, he presented economics as a logical science rooted in empirical laws that seeks to understand the theoretical basis of value, price, and production.
Menger’s treatise is the subject of the current Austrian Workshop, directed by Professor Robert Ekelund, Jr., in the conference room of the Mises Institute, Auburn, Alabama.
A new book on the origins of the Austrian School sympathizes with Menger’s project but finds it flawed. David Gordon responds in The Mises Review.
The background literature for understanding the contributions of the Austrians is chronicled in the biographical section of the Austrian Study Guide.
For an overview of the Austrian School’s history, see the story of the Austrian School.