Berlin: Life and Loss in the City That Shaped the Century

by Sinclair McKay

The Sunday Times-bestselling author of Dresden returns with a monumental biography of the city that defined the twentieth century - Berlin

Throughout the twentieth century, Berlin stood at the centre of a convulsing world. This history is often viewed as separate acts: the suffering of the First World War, the cosmopolitan city of science, culture and sexual freedom Berlin became, steep economic plunges, the rise of the Nazis, the destruction of the Second World War, the psychosis of genocide, and a city rent in two by competing ideologies. But people do not live their lives in fixed eras. An epoch ends, yet the people continue - or try to continue - much as they did before. Berlin tells the story of the city as seen through the eyes not of its rulers, but of those who walked its streets.

In this magisterial biography of a city and its inhabitants, bestselling historian Sinclair McKay sheds new light on well-known characters - from idealistic scientist Albert Einstein to Nazi architect Albert Speer - and draws on never-before-seen first-person accounts to introduce us to people of all walks of Berlin life. For example, we meet office worker Mechtild Evers, who in her efforts to escape an oncoming army runs into even more appalling jeopardy, and Reinhart Cruger, a 12-year-old boy in 1941 who witnesses with horror the Gestapo coming for each of his Jewish neighbours in turn. Ever a city of curious contrasts, moments of unbelievable darkness give way to a wry Berliner humour - from banned perms to the often ridiculous tit-for-tat between East and West Berlin - and moments of joyous hope - like forced labourers at a jam factory warmly welcoming their Soviet liberators.

How did those ideologies - fascism and communism - come to flower so fully here? And how did their repercussions continue to be felt throughout Europe and the West right up until that extraordinary night in the autumn of 1989 when the Wall - that final expression of totalitarian oppression - was at last breached? You cannot understand the twentieth century without understanding Berlin; and you cannot understand Berlin without understanding the experiences of its people. Drawing on a staggering breadth of culture - from art to film, opera to literature, science to architecture - McKay's latest masterpiece shows us this hypnotic city as never before.

'Remarkable . . . A majestic work of non-fiction' Matthew d'Ancona

'Sinclair McKay was born to write this book' David Aaronovitch, The Times

'A masterful account of a city marked by infamy . . . If there is a book that must be read this year, this is it' Amanda Foreman

'An electrifying new account of Berlin' Julia Boyd, author of Travellers in the Third Reich

'One of my favourite historians' Dan Snow

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Germany, World War II, War, Travel, European History

464 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2022

About the author

Sinclair McKay writes regularly for the Daily Telegraph and The Secret Listeners and has written books about James Bond and Hammer horror for Aurum. His next book, about the wartime “Y” Service during World War II, is due to be published by Aurum in 2012. He lives in London.
-Source

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“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.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a highly detailed and meticulously researched history of the city of Berlin from the end of WWI to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

While I appreciate the detail and amount of time and energy the author put into this, the book was a very slow and meandering read. It took me 11 days to read because of the density of the information and the subject matter is quite heavy.

There is a lot of death and destruction as the author takes us through the lead up to World War II and Cold War years, which is a good portion of this book. There's also several instances of rape and sexusl assault, so be forewarned about that. I think this book is best for history teachers, history majors, or those with a deep interest in Germany in the 20th century. I wouldn't recommend this to those with just a casual interest in history.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, author Sinclair McKay, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

[Michael Perkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had fairly high expectations given the author's publishing background, but I agree with both of these professional reviews that the book fell significantly short. Disappointed. Don't recommend.

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...

https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781...

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The author does cover the notorious Franz von Papen, the ultimate enabler of Hitler. I wrote a separate review about him awhile back....

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Joe Hilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaway - Wow! Magnificent prose. Thoroughly researched. Sucked me in from the Preface and told me things I never knew about Berlin, about Germany, about history - about us. Great book.

[Rennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ausgezeichnet. I knew I would be in for something special with this, having read his Dresden book last year, but this surpassed all expectations. If only all history was written like this - he has this gorgeous lyrical, descriptive writing style.

I only just wish it had covered just a little more ground time-wise, but he writes with so much detail from so many perspectives that I guess anything longer would be way too unwieldy. Amazing as is!

I hope he covers Hamburg next. Please oh please!! More biographies of specific periods in German cities from him! They are perfection!

[Katherine Reay]

This book offered a unique way to examine Berlin's history. Each segment focused upon an individual and what that person experienced in the city and world in which they lived. I thoroughly enjoyed it -- and learned a ton.

[Martin Poulsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This might be a good book if you only have a vague idea of Berlin, but for anyone else it is a rather disappointing book. It’s not really a book about Berlin in the 20th century as it’s advertised to be, but almost only about the three decades from 1920 to 1950 with a huge emphasis on the Nazi era. There’s a little about the Weimar era, almost nothing about the Kaiser era before and during WWI, very little about the last decades of the Cold War and nothing at all about Berlin in the last decade of the 20th century when the city truly transformed itself.

Moreover, the book is only somewhat about Berlin itself. True, there are chapters about the life of the ordinary Berliners, but, but most chapters are about politics or science with very little relevance for Berlin. An example is the chapter Uranium Club about some of the scientists working on finding ways to split the atom where Berlin only plays a very small role in the story. The extremely important and interesting period when the city was divided in East and West has only been dedicated a few chapters.

I think this book is aimed for an older British audience who loves to read anything concerning World War II, but if you buy this book to get a real understanding of Berlin and the influence it had the entire 20th century you will be disappointed.

[Sharon Huether · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author begins his chronicles of the City of Berlin in 1919, just after World War I
Berlin, was very modern for the times, in all that a city has to offer.

Hitler's rise to power has it's beginnings in Berlin and the final conquest in 1945 When Russia invaded the city; no woman felt safe with the Russian soldiers everywhere.
The city for the most part lay in ruins.
A conflict ensued by the two ruling parties. It started in 1948 to a final separation by the Berlin Wall in 1961.
The people of Berlin were first had witnesses t these terrifying years of a city divided. In 1989 the wall was torn down, giving the city it's freedoms.

This was such a great historical book.

I want to thank St. Martin's press for the book .

[Phil Mc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thorough and very well-researched. It’s a shame that, in shaping the century, McKay decides to devote 90% of the book to the most documented six years in all of human history. It glosses over Wilhelmine and Weimar Berlin and races through post-war Berlin (all 55 years of it) in about 50 pages. Imbalanced and imperfect, this is still interesting history but more well-worn than I’d hoped.

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

TITLE: Berlin: Life and Death in the City at the Center of the World
AUTHOR: Sinclair McKay
PUB DATE: 08.23.2022 Now Available

My Thoughts:

I love reading about history and learning about cities I plan to visit. I have not been to Berlin but is definitely in my list to visit sooner than later.

McKay deftly presents and takes the readers back to the golden era of Berlin, starting in 1919 when the city was beaming with modern art, cinema, architecture, industry, science, and politics of the time. McKay then continuous the accounts of the city through 1945, with the rise of Hitler, and the fall of the city with the Battle of Berlin.

What captured my attention was the real life accounts and personal stories of the people - the men, women, and children that lived through the rise and fall of a magnificent city. The writing was brilliant, and presents a powerful and compelling read, that doesn’t read like a history book filled with factual well researched information. It’s more than that - McKay’s rich imagery and prose, of this snippet in time in Berlin, was magnificent!

This would make for a wonderful gift for any historical buff, or anyone interested in historical reads.

[Fran Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It kept going on tangents away from Berlin and I don’t feel like I know Berlin any better than I did before reading …

[Toni Osborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life and Death in the City at the Center of the World

“Berlin”, explores the city’s human history from the end of the Great War to the Blockade, rise of the Wall and beyond. The author begins in 1919 when Berliner’s went through stages of deprivation, disorder, intolerance and inflation was crippling their economy. Berliners were nevertheless resilient even with all the constraints their creativity in cinema and literature was flourishing. Then, the Nazi came to power and by the end of 1945 Berlin was a city in rubble. The Nazi regime collapsed, Russian arrived and the city divided soon after the Berlin Wall went up and stood there till it was dismantled in 1989.

What an overwhelming and dissatisfying read this portrayed of one of the world’s great city turned out to be. The author devoted inordinate amount of details to the fall of the Third Reich and the action Red Army towards Berliners and raced through the years of the Weimar Republic between the construction of the wall till it was torn down. Nevertheless he did mention the American airlift, the Soviet blockade and the atomic research at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute. Considering the years covered in this book it is to be expected that the author may have overlooked some major topics along the way.

I may not have enjoyed this book at its fullest it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be read. The style although I did find it to be quite heavy is nevertheless richly written to pique our interest in learning more about Berlin and her turbulent years..... Right, this book reads like a textbook....

I received a copy from the publisher St-Martin Press through NetGalley.

[Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a big fan of Berlin, this book was long and very high on my wish list. I do not regret reading it even though it did not match my expectations. I had thought and hoped that this book would be a biography of the city from its beginnings to the present. However, the author focuses - as is his right - on the period between 1919 and 1989, and especially on the end of the Nazi era. It is fluently written and contains nice angles and common threads such as the Berliners' passion for film and music. It is a pity, though, that the book is already two-thirds far before the BRD and GDR period begins. You get the impression that the author wanted to finish the last few decades at a trot. It is also remarkable that such a historical event as the fall of the wall only covers one page. These critical remarks, however, take nothing away from the merits of this book

[Jorge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un muy buen documento de divulgación que aborda la historia de la emblemática y neurálgica ciudad de Berlín durante el siglo XX. En este libro podemos apreciar los cambios de régimen, las diferentes formas de gobierno e ideologías, las revueltas sociales, los lideres políticos, los progresos científicos y el desarrollo del arte a pesar de la marcada inestabilidad política, económica y social. Buena parte del libro se desarrolla durante la segunda Guerra Mundial en donde el autor se centra en las penurias de los pobladores de Berlín en especial durante los feroces bombardeos de 1945 y la posterior toma de la ciudad por los aliados.

Resultó tétrico y horroroso lo que los nazis hicieron y que la historia ya se ha encargado de documentar exhaustivamente como uno de los capítulos más terribles y vergonzosos de la humanidad; sin embargo, en esta obra Sinclair McKay, historiador inglés, se enfoca en los enormes sufrimientos de la población de Berlín, en sus carencias, en su vida entre escombros y escasez de comida, entre enfermedades medievales y la amenaza latente de la muerte. Y una vez tomada la ciudad se hacen presentes los abusos, ultrajes, violaciones y crímenes sufridos a manos de los soviéticos.

El relato resulta interesante y agradable mientras se desarrolla durante el periodo de entreguerras ya que se nos refieren los gustos y pasatiempos, las ocupaciones, preocupaciones e ilusiones de sus habitantes, así como la espléndida arquitectura de Berlín; el desarrollo de la ciencia, el cine como uno de los principales intereses de los ciudadanos, la política, la literatura, la música, en fin.

Mención aparte merecen los radicales cambios que en menos de un siglo sufrió esa sociedad al pasar de la Monarquía con el fin de la Gran Guerra, a la llamada República de Weimar, después al terrorífico Nazismo, luego la ocupación de los aliados, posteriormente la división de Berlín en cuatro partes cada una ocupada por la URSS, Francia, Inglaterra y EU para llegar a la división del país en dos estados muy diferentes y finalmente su reunificación en 1989.

Una historia que tal vez ya hayamos leído varias veces, pero en algunos pasajes nuestra conciencia vuelve a estremecerse con la detallada descripción del infinito dolor humano que tuvo lugar en esos años de barbarie. Esta edición viene acompañada de fotografías de lo que fue la fastuosa y cosmopolita ciudad de Berlín al inicio del siglo XX y otras más donde se aprecia la posterior humillación y destrucción a la que estuvo sometida junto con sus ocupantes ya que sus enemigos consideraban a Berlín como el último y más valioso reducto de Hitler y de sus sociópatas asesinos nazis.

Es difícil formarse una opinión acerca de la responsabilidad del pueblo alemán en esta ignominiosa desgracia humana que marcó un paso hacia atrás de la civilización, y más difícil aún es determinar la culpa de aquellos ciudadanos alemanes que nunca aceptaron la ideología nazi a la que tuvieron que plegarse o sobrellevarla de una u otra manera. De cualquier forma, el pueblo alemán sufrió lo indecible tanto durante los años de guerra y luego durante el posterior asedio a Berlín, así como cuando los aliados entraron a la ciudad; aquí el autor nos pinta a los soldados soviéticos como unos demonios sueltos por Berlín cometiendo las peores atrocidades y ultrajes en especial contra las mujeres.

Posteriormente al fin de la guerra vienen las incidencias y los desacuerdos entre los aliados sobre lo que debería hacerse con Alemania y en este caso con Berlín, ya que cada uno buscaba imponer sus condiciones. El Berlín a partir de 1945 vive en dos realidades diferentes con dos sistemas legales, con dos ideologías políticas contrapuestas, con dos economías y en el que ambas entidades están divididas geográficamente por sólo un barrio, una calle, un puente, un monumento o una línea imaginaria en donde late una profunda tensión que tiende a hacerse más aguda con el paso de los años y que la exacerba la muerte de Stalin en 1953 y después, en 1961, la construcción del ignominioso muro que separa Berlín en dos dolorosas partes con una cicatriz de hormigón de por medio. Esta parte final del libro en donde se describen los procesos de endurecimiento del régimen comunista en Berlín del Este es muy interesante y esclarecedor.

Durante los 70 años que abarca esta obra (1919-1989) desfilan los hombres y mujeres más destacados en la política, en la estrategia militar, en el pensamiento ideológico, en la ciencia y en el arte, pero también comparecen en cuerpo y alma los ciudadanos comunes y corrientes a través de historias y testimonios que dejan constancia de una entereza proverbial al luchar denodadamente por sacar adelante sus vidas y las de sus familias en esta muy cruel y convulsa época.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, this book has TONS of good info. Many reviews have talked about it like a textbook. I would honestly say that it is too detailed on what it covers, and too weak on interpretation, argument, and structure. That said, those traits make it good for early grad students and for those who need an overview of 20th-century Germany. I have already recommended it to a friend for that even.

That said, it is a SLOG. Although it's not really that long, and many sections are rushed, the overall lack of structure had me searching for a point. Therefore, it just felt like one fact after another, an avalanche of trivia rather than a narrative. And it's all sad, depressing stuff. If it were a movie it would be all grey and filled with death. Spoiler tho - not everyone dies! So that's something.

The Nazis and rebuilding after are the center here. There are chapters of introduction that cover from WWI to 1933. After, two chapters that skim through the early 1950s to 1989. Like many Eastern European narratives of WWII (I'm looking at you Katyn) the Soviet years are an extension of the Nazis, and the true liberation doesn't happen until after SSR. Surviving under the Nazis and then the Soviet "liberation," defined by widespread and indiscriminate rape and starvation, form the relentless story. Like the Berliners, your sense of time and desire for familiar structures will be lost. If you want that experience, read José Saramago's Blindness. It doesn't belong in nonfiction.

If you need good info about WWII and Berlin, pick this up. But only if you really need that info. And read other books in between chapters for sanity.

[Tass · Rating 3 out of 5]

i do not doubt the accuracy and depth of research put into this book, and i’m thankful for the Huge amount i learnt from this. missing berlin very badly and i definitely know it better for reading this book, despite being far away, which was my aim. wasnt quite what i expected but that’s on me, clearly didn’t read the blurb properly. my mum’s copy!

first of its kind that i’ve read, so i can’t speak to whether any of its contents present anything that isn’t already available in other similar books. wasn’t entirely convinced by all of mckay’s analysis + arguments, and certainly not by his clear-afterthought afterword. but the writing is vivid and compelling, if not always exactly fluent.

to be honest, i just really feel like the structure lets it down badly.

the first two sections (~300 pages) are astonishingly detailed, both focused on the events of 1945, and providing context of how the situation arose as is relevant - slightly repetitive at times, but not disruptive. it jumps from topic to topic in a way that’s not always natural, but manages to always remain Interesting, which i guess is more important.

the third section (100 pages, tops) attempts to discuss the ENTIRE cold war. the WHOLE 40-year lifespan of the gdr. and obviously pales in comparison to the depth and detail and humanity that the earlier parts spent on a single year. it’s such a stark and glaringly obvious change that makes this final part a real slog to get through

it reads like second year at uni, when you’ve finally figured out how to research stuff properly but run out of steam or time halfway through and just submit saying “fuck it, it’s good enough”. i really think this should’ve Just discussed 1945 - the part mckay clearly was more invested in. i understand how hard it would be to find a satisfying cut-off point, knowing all that happened in the city in the decades afterwards but man. there’s more than enough for a second book. either give the city divided the same time and detail and respect as the city in total war, or revisit it separately.




(and now this is just me being mean, but christ. sinclair mckay start a sentence with something other than “nor” or “yet” challenge)

[Tyler Nordstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was both a joy — in terms of its depth of research, its tasty albeit oftentimes too esoteric vocabulary, its sharp analysis, among other features — and a sorrow — there be dragons here; cutting and personal accounts of mass rape and neverending trauma faced by Berliners, many of them caring not for Hitler — to read. I had forgotten what kind of writing (and real life figures!) lay outside of young adult and fantasy books, which have absorbed my reading habits more recently. McKay is a clear master of the written word, but even more, has a firm grasp on historical penmanship. There are surely fallacies at work here, but the book is unabashed in its storytelling none the less (see Sinclair, I wrote those word(s) just like you do). There is an obvious order to the book—before, during, and after the war—but within those sections I couldn’t always tell where he was going next or why he chose that direction. Regardless, I enjoyed it, and look forward to continue my study of Berlin (and of course the always staunch Berliners).

[Julien Decoutere · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iets te veel op WOII en nazisme gericht daar het de ambitie heeft om de 20ste eeuw in Berlijn te omvatten. Blokkade eind jaren 40, Berlijnse muur en koude oorlog allemaal in minder dan 100 pagina's bespreken valt wat tegen. Verder wel interessant dankzij feiten en anekdotiek van gemiddelde Berlijner in verhaal.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an interesting narrative history of Berlin mostly from the end of the First World War to the fall of the Berlin Wall. As well-written as it is, anyone looking for anything remarkably new will probably be disappointed.

[Meg Briers · Rating 3 out of 5]

very readable, and gave me a good personal account led insight into berlin around the years before, during and after wwii. i wanted a more broad history of berlin, but that's on me for not checking the span of the book before.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

1e helft een wat stuurloos geheel, 2e deel maakt veel goed.

[Fin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 interesting personal stories scattered into a more general history up until 1961. I think some things were brushed over a little but overall enjoyed

[Jordan Maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really thorough. I would recommend Sinclair McKay to anyone interested in this time period.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I was offered this ARC, I don’t remember requesting it. 🤔 It is meticulously researched and there is so much good information in this book. Anything and everything you ever wanted to know about the city of Berlin. I learned so much. If only it didn’t take me months to read. 🫣😵‍💫 This is the typical nonfiction book that reads like a textbook. To be completely honest, I only finished it to keep my Netgalley percentage going up. I wish it had been available in audio format because I love listening to nonfiction (even dry like this) on audio; it makes it so much more enjoyable.

So, in closing…if you love nonfiction, then pick this one up. If not, this probably isn’t the book for you. I highly recommend the publishers record an audio format because there is so much great information here!

[David Allen White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely give five stars, but this is absolutely fascinating. Amazing amount of research. Of course it helps that Berlin is one of my favorite cities, and if I were a young person, I would probably move there. This author takes Berlin step by step from the rise of the Nazis to the fall of the Wall, and what it was all like on a local level.

[Seamus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expressive history of the city and people of Berlin from the 1920s through the 1980s with a heavy emphasis on World War II. Language really brings to light how Berliners forged the spirit of the city through their daily actions, and how the spirit affected those who came to Berlin from elsewhere.

[Stuart Bishop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating but patchy

Really more than a 3, but less than a 4. It is impossible to fault the depth of research and material involved, or the central idea that Berlin is a place like no other. The construction of the book is, unfortunately, a little unsatisfying; a huge proportion is dedicated to a very short period at the end of the war, while there is a gallop in the last quarter from the beginnings of the Cold War to the fall of the wall. While appreciating that history is messy and doesn’t follow a neat timeline, the author’s topic-and-time hopping nevertheless makes for a frustrating reading experience. Would still recommend for its focus on the experiences of ‘normal Berliners’, but could have been more rewarding with some more ruthless editing and reordering.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Thoughts:

I've read more books on World War II than after the war. This is what drew me to read this book. It is the main reason that held my interest.

Several reasons on what I learned or why I enjoyed this book:

The bombing raids over Berlin were filled with women and children. I have empathy for them. McKay is descriptive about the shelters, bombings; and later when the Russians are in Berlin at the close of the war, the raping of the women-women of all ages. Brief memoirs are given of people who lived in Berlin. These are not lengthy but serve a strong purpose to personalize the book rather than let it be academic in nature. Some of the memoirs are of Jews who hid during the entirety of the war. The Nazis used the poverty and sadness of the people after World War I for their agenda. Their agenda included the young people in Hitler youth groups. It is eye-opening and disturbing how people can be taken advantage of and misled to the extent of indoctrination to mass murders and war. I have empathy for the beginnings of how they must have felt after World War I. I cannot agree to decisions that were made. Several things I'd not heard of before about Berlin society and culture. For example, there was a craze to be a nudist. This happened right after World War I. I did not know that there were revolutionary demonstrations after World War I. I knew the Nazis began to rise and have demonstrations. I did not know about other political groups. There is a chapter with a focus on the history of film. There were 300 cinemas in Berlin at the time of World War II. Hitler loved film, and he chronicled his ideology and work. Berlin had been a place that was tolerant of the gay culture. There were doctors who had helped people transition. This changed during the Nazi years. I had mentioned this in number 1 above. There is a disturbing story of a young woman who worked in a grocery store during the time the Russians came into Berlin. She was raped on the counter during the time the store was open. This rape was public. It was done with the intention to dishonor and shame her in view of other people. By 1960 there were over 200,000 people who in East Berlin left to live in freedom on the other side. This is such an important chapter, to share memoirs about those who tried to escape.

I want to clarify. I do not have empathy for the Nazi machine. They were mass murderers and instigated a war that led to defeat. I have great empathy for those like the woman who was raped in a grocery store. I have empathy for any child who was abused and suffered. I am also not going to state something as equally hateful as "you got what you deserved." I am not that kind of person. However, the Nazis were despicable people. I believe many of them, civilians, were unaware of the consequences in believing Hitler was their savior.

I received a complimentary e-book copy from NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

From a marvelously poetic introduction springs forth the history of the City of Berlin, starting in 1945. Most of the history of the bombing and wartime deprivations in the City are told anecdotally by civilians who were there. Throughout, it is a story by and of the people of Berlin.

This is a highly engrossing read starting with commentary going back and forth between 1919 and 1945. The beginning itself explains a lot of German history and HOW the Nazi Party rose to control the country by talking about previous events and personalities. Later, the story continues to move on through the end of the war and the post-war years. There is a lot covered about the Cold War years that I didn’t know.

The most notable aspect about this text is that it is really about the people who lived in Berlin, both celebrities and average citizens. That’s why it was so hard to put down as the people who were there were quoted as to feelings and events, and even when they weren’t, we learned so much about their lives.

Only a couple of quibbles about the technical aspects of the text. One is an issue at about 87% of the text which is about what a punk rocker’s hairstyle should be called. The style in which the head is shaved except for the ridge of hair running along the middle of the skull is called a “Mohawk,” NOT a “Mohican.” I’m of the age group that saw them in person (London) and won’t forget what a real one looked like (not a cute one on a female singer or model!). Maybe this terminology is different outside of the U.S.? Also, the author is very fond of the word “bathos;” that’s not one that you usually see in print in the U.S., or even the U.K. as I read a lot of books by U.K. authors. It stuck out a bit. Finally, there are some typos that I expect will be fixed prior to publication.

This is a great book and not at all what I expected. Engaging and interesting, I was very crabby when interrupted while reading it! Please DO read this history of Berlin.

A special thank you to Sinclair McKay, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a pre-publication eGalley of this work! I didn’t receive anything for reading or reviewing it except for knowledge and enjoyment. Cheers!

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is always interesting to read a book with most of the recommendations either 1 or 5 stars. This is one of those - and I understand exactly why. This history goes to great lengths to show us a picture of life in Berlin, after the Great War, through tumultuous peace, and into the second war, then on again into another peace that was anything but to the native Berliners. It is written with the distinct intention of seeing life through the eyes of those Berliners, basically demanding that we see those citizens as victims. And I would not. Could not. Until I did.

I have had family members actively serving in every conflict the United States of America has engaged in, from the Revolutionary War to Afghanistan and including Teddy's run on Cuba, the Mexican war of Independence, and the Faulklin Islands. Not every one of them was able to come home, and some, like my mother's Aunt Oma, a WAC who made it back, but suffered the rest of her short life from the damages she sustained in WWII.

It took an informed, honest look at the last 30 years in our White House for me to finally understand just how citizens can exist under the thumb of a despot, numb to their inhumane treatment of the world in general and their constituents in particular. How easy it is to overlook infringements on our rights and ignore the signs of tyranny slipping into our daily routines. Look sharp, people, at our options. Follow the money. And get out and VOTE!

I received a complimentary ARC of this special history from Netgalley, Sinclair McKay, and publisher St. Martin's Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Berlin: Life and Death in the city, of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.
Netgalley
pub date August 23, 2022
St. Martin's Press

Reviewed on August 27, 2022, at Goodreads, Netgalley, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo. Amazon reviews limited to verified purchases.