Berlin and Its Culture: A Historical Portrait

by Ronald Taylor

This beautiful book--a full cultural portrait of Berlin--reveals the spirit of this vital and important city by focusing on the culture it produced from its medieval beginnings to the reunification of 1990. Lavishly illustrated the book surveys the literature, philosophy, music, theater, and visual and decorative arts that emerged from and were expressive of the evolving social patterns of the city.

Ronald Taylor brings to life the cultural...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300072007
• ISBN13: 9780300072006
• Release Date: December 1997
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 2.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 7.1" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

Comprehensive, well-written, interesting

This book may seem a bit daunting at first, given the density of text (even though there are a lot of photographs), but if you know anything about either German culture or Berlin, you will find a foothold in the book and learn a great deal as you continue reading it. A particularly cheering feature is the amount of time the author spends on Berlin from its foundation to the 1840s, a period that many other authors either rush over or treat poorly. Moreover, in limiting himself to the most significant and representative works or artists in each period, Taylor leaves a lasting impression at the end of every chapter--there's a lot of information here, but it's organized so as not to be overwhelming, and particularly the repeated pattern of literature, music, art, architecture, is helpful. Also, the illustrations are beautiful and well chosen.