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ahomelibrary's review against another edition
German history and nonfiction readers, there’s a new book out that will be right up your alley!
“Every city has history — but Berlin has too much!”
“Berlin: Life and Death in the City at the Center of the World” by Sinclair McKay (also author of the hit “The Secret Life of Bletchley Park: The WWII Codebreaking Centre and the Men and Women Who Worked There”) came out late August from @stmartinspress @macmillanusa.
My note — In my view, this book is best suited for readers already aquatinted with German history or WWII buffs. The organization of the book isn’t for readers who aren’t ready to dive right into a text rich with detail and no consistent guideposts for what’s what.
That being said… the writing and research is great. McKay is an experienced writer and conveys a portrait of Berlin from 1919 and beyond. This covers aspects of anything from human history to the war, the Wall, socioeconomic factors, Hitler, occupation, women and children’s issues, the Soviets, and the modernity of Berlin and it’s resilience as a historic city.
Things You’ll Read About ⤵️
“Every city has history — but Berlin has too much!”
“Berlin: Life and Death in the City at the Center of the World” by Sinclair McKay (also author of the hit “The Secret Life of Bletchley Park: The WWII Codebreaking Centre and the Men and Women Who Worked There”) came out late August from @stmartinspress @macmillanusa.
My note — In my view, this book is best suited for readers already aquatinted with German history or WWII buffs. The organization of the book isn’t for readers who aren’t ready to dive right into a text rich with detail and no consistent guideposts for what’s what.
That being said… the writing and research is great. McKay is an experienced writer and conveys a portrait of Berlin from 1919 and beyond. This covers aspects of anything from human history to the war, the Wall, socioeconomic factors, Hitler, occupation, women and children’s issues, the Soviets, and the modernity of Berlin and it’s resilience as a historic city.
Things You’ll Read About ⤵️
sonicboylee's review
5.0
Brilliantly researched and well written account of Berlin Pre and Post 1945. Loved the personal testimony’s spread throughout and the links to the wider political actions.
kevin_shepherd's review against another edition
4.0
“Other European capitals acknowledge the dark past with elegantly aestheticized monuments; they seek to smooth the jagged edges of history. Not here.”
Covering the history of Berlin from 1919 to 1989, author Sinclair McKay chronicles the city’s socioeconomic rise and fall and rise and fall and rise. Starting with the post-WWI Weimar Republic, McKay guides us through a metropolis forever changed by the advent of Nazism, the maniacal vision of Adolf Hitler, and the terror of Kristallnacht.
When the tide of World War II turned decidedly against Germany (roughly 1943), Berlin, once thought imperishable, became the preferred landing zone of countless allied bombs and explosive artillery shells. In the aftermath the rubbled capital was quartered between the Soviets, the French, the British, and the Americans.
Ultimately socialist-capitalist frictions between the USSR and the US deteriorated into a near endless cycle of retributions and reprisals—culminating in the storied ’Berlin Wall’ which infamously went up in 1961 and famously came down in 1989. Through it all, Berlin and its people persevered.
“Every city has history, but Berlin has too much.” ~David Chipperfield, architect
I am impressed by Sinclair McKay’s ability to infuse new life into an era of world history that has been written about ad nauseam. This is an exquisitely composed account that should appeal to most every History Buff on the planet; ‘extensively researched and nicely written. 4 Stars.
Covering the history of Berlin from 1919 to 1989, author Sinclair McKay chronicles the city’s socioeconomic rise and fall and rise and fall and rise. Starting with the post-WWI Weimar Republic, McKay guides us through a metropolis forever changed by the advent of Nazism, the maniacal vision of Adolf Hitler, and the terror of Kristallnacht.
When the tide of World War II turned decidedly against Germany (roughly 1943), Berlin, once thought imperishable, became the preferred landing zone of countless allied bombs and explosive artillery shells. In the aftermath the rubbled capital was quartered between the Soviets, the French, the British, and the Americans.
Ultimately socialist-capitalist frictions between the USSR and the US deteriorated into a near endless cycle of retributions and reprisals—culminating in the storied ’Berlin Wall’ which infamously went up in 1961 and famously came down in 1989. Through it all, Berlin and its people persevered.
“Every city has history, but Berlin has too much.” ~David Chipperfield, architect
I am impressed by Sinclair McKay’s ability to infuse new life into an era of world history that has been written about ad nauseam. This is an exquisitely composed account that should appeal to most every History Buff on the planet; ‘extensively researched and nicely written. 4 Stars.
queen_in_yellow's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Vorweg: Wer eine detaillierte Abhandlung der Berliner Geschichte in dem angegebenen Zeitraum erwartet, der wird wahrscheinlich enttäuscht werden, denn der Inhalt ist schlaglichtartig erzählt. Gewisse Zeiträume werden also gar nicht behandelt, während andere Schwerpunkte sehr genau ausgearbeitet sind.
Hier liegt aber auch die Stärke des Buches, denn Sinclair McKay erzählt mitreißend und sehr berührend, er stützt sich dabei stark auf Augenzeugenberichte und besonders die Abschnitte in denen er vom harten Leben in den letzten Kriegsjahren und dem zerstörten Nachkriegsberlin erzählt, gehen einem besonders nahe. Dabei verfällt er aber nie in einen mitleidheischenden oder emotionalisierenden Tonfall. Rein vom Umfang her liegt auf diesem Zeitraum auch der Schwerpunkt des Buches, dagegen fällt die Abhandlung des geteilten Berlins fast schon enttäuschend kurz aus. Hier hätte ich mir etwas mehr Ausgewogenheit gewünscht, denn es hätte über den Alltag und das Leben in Ostberlin sicher noch mehr zu erzählen gegeben.
Auch die Weimarer Republik wird behandelt und hier habe ich tatsächlich auch noch neue Dinge erfahren, obwohl ich schon sehr viel über diese Zeitepoche gelesen habe.
Wer also gern erzählerisch in die Geschichte Berlins eintauchen möchte und gerne Augenzeugenberichte liest, dem kann ich das Buch sehr empfehlen.
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, Racism, and Xenophobia
bibliotequeish's review against another edition
3.0
I have always enjoyed nonfiction, informative books. Unfortunately this one was not for me. .
This book was well researched but the writing could not hold my attention.
I went through pages that were so interesting followed by pages that felt like worlds on a page rather than information
This book was well researched but the writing could not hold my attention.
I went through pages that were so interesting followed by pages that felt like worlds on a page rather than information
marko_b_4's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Too much focus on WW2, would've enjoyed some further exploration of Cold War history.