German-American Experience [Paperback]

Don Heinrich Tolzmann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2000

Representing one-fourth of the population, German-Americans constitute the largest ethnic element, according to the U.S. Census, with well over 60 million people claiming German heritage. In twenty-six states, they comprise at least 20 per cent of the population, and in five states they number more than 50 per cent-important statistics in understanding the role played by German-Americans in U.S. history. This book provides a comprehensive record of the essential facts in the history of this group, from its first U.S. settlements in the seventeenth century to the present. Beginning with 'The Age of Discovery', this volume explores the earliest contacts between America and Germany, immigration and settlement patterns of Germans, foundations of German-American community life, their major involvement in the American Revolution, and the role German-Americans played in our Civil War.Both world wars are chronicled, including the anti-German sentiment and the internment of German-Americans during both wars. The revival of German heritage and the renaissance of German-American ethnicity since the 1970s is surveyed, along with recent events, including the impact of German unification and the 1990 census. The author also analyses German-American influences on agriculture, industry, religion, education, music, art, architecture, politics, military service, journalism, literature, and language. In addition, he comments on prominent German-Americans, German names, sister cities, historical statistics, and much more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a broad, in-depth, but manageable one-tome product for the general reader." -- Society for German-American Studies Newsletter, June 2000

"...a must for every American whose ancestors came to our shores from a German-speaking country...excellent work..." -- Vereinsnachrichten, September, 2000

About the Author

Don Heinrich Tolzmann is an award-winning writer and curator of the German-Americana Collection and director of the German-American Studies Program at the University of Cincinnati.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Humanity Books (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573927317
• ISBN-13: 978-1573927314
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #732,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you have German roots this is a must read!, December 11, 2003

By 

Shannon Pearson (Vista, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: German-American Experience (Paperback)

I actually took two classes with Dr. Tolzmann at the University of Cincinnati and that is how I came to know this book. I hadn't read the book in some years and picked it up again recently. Dr. Tolzmann is a fascinating man and clearly has a passion for his interests. This shines through in all of his work. I recommend this book highly to those with German heritage.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for any German-American, June 26, 2009

By 

C. Stumpf "LoveToRead" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: German-American Experience (Paperback)

I found this book very enlightening. I originally thought my family had came from Germany in the mid-1800's because my family told stories about family members being able to speak German. After reading this book and doing a little family tree work, I found out to my surprise that my family had lived in the US since at least the 1700's and had passed down the language for many generations. This book does a great job of explaining the major German immigration routes, i.e., mainly through PA.

I also found the chapter describing German-American influence on American culture very useful, e.g., that our educational system is modeled after the Prussian system.

This is a great book and I highly recommend.

5 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Know the Truth about this Book, November 27, 2010

By 

Illiniguy71 - See all my reviews

This review is from: German-American Experience (Paperback)

This book has serious problems both with accuracy and with scholarly integrity. Certainly, readers who know nothing of German-American history can learn important information from reading the book, but it is badly outdated, wrong in too many instances, and much of it is copied from an older work. Read the details in the H-Net review: [...]