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Germany: The Empire Within
The strength of German nationalism and personal hopes for the soon-to-be reunited country are reflected in a variety of groups--Sudeten Germans, German Jews, Bavarian extravagants, military officers and members of the old nobility
264 pages, Hardcover
First published January 17, 1991
138 people want to read
About the author
Amity Shlaes
13 books410 followersAmity Shlaes graduated from Yale University magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1982.
Shlaes writes a column for Forbes, and served as a nationally syndicated columnist for over a decade, first at the Financial Times, then at Bloomberg. Earlier, she worked at the Wall Street Journal, where she was a member of the editorial board. She is the author of "Coolidge," "The Forgotten Man," and "The Greedy Hand, all bestsellers. Her first book, "Germany" was about German reunification.
Miss Shlaes chairs the board of the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation, situated at the birthplace of President Calvin Coolidge. Michael Pack of Manifold Productions is making a documentary film of her movie "Coolidge." Her new book is "Forgotten Man/Graphic" with artist Paul Rivoche. This book is for classrooms and thinkers everywhere.
Shlaes writes a column for Forbes, and served as a nationally syndicated columnist for over a decade, first at the Financial Times, then at Bloomberg. Earlier, she worked at the Wall Street Journal, where she was a member of the editorial board. She is the author of "Coolidge," "The Forgotten Man," and "The Greedy Hand, all bestsellers. Her first book, "Germany" was about German reunification.
Miss Shlaes chairs the board of the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation, situated at the birthplace of President Calvin Coolidge. Michael Pack of Manifold Productions is making a documentary film of her movie "Coolidge." Her new book is "Forgotten Man/Graphic" with artist Paul Rivoche. This book is for classrooms and thinkers everywhere.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 20, 2018
A highly interesting and swiftly readable book - Amity Shlaes's first - the best of sprightly but well-researched journalistic styles - episodic with segregable chapters examining different groups of those who were - or might be thought of as - German as the identify of Germany was re-opened by the merger (I almost said acquisition) of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany ) by Bundesrepublik Germany (West Germany).
The years at the close of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s - threw open in central and eastern Europe many questions of national identity, history, geography and political orientation. Shlaes was fortunate to be there - a young deeply curious and interested German scholar.
The book is interesting on every page - the stories she tells (through people she seeks out) are fascinating. I'd strongly recommend the book - she writes so well.
A similar book written not much later was Shlaes' near -coontemporary Anne Applebaum's "Between East and West" - also her first book - in which Applebaum looks at the area slightly eastward of Germany and travels from what is now Kaliningrad down to Odessa Ukraine at the Black Sea - with similar political, social and psychological interests - and a similar wonderful ability to keep one wanting to turn the pages because the writing is fresh and absorbing.
The years at the close of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s - threw open in central and eastern Europe many questions of national identity, history, geography and political orientation. Shlaes was fortunate to be there - a young deeply curious and interested German scholar.
The book is interesting on every page - the stories she tells (through people she seeks out) are fascinating. I'd strongly recommend the book - she writes so well.
A similar book written not much later was Shlaes' near -coontemporary Anne Applebaum's "Between East and West" - also her first book - in which Applebaum looks at the area slightly eastward of Germany and travels from what is now Kaliningrad down to Odessa Ukraine at the Black Sea - with similar political, social and psychological interests - and a similar wonderful ability to keep one wanting to turn the pages because the writing is fresh and absorbing.
December 8, 2008
This came out shortly after German reunification. The author seeks to divine the new Germany's sense of itself and its place in the world. As illustration, she focuses on several people, including an army officer, a member of the nobility, a theatre director, a social worker who helps refugees, among others.
Overall, the book is interesting; however, her analysis doesn't go into much depth. Also, parts of the book feel a bit dated, which is understandable given the press of subsequent developments. A so-so read for someone interested in post-Cold War Germany.
Overall, the book is interesting; however, her analysis doesn't go into much depth. Also, parts of the book feel a bit dated, which is understandable given the press of subsequent developments. A so-so read for someone interested in post-Cold War Germany.
February 2, 2011
While this book is obviously dated at this point (20 years later), it provides interesting insight into different pockets of German society at a pivotal point in our history. It is quite interesting to get the point of view of an American, experiencing this historical shift as well as the Germans she chose to interview and the aspects of German history she chose to highlight.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews