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Berlin: The Story of a City
The intoxicating history of an extraordinary city and her people—from the medieval kings surrounding Berlin's founding to the world wars, tumult, and reunification of the twentieth century.
There has always been a particular fervor about Berlin, a combination of excitement, anticipation, nervousness, and a feeling of the unexpected. Throughout history, it has been a city of geographical, political, religious, and artistic.
In the nineteenth-century, political tension became acute between a city that was increasingly democratic, home to Marx and Hegel, and one of the most autocratic regimes in Europe. Artistic tension, between free thinking and liberal movements started to find themselves in direct contention with the formal official culture. Underlying all of this was the ethnic tension—between multi-racial Berliners and the Prussians. Berlin may have been the capital of Prussia but it was never a Prussian city.
Then there is war. Few European cities have suffered from war as Berlin has over the centuries. It was sacked by the Hapsburg armies in the Thirty Years War; by the Austrians and the Russians in the eighteenth century; by the French, with great violence, in the early nineteenth century; by the Russians again in 1945 and subsequently occupied, more benignly, by the Allied Powers from 1945 until 1994.
Nor can many cities boast such a diverse and controversial number of international Frederick the Great and Bismarck; Hegel and Marx; Mahler, Dietrich, and Bowie. Authors Christopher Isherwood, Bertolt Brecht, and Thomas Mann gave Berlin a cultural history that is as varied as it was groundbreaking.
The story vividly told in Berlin also attempts to answer to one of the greatest enigmas of the twentieth How could a people as civilized, ordered, and religious as the Germans support first a Kaiser and then the Nazis in inflicting such misery on Europe? Berlin was never as supportive of the Kaiser in 1914 as the rest of Germany; it was the revolution in Berlin in 1918 that lead to the Kaiser's abdication. Nor was Berlin initially supportive of Hitler, being home to much of the opposition to the Nazis; although paradoxically Berlin suffered more than any other German city from Hitler’s travesties. In revealing the often-untold history of Berlin, Barney White-Spunner addresses this quixotic question that lies at the heart of Germany’s uniquely fascinating capital city.
There has always been a particular fervor about Berlin, a combination of excitement, anticipation, nervousness, and a feeling of the unexpected. Throughout history, it has been a city of geographical, political, religious, and artistic.
In the nineteenth-century, political tension became acute between a city that was increasingly democratic, home to Marx and Hegel, and one of the most autocratic regimes in Europe. Artistic tension, between free thinking and liberal movements started to find themselves in direct contention with the formal official culture. Underlying all of this was the ethnic tension—between multi-racial Berliners and the Prussians. Berlin may have been the capital of Prussia but it was never a Prussian city.
Then there is war. Few European cities have suffered from war as Berlin has over the centuries. It was sacked by the Hapsburg armies in the Thirty Years War; by the Austrians and the Russians in the eighteenth century; by the French, with great violence, in the early nineteenth century; by the Russians again in 1945 and subsequently occupied, more benignly, by the Allied Powers from 1945 until 1994.
Nor can many cities boast such a diverse and controversial number of international Frederick the Great and Bismarck; Hegel and Marx; Mahler, Dietrich, and Bowie. Authors Christopher Isherwood, Bertolt Brecht, and Thomas Mann gave Berlin a cultural history that is as varied as it was groundbreaking.
The story vividly told in Berlin also attempts to answer to one of the greatest enigmas of the twentieth How could a people as civilized, ordered, and religious as the Germans support first a Kaiser and then the Nazis in inflicting such misery on Europe? Berlin was never as supportive of the Kaiser in 1914 as the rest of Germany; it was the revolution in Berlin in 1918 that lead to the Kaiser's abdication. Nor was Berlin initially supportive of Hitler, being home to much of the opposition to the Nazis; although paradoxically Berlin suffered more than any other German city from Hitler’s travesties. In revealing the often-untold history of Berlin, Barney White-Spunner addresses this quixotic question that lies at the heart of Germany’s uniquely fascinating capital city.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
84 people are currently reading
585 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 28, 2022
mwah mwah mwah this book acted like a little puzzle piece fitting together all of my knowings into one big puzzle. :* luv
January 25, 2024
I finally finished my bible and I must say this book was INCREDIBLE. I dabbled through it last year dipping in and out, mainly as I was focused on my goal of 50 books and because although Berlin’s medieval origins were interesting they required a LOT of mental focus. I have absolutely loved reading in this level of detail about the city I am now so lucky to call home (I still cannot comprehend) and the book has come into its own as I am beginning to grasp the intricacies of Berlins many separate neighbourhoods. A brilliant book and one of the best gifts I have ever received, which I will treasure forever (thanks patrick <3).
December 29, 2024
Inadvertently picked this up while in Berlin a few years ago and happened upon it recently. White-Spunner offers a complete and thorough view of the entire history of this incredibly unique city. While the story of Berlin is too often associated with autocrats, this book tells of Berliner’s steadfast grasp on their heterogenous culture across centuries of tragic and triumphant history. Definitely learned a ton and am even more excited to return.
November 16, 2021
While I've never lived in Berlin itself, I did grow up "next door" in Potsdam with Berlin easily accessible for shoppinng, going out, and so on, putting it too into the area I consider "home". As such, I always enjoy histories of the city and have been reading quite a few lately. Allocating equal amounts of space to each era, from Berlin's medieval beginnings as a couple of fishing villages through many developments in peace and war alike, through the decades as a divided city and the decades since reunification of city and country alike, White-Spunner's well researched history is both informative and entertaining, making it a very enjoyable read.
September 15, 2021
If there wasn't a pandemic I'd planned to be in Berlin this year, but alas not to be, so a deep dive into reading about it instead. 800 years of history from Berlin's birth as a small fishing village to the multicultural enigma it is today in 450 pages ... it's a gripping page turner, a focus on the cultural, the built environment and the "ordinary" people is its focus, yet of course it's the story of the powerful, the wealthy and the elite. A well recommended read for those so inclined.
March 14, 2021
A great read on my adopted city. Given me quite a few interesting spots to check out once COVID is over.
November 13, 2025
Barney White-Spunner as narrator for the history of my new home city of Berlin feels like a History/Discovery Channel war-time documentary with a name like 'The Terror Years: Travels in Germania' or 'The Great Desctruction: Berlin Burning' forced into the person of an English pensioner that youre caught in conversation with in a Surrey Bed&Breakfast bar who knows a scary amount about German history and has swallowed whole 40 whole monographs on Churchill or Himmler.
This long serving English general (no joke) turned historian gives the widest possible spread of events that made up Berlins story. The book becomes a long string of events chronologically recounted loosely told along themes of king and people, revolution and counter revolution; leading a frontal attack-line against the forces of historical forgetting Barney is not afraid to rush through five historical figures in four sentences. There is thus a rough picture sketched but not much explained, little stuff in way of context. Ah though a whole lot of anti-communist sentiment. Each wall ever built in Berlin was a dark premonition of what the DDR's apparatchiks were planning a thousand years later.
Good for an overview though I reckon there is better out there.
Take away: Berlin is a strange swamp city
This long serving English general (no joke) turned historian gives the widest possible spread of events that made up Berlins story. The book becomes a long string of events chronologically recounted loosely told along themes of king and people, revolution and counter revolution; leading a frontal attack-line against the forces of historical forgetting Barney is not afraid to rush through five historical figures in four sentences. There is thus a rough picture sketched but not much explained, little stuff in way of context. Ah though a whole lot of anti-communist sentiment. Each wall ever built in Berlin was a dark premonition of what the DDR's apparatchiks were planning a thousand years later.
Good for an overview though I reckon there is better out there.
Take away: Berlin is a strange swamp city
May 29, 2023
I loved this book. Thoroughly researched and informative. From the early settlement years through to medieval times, nazi era, the Cold War and to the present day. A very interesting and well written read, Made my trip to Berlin much more enjoyable knowing some of the history behind a truly great city.
Read
June 23, 2024This was a fantastic history. The author clearly loves Berlin, which is largely an asset, but he handles the city with kid gloves when describing its support (or supposed lack of it )of the Nazi regime
July 6, 2023
I noticed multiple factual errors.
March 26, 2024
As a newcomer to Berlin, this was worth reading.
April 10, 2022
What an absolute masterpiece of a work. Truly astonishing.
I love Berlin and have just come back for the second time in two years, and as much as I have fallen in love with the city, this book is the perfect love letter that encapsulates everything I am obsessed about this enigmatic and unique city.
A wonderful read about what has made this city so magnificent. From it's formulative days to present day, it's very much a German history that champions its capital city.
Nazis, Stasis, Prussians, Napoleon, Royalty. Walls, war and oppression. Heartache, turmoil and celebration abounds with stories about the key players of all classes and significance. It is really a wonderful read. Took me a while to get through it, but unlike other books like this, I found it an absolute joy.
Perfect for any history buff.
I love Berlin and have just come back for the second time in two years, and as much as I have fallen in love with the city, this book is the perfect love letter that encapsulates everything I am obsessed about this enigmatic and unique city.
A wonderful read about what has made this city so magnificent. From it's formulative days to present day, it's very much a German history that champions its capital city.
Nazis, Stasis, Prussians, Napoleon, Royalty. Walls, war and oppression. Heartache, turmoil and celebration abounds with stories about the key players of all classes and significance. It is really a wonderful read. Took me a while to get through it, but unlike other books like this, I found it an absolute joy.
Perfect for any history buff.
February 13, 2021
A comprehensive and thoroughly research piece of work covering the history of Berlin from its inception to the present day. White-Spunner accurately describes the development of this amazing city covering architecture, economics, politics, religion and the arts. He includes vivid descriptions of key events and the influences and contributions (for better or worse) of key historical figures. A must-read for lovers of Berlin, history and urban development.
August 18, 2022
It's a history book, and so I never expected it to be a fast-paced read. But was pleasantly surprised that it was quite engaging and packed in quite a bit of action, interesting anecdotes, twists and turns - especially after the first 1/3rd of it. It was also fun to recognise and look up places, landmarks and street names in Berlin that I had visited a few months ago. I suppose I too can now say "ich bin ein Berliner"!!! :D
January 15, 2021
I enjoyed this book. Makes me want to visit Berlin immediately.
While hugely informative it cuts a focused path through what could otherwise be a jungle of distractions, German history. Well written, well researched, informative and sympathetic. While I don't know the history well enough to make judgements, here is an homage to a great city.
I highly recommend!
While hugely informative it cuts a focused path through what could otherwise be a jungle of distractions, German history. Well written, well researched, informative and sympathetic. While I don't know the history well enough to make judgements, here is an homage to a great city.
I highly recommend!
February 8, 2024
Barney White-Spunner succeeds in condensing a convoluted history in an easily readable and informative volume.
With a broad knowledge of German history, the author covers important events that marked the life of the city, its economic and cultural achievements, disasters, notable rulers, outstanding personalities, the history of major landmarks of the city, and the living of ordinary inhabitants of Berlin, who he empathises with.
I read this book before, and during a visit to the city last December, and it greatly improved my experience.
In the square in front of the hotel, a charming Christmas Fair was held, with nice decorations, lights, music, food, and souvenir sales, which induced a pleasant Christmas feeling.
From the book, I found out that it was the same place where Goebbels’s book burning was filmed.
Apart from damping the mood, this shows how layered the history, in a city like this, is.
Another example – The Iron Cross was not invented by the nazis, it was a medal initially conferred to the Germans who fought against the French occupying forces. Napoleon, the great revolutionary, started the Franco-German wars that lasted more than 100 years by occupying great swathes of Germany and creating deep resentment among the Germans.
A great lover of art, Napoleon gave orders for Berlin’s treasures to be stripped out and sent back to Paris, including Brandenburg Gate’s Quadriga. Probably he wasn’t satisfied with the quality of the one he stole from San Marco in Venice.
Berlin doesn’t have a long history – it was first mentioned as a city in 1237 and it became the capital of the newly founded German Empire in 1881, but it is an eventful one and, for an outsider like me, a surprising one.
It was built as a trading settlement on River Spree on Brandenburg’s plains and a series of events and the leadership of the Hohenzollern dynasty, which lasted until 1918, marked its development.
The initial inhabitants in the area were Wends – a tribe of Slavic origin and the German city welcomed a lot of immigrants, including Jews (the oldest graves found so far around Berlin are Jewish, most notably at Spandau, from 1244, something the Nazis found uncomfortable) French Huguenots (who at some point were almost a third of the population) and many other nationalities over the years.
How the nazis convinced the population they are a “pure race” is difficult to understand.
For long periods, the lives of people were harsh, and the plagues led to severe rural depopulation, which had in turn led to agricultural depression and extreme poverty. Germany had been invaded from the north by the Danes and then the Swedes, and from the west, across the Rhine, from France.
“Berlin has been crucified twice in its life; first by the Thirty Years War, then by the combined Second World War bombing and Soviet invasion of 1945.
Both wars not only killed or displaced about half the population, but they also left the city in ruins and morally shattered.”
The Thirty Years War devastation convinced the Hohenzollerns of the importance of having an army and the army was to be one of the forces that united the disparate kingdom, not just by ensuring it was safe in an age when other nations in northern Europe resented what Prussia had become, but also by representing its spirit.
The ultimate end of this policy is the two world wars, but Berlin must also be known for its vast apport to science, industry, and culture.
It is a great city and a book that increased my knowledge and the desire to visit Berlin again.
With a broad knowledge of German history, the author covers important events that marked the life of the city, its economic and cultural achievements, disasters, notable rulers, outstanding personalities, the history of major landmarks of the city, and the living of ordinary inhabitants of Berlin, who he empathises with.
I read this book before, and during a visit to the city last December, and it greatly improved my experience.
In the square in front of the hotel, a charming Christmas Fair was held, with nice decorations, lights, music, food, and souvenir sales, which induced a pleasant Christmas feeling.
From the book, I found out that it was the same place where Goebbels’s book burning was filmed.
Apart from damping the mood, this shows how layered the history, in a city like this, is.
Another example – The Iron Cross was not invented by the nazis, it was a medal initially conferred to the Germans who fought against the French occupying forces. Napoleon, the great revolutionary, started the Franco-German wars that lasted more than 100 years by occupying great swathes of Germany and creating deep resentment among the Germans.
A great lover of art, Napoleon gave orders for Berlin’s treasures to be stripped out and sent back to Paris, including Brandenburg Gate’s Quadriga. Probably he wasn’t satisfied with the quality of the one he stole from San Marco in Venice.
Berlin doesn’t have a long history – it was first mentioned as a city in 1237 and it became the capital of the newly founded German Empire in 1881, but it is an eventful one and, for an outsider like me, a surprising one.
It was built as a trading settlement on River Spree on Brandenburg’s plains and a series of events and the leadership of the Hohenzollern dynasty, which lasted until 1918, marked its development.
The initial inhabitants in the area were Wends – a tribe of Slavic origin and the German city welcomed a lot of immigrants, including Jews (the oldest graves found so far around Berlin are Jewish, most notably at Spandau, from 1244, something the Nazis found uncomfortable) French Huguenots (who at some point were almost a third of the population) and many other nationalities over the years.
How the nazis convinced the population they are a “pure race” is difficult to understand.
For long periods, the lives of people were harsh, and the plagues led to severe rural depopulation, which had in turn led to agricultural depression and extreme poverty. Germany had been invaded from the north by the Danes and then the Swedes, and from the west, across the Rhine, from France.
“Berlin has been crucified twice in its life; first by the Thirty Years War, then by the combined Second World War bombing and Soviet invasion of 1945.
Both wars not only killed or displaced about half the population, but they also left the city in ruins and morally shattered.”
The Thirty Years War devastation convinced the Hohenzollerns of the importance of having an army and the army was to be one of the forces that united the disparate kingdom, not just by ensuring it was safe in an age when other nations in northern Europe resented what Prussia had become, but also by representing its spirit.
The ultimate end of this policy is the two world wars, but Berlin must also be known for its vast apport to science, industry, and culture.
It is a great city and a book that increased my knowledge and the desire to visit Berlin again.
September 11, 2022
finished this just 4 days shy of staying out my EU tourist visa in berlin. i don't think i could tell you anything about the fredericks despite being buried in their drama for weeks because keeping track was impossible. the writing is dense, though there are fun cheeky bits folded in if you stick with it. i kept stressing about what an impossible feat researching and synthesizing this was for the author. this was a helpful download for me but totally exhausting. i know i know, i do not expect the act of porting 800 years of history into a wee brain to not be exhausting. i think i have a deeper feel for why berliners are the way they are, though i'll still never understand all the unabashed tattling that i learned about in the war resistance museum today. wish i'd finished this earlier because it has changed the way i look at the city and its buildings-- i now notice the bullet holes on the facades of buildings and now i know that the hill in the park by my apartment that i always thought was a little strange was constructed out of WWII rubble! also wish i had more time to explore graveyards with wikipedia in hand. glad i read this but you couldn't pay me to read it again.
February 4, 2024
This is genuine popular history in that it is written by an interested 'lay' person rather than a historian. Indeed, the book often reads like an extended history section of a tourist guide. The places where past kings lived and major events happened are described almost in an itinerary sort of way. Yet, that is part of the charm of the book. I for one will want to visit some places that I have so far missed. The other problem with popular histories is that they tend to be conservative, focusing on kings and rulers. This is also the case here, partly understandably, as few sources regarding everyday life beyond the last two centuries or so exist. The sections on Marxism and the workers' movement are weak and the author displays a rather obvious attitude by claiming that the 1918 revolution was orchestrated from Moscow by Lenin. This completely ignores the critical attitude of most of the Spartacists to Bolshevism, eg. Rosa Luxemburg. Yet, again, the author surprises with a rather empathetic account of the GDR--not the government, but the people. All in all, not a bad book at all, if you're looking for light reading and better background for your next Berlin visit.
December 24, 2023
Apat from the amazing detail I'd like to applaud the effort in translating nearly all of the German expressions and names. Brilliant, so satisfying. My only regret is the continual use of the word 'Germany' which may seem odd but the quest for a united Germany puts the reader into a sort of political sense area. I looked up the origin in Babbel and was informed the word Deutsch (or ancient spelling) was used from the 8th century and simply meant 'our people' (like so many other names of countries) but the vast area with its tribes accorded it many other names like Germania, Allemagne etc was used by other countries. So was the ideal a hope for a united Deutsch- speaking land? To include Austria? I wish Barney had addressed this as I'm sure he knows!!
April 3, 2022
What a journey - Barney White-Spunner takes the reader on a chatty, ever-engaging tour of this city through the centuries, sharing anecdotes and turning points and little known heroes. Berlin is a place that holds its cards very close, and this story could only have been told by an affectionate and knowledgeable outsider. Although I gather from his biography he spent many years here during the British occupation he keeps himself largely out of the picture and lets the city and its people speak for themselves. I learned so much and now have a long list of places to see and books to read. Vielen dank.
June 4, 2022
This book was so boring. I don't even want to think about it anymore. The writing was tedious and really could have done with more editing (and checking the German of one of the most important quotes about the Wall). At times it just read like a list of stuff that happened, but was neither particularly interesting, nor relevant for the wider history.
I'm so glad I'm done!
I'm so glad I'm done!
March 15, 2024
This was a really great companion for a trip to Berlin! It made Prussian history far more accessible than I've found it before, and really did help add a bit of historical context to the buildings and street names I saw on my visit. Even for the historical events I thought I knew quite a lot about, like the division of the city after WWII, I came away having learnt a lot of new information.
June 9, 2025
Could go into a bit more detail in places, but a really readable and enjoyable book covering the history of Berlin from a fishing/agricultural village.
The readability is a massive plus, so despite wanting a bit more in places, the pros outweigh the cons to prevent having to wade through pages of historical fact that wouldn't be appropriate for the audience.
The readability is a massive plus, so despite wanting a bit more in places, the pros outweigh the cons to prevent having to wade through pages of historical fact that wouldn't be appropriate for the audience.
August 20, 2023
This book will help me to make my next visit to Berlin even more culturally enriching. It gives an interesting review of the development of the city, its architecture and cultural dimension, as well as its "soul". The book is well-written and engaging.
March 10, 2025
Not really sure what I expected, but after 2.5 hours (of 18 on audio) I am uninterested and bored. Not sure if it's the writing, but it seems like this is just a bunch of bullet points, related in what I find to be a tedious manner. Oh well.
July 1, 2022
One of the best history books I have ever read. You will love this, provided you skip the first 1/3 and start straight from 1919 :)
May 8, 2024
Outstanding
Read
May 24, 2024This was a fascinating read about the history of my favourite city.
October 14, 2024
A phenomenal book that I could not put down, could not stop retelling to everyone, and I wish never ended. A glorious history of a glorious city.
February 17, 2025
A very readable history. Really picks up when it hits the 19th Century.
FOR THE RECORD - This appears to be my 900th "Read" entry on Goodreads.
FOR THE RECORD - This appears to be my 900th "Read" entry on Goodreads.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews