A Concise History of Germany

I enjoyed this very much. Until about half way through it, if asked, I would have described the book as written in the style of an essay, and felt the author sometimes assumed a greater knowledge of European history than I possessed. The truth is that my knowledge of European history prior to the French Revolution is sketchy, and this criticism may well reflect my own relative ignorance. These doubts fell away once I got onto the nineteenth century. I felt Fulbrook was very careful at most if not all points of German history to elucidate the federal character of the country which created a very different and perhaps more diverse culture to our own (British) history. In particular the role of the Holy Roman Empire/Habsburg Empire as a kind of protector seems to have allowed this federal structure to survive for centuries longer than it might have done otherwise. Of course in the nineteenth century, with new centralising influences emanating from the influence of the Napoleonic era, Germany eventually united, and then faced the modern world with its own Junker militarism holding the reigns, especially once the subtle Bismarck had been disposed of by the Kaiser. Fulbrook has a real go at trying to map out the different social and political elements in a very various society. I especially appreciated her account of the socialist movement in the early twentieth century, and also her account of the division and reunification of Germany after the Second World War. She raised one or two questions for me. She is less critical of East Germany than others have been - but then she doesn't discuss the role of the Stasi at all -, and also, although she doesn't really go into this much, suggests there was less support for Hitler than I had assumed. This is not the impression I got from reading Kershaw's biography of Hitler, which left me with the impression he had overwhelming support until about 1942. However Kershaw's book, being a biography of Hitler, gives a 'top down' view of German society which on its own does not necessarily reflect the whole social picture. Nevertheless this book is immensely valuable as Fulbrook makes a sustained effort to give a measured and balanced portrait of a country whose history has been eventful and significant not only for its own inhabitants but for the rest of the world, for better and for worse.

A very useful and easy to read book for my GCSE History. After wading through the syllabus about the Cold War and the text book, I knew something about the subject. This slim book recapped all of that and seemed to bring it together. It was like reading a novel - what happened next? I have now ordered another 7 books in the same series which cover other topics in the course. I am 70 next year, so this book is good to read, whatever age you are. I am sure the other 7 will be as well.

A useful reference which occasionally gave unexpected detail on subjects which must have appealed to the writer. I passed it on to a holiday guide.

This was a xmas present for someone who is learning German. 5 stars for arriving quickly. The recipient seemed really pleased with it.

I bought this book after a first ever visit to Germany. I was reasonably conversant with modern German history but wanted to learn more about the period up to 1914. I decided to buy the book after reading the lucid and interesting Preface and Introduction on Amazon. I found the rest of the book to be impressive and authoritative in the way it manages to pack in so much detail of the long history of a large part of Europe. Unfortunately, it is written in a highly academic style that struck me as dry and, at times, frankly incomprehensible. Although the book clearly has its place, I'm not sure that it's "the best introduction to German history for the general reader" as the blurb on the back claims.

The best of its kind: easily the best introduction to German history in a single volume. This is highly accessible, covering the broad sweep of German history from the earliest tribes on German soil to the reunification of 1990. The book is not just a dry narrative, but rather a sparkling analysis that will be invaluable to all those with an interest in German history. Academics will of course say that it is too short to do justice to its subject; but for the rest of us, this is invaluable as a way in to a huge subject which can seem daunting to the beginner. Highly recommended, and is likely to lead you to read more in this field.

The first part of the book up until the building of the wall was just enough information after the wall went on a little long

Great buy replacing a 'lost' copy

Too good

I purchased this book last month and had the opportunity to read it while travelling. This is a well written book that provides an overview of German history. The language is easy to understand and Fulbrook does a nice job of placing events in both the immediate and big-picture context. This is especially helpful in gaining an understanding of how events unfolded and how some events (i.e the Nazi rise to power) could have occurred. Although the material is understandably broad in scope, there are many specifics tying the larger context to a variety of topics including literature, arts, music, philosophy, etc. Readers with knowledge of European history ranging from little to extensive will learn of broad themes and details of the rise, fall, and rebirth of the German state. The book is as titled - it is a concise history of Germany.

This is a well-written concise guide to the History of Germany. I certainly learned a lot, particularly about the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime during the Third Reich. I would have liked more information on the massacre of Senegalese soldiers though. Great book!

Ich habe dieses Buch meinem US Freund geschenkt und ihm hat es gefallen. Ich kann also nichts weiter dazu sagen und hoffen es stimmt.

Fullbrook is known as a consummate scholar. As this is my first serious look at German history, I can only say that her skill as a writer is evident and the novice will be encouraged to investigate epochs of history beyond her brief treatment of such an influential nation. Frequently, a single, brief paragraph leaves the reader with a desire to delve further into her summaries.