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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
informative
fast-paced
A very good little introduction into this great country which like all good introductions, will leave you wanting to know more.
Hawes teases out the thread that run through the history of the nation which has dominated European affairs since Caesar marched his legions into Gaul. The first is the concept of a true Germany, it falls between the Rhine and the Elbe, it was Roman first, then Charlemagne’s, it remained Catholic, was less keen on Hitler and was reformed post war as West Germany. The similarities between the borders of the Roman Germania and the West Germany of 1949-89 are remarkable.
The recent history of Germany begins with the gifting of the industrialised Rhineland, in the west, to the predominantly agrarian Prussia in the east. The ensuing two centuries is the story of Prussia appropriating the wealth of West Germany to pursue its disastrous ends. Even today the subsidies in Germany flow from West to East, but unlike the north/south divide in the UK or Italy, in Germany the tail seems to wag the dog. The relationship between the Germans may be well summed up by the German joke "Why are the Chinese so happy? Because they still have their wall.”
Hawes writes engagingly, striking the right balance between providing an overview and a detailed history. He also manages to avoid the trap which snares so many chroniclers of Germany, but not focusing overly on the comparatively brief Nazi period.
There are however a few superficial problems: The book continually draws analogies to modern events, suggesting that it may not age well. The debt burden in 1920’s Weimar is compared to Greece in the 2010’s and the desolation of the Thirty Years war to the current decimation of Syria. The book is also replete with maps which are quite hard to read and annoying bubbles of text which don’t add anything. We are, for example, told that an “Invincible Prussian army/Austro-Hungarian manpower + Invincible Royal Navy = Intercontinental checkmate”, which may be the grossest oversimplification you can read outside a poor GCSE essay. Quite why the publisher felt the need to include them is a mystery, particularly given that they are simply and eloquently explained in the surrounding prose.
It is however an introduction full of useful information and well worth reading. Your will learn something new.
Hawes teases out the thread that run through the history of the nation which has dominated European affairs since Caesar marched his legions into Gaul. The first is the concept of a true Germany, it falls between the Rhine and the Elbe, it was Roman first, then Charlemagne’s, it remained Catholic, was less keen on Hitler and was reformed post war as West Germany. The similarities between the borders of the Roman Germania and the West Germany of 1949-89 are remarkable.
The recent history of Germany begins with the gifting of the industrialised Rhineland, in the west, to the predominantly agrarian Prussia in the east. The ensuing two centuries is the story of Prussia appropriating the wealth of West Germany to pursue its disastrous ends. Even today the subsidies in Germany flow from West to East, but unlike the north/south divide in the UK or Italy, in Germany the tail seems to wag the dog. The relationship between the Germans may be well summed up by the German joke "Why are the Chinese so happy? Because they still have their wall.”
Hawes writes engagingly, striking the right balance between providing an overview and a detailed history. He also manages to avoid the trap which snares so many chroniclers of Germany, but not focusing overly on the comparatively brief Nazi period.
There are however a few superficial problems: The book continually draws analogies to modern events, suggesting that it may not age well. The debt burden in 1920’s Weimar is compared to Greece in the 2010’s and the desolation of the Thirty Years war to the current decimation of Syria. The book is also replete with maps which are quite hard to read and annoying bubbles of text which don’t add anything. We are, for example, told that an “Invincible Prussian army/Austro-Hungarian manpower + Invincible Royal Navy = Intercontinental checkmate”, which may be the grossest oversimplification you can read outside a poor GCSE essay. Quite why the publisher felt the need to include them is a mystery, particularly given that they are simply and eloquently explained in the surrounding prose.
It is however an introduction full of useful information and well worth reading. Your will learn something new.
A sprint through 2000 or s0 years of German history that advances the theory that there are, and always have been, two Germanies; a Western and Southern part as far as the river Elbe and an Eastern part from the Elbe into the wilds of modern Poland and Lithuania. The Western part is an integral part of Europe whilst the wilder, lest prosperous part is forever haunted by threats from the East.
The ancient foundations of the German nation thus give some insights into it behaviour since unification in 1871.
The ancient foundations of the German nation thus give some insights into it behaviour since unification in 1871.
Starting as wild barbaric tribes on the East side of the Rhine to being the foremost European leader; surely a worthy tale.
Having studied German history for some time and being a German myself, I found this book very interesting. It give you a good overview of the most significant events in the central European history, which have forged the modern nation Germany.
The book contains some very interesting ideas and perspective on the German history. Surely the Rhine-Elba-East Elbia theory is worth a thought and surely has some truth to it. Also the approach on Prussian history and declive, the depth of the German society and the analysis on why the NS-State could exist and how this all has influence on the modern dynamic of Germany are well documented and interesting. Worth a read for sure.
I do not fully agree with the last thesis of the book. Seeing the Wiedervereinigung as a bad decision and something to reverse is surely more a radical left/right idea than a democrats approach. Using history to revise this is more in the camp of revisionist ideas than a modern democrat.
The book is well written, fast to read and has interesting ideas in it. You can read it in a week, a long flight or a rainy weekend.
Having studied German history for some time and being a German myself, I found this book very interesting. It give you a good overview of the most significant events in the central European history, which have forged the modern nation Germany.
The book contains some very interesting ideas and perspective on the German history. Surely the Rhine-Elba-East Elbia theory is worth a thought and surely has some truth to it. Also the approach on Prussian history and declive, the depth of the German society and the analysis on why the NS-State could exist and how this all has influence on the modern dynamic of Germany are well documented and interesting. Worth a read for sure.
I do not fully agree with the last thesis of the book. Seeing the Wiedervereinigung as a bad decision and something to reverse is surely more a radical left/right idea than a democrats approach. Using history to revise this is more in the camp of revisionist ideas than a modern democrat.
The book is well written, fast to read and has interesting ideas in it. You can read it in a week, a long flight or a rainy weekend.
Another one i might need to re-read again later because I feel like I got a little lost somewhere in the middle, but German history is so confusing that could have nothing to do with the writing and just due to history itself! But it was certainly interesting and worth the read!
Posso não ter continuado os meus estudos de História, o que me traz uma desvantagem ao avaliar livros com este carácter. No entanto, e comparando com a experiência que tive ao ler uma obra semelhante sobre a História da Rússia, pelo José Milhazes, posso dizer os aspetos que notei estarem diferentes nesta leitura e que a tornaram interessante, mas ao mesmo tempo pouco enriquecedora.
Primeiro que a própria narração não parece ser exatamente de um livro de história. Sinto que mais parecia uma reportagem e que o autor não se manteve exatamente imparcial quando comentava certos eventos ou escolhas realizadas pelas figuras da história alemã, ou dos países envolvidos em tais ocasiões. Depois foi a questão de alguns factos terem sido abordados de forma demasiado superficial, deixando-nos a questionar os possíveis aspetos deixados de parte, mas que poderiam suscitar interesse no leitor. Sim, aprendemos coisas novas que os habituais livros históricos ou os documentários não comentam (como o facto de a suástica já ter sido usada antes de Hitler criar a bandeira Nazi); mas e que tal prolongar-se um pouco mais na história da família monarca que reinou na Alemanha em vez de só surgir com uma referência ao monarca atual e nada mais? E que tal explicar as reais conexões sanguíneas que existiam entre um monarca alemão e outros da Europa? Ou então explicar qual foi o destino do último kaiser?
Apesar da leitura ser de carácter fácil de entender (atenção quando estiverem a ler por causa das expressões de língua materna germânica que podem ser usadas ao invés da tradução) e da sua proposta ser cativante, sinto que os outros elementos importantes na leitura ficaram um pouco deixados de parte, o que o faz deixar a desejar um pouco em relação ao outro livro que li com uma estrutura e contexto semelhante.
Primeiro que a própria narração não parece ser exatamente de um livro de história. Sinto que mais parecia uma reportagem e que o autor não se manteve exatamente imparcial quando comentava certos eventos ou escolhas realizadas pelas figuras da história alemã, ou dos países envolvidos em tais ocasiões. Depois foi a questão de alguns factos terem sido abordados de forma demasiado superficial, deixando-nos a questionar os possíveis aspetos deixados de parte, mas que poderiam suscitar interesse no leitor. Sim, aprendemos coisas novas que os habituais livros históricos ou os documentários não comentam (como o facto de a suástica já ter sido usada antes de Hitler criar a bandeira Nazi); mas e que tal prolongar-se um pouco mais na história da família monarca que reinou na Alemanha em vez de só surgir com uma referência ao monarca atual e nada mais? E que tal explicar as reais conexões sanguíneas que existiam entre um monarca alemão e outros da Europa? Ou então explicar qual foi o destino do último kaiser?
Apesar da leitura ser de carácter fácil de entender (atenção quando estiverem a ler por causa das expressões de língua materna germânica que podem ser usadas ao invés da tradução) e da sua proposta ser cativante, sinto que os outros elementos importantes na leitura ficaram um pouco deixados de parte, o que o faz deixar a desejar um pouco em relação ao outro livro que li com uma estrutura e contexto semelhante.
informative
fast-paced
informative
reflective
fast-paced
informative
fast-paced
informative
reflective
fast-paced
This book moves and I found great humor in the number of equations. It’s so comprehensive and the maps are incredibly helpful. I’ve learned a lot and feel as if I could read this book again. As an American I feel as if we think about country lines way too much instead of thinking of historical cultural divides. West and East Germany are not the same.