The Germans

By Gordon A. Craig

Book Overview

They have given mankind unique triumphs in science, literature, philosophy, music, and art. They have also produced Hitler and the Holocaust. They are romantic and conservative, idealistic and practical, proud and insecure, ruthless and good-natured. They are, in short, the Germans. In this definitive history, Professor Gordon A. Craig, one of the world's premier authorities on Germany, comes to grips with the complex paradoxes at the heart of the German identity. His masterly study explores the roots of many contemporary institutions in German history and closely examines such topics as religion, money, Germans and Jews, women, professors and students, romantics, literature and society, soldiers, Berlin, and the German language. Craig also discusses the events surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall and the German reunification, while offering invaluable insights into Germany's pivotal role in world affairs for over a century.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452010853
• ISBN13: 9780452010857
• Release Date: September 1991
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Worth Reading!

This book is an excellent overview of the history of Germany before the fall of the wall. True it needs to be updated and it isn't so easy to get through, but it is interesting and it gives you a better understanding of why Germans today act and work as they do. I had been living in Germany for 2 years when I read this book, and learned a multitude of things that helped me identify with the society I was living in. I strongly recommend this book if you are planning to move to Germany or spend a large amount of time there.

The best introduction to the wonderful, horrible nation.

Greg's book is perhaps the most important book on the history and culture of a people which a thousands of books have been written about. One can not understand Hitler without understanding what happened in the thousand years before him. One can not understand blind obediance to the murder of six million people without understanding the fundamental basics of German society, which are so often ignored.

The most entertaining book on history you will ever read...

Over all the books on Germany I have read, Gordon A. Craig has written the most fascinating book comprehendable. It exceeds far beyond the crude and stereotypical portraits that are displayed in many other books, but instead looks deeper into the study of european history and culture. Craig's introductions are insightful and entertaining. The book is composed of a collection of long essay's which prove Craig's neutral outlook on a country that is foreign to him. This book is the best way to better understand the German phenomenon explained by the greatest diplomatic historian of Germany, Gordon A. Craig.

Is Bonn Weimar?

Written in 1982, before the Berlin Wall fell or the Cold War ended, this question is the essential one of the book. It often sits in the background, undisturbed, but it is always present. What Craig means by this is, will West Germany turn out to be a failed experiment in democracy, as the Weimar Republic did? Although we can assume fairly safely that it will not (the conclusion Craig came to as well), this is a marvelous and fascinating book. Craig is a diplomatic historian by profession, and in any study of European politics, the underpinnings and history of Germany have to play an important role. The book is organized by topic, beginning with a three-chapter brief history. The second part has chapters on religion, money, relations with Jews, sexual relations, educational relations, literature, the military, and the unique situation of Berlin, among others. It even has an appendix on "The Awful German Language". The chapter on Berlin in particular was fascinating, although if that is your interest, I would recommend Faust's Metropolis: A History of Berlin by Alexandra Richie. This is an excellent book. I originally picked it up because of my deep respect for the author (see my review of Force and Statecraft: Diplomatic Problems of Our Time) and my fascination with all things foreign. I didn't put it down for any length of time until I finished. Perhaps the best way to understand the German phenomenon short of living in Germany.

The outside-in view

One of the most insightful introductions to Germany - and a very entertaining one in addition. The author is one of the great authorities on the history of Germany in the 19th century, has lived in Germany in various periods, and obviously kept his eyes open without ever loosing his firm connection to his Anglo-Saxon roots. A great book for every one who wants to get beyond the clichees of Lederhosen, huge beer mugs and Nazi troopers with polished black riding boots.