The Germans (Meridian) [Paperback]

Gordon A. Craig (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1991 | Series: Meridian

They have given mankind 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.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Plume (September 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452010853
• ISBN-13: 978-0452010857
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #478,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is Bonn Weimar?, October 12, 2000

By 

James Schoonmaker (Centreville, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Germans (Meridian) (Paperback)

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.

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars getting old, April 3, 2002

By 

D. Saunders (Blowing Rock, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Germans (Meridian) (Paperback)

Gordon Craig's scholarly books on German history are still among the best available, and the extent of his knowledge of modern Europe is astounding and usually very reliable. This book, "The Germans," is, as he says in the Preface, based on observations he began making when he first was a student there back in 1935! Full of cultural and historical references that range far beyond some writers' obsession just with the Nazi past, this book conveys to the thoughtful reader quite a bit of the depth and breadth of the recent German experience. But the book is getting old; it was originally written nearly 20 years ago, and contains only a tiny, added section on the unification that took place in 1989-90. Imagine relying on a book about the United States published early in the Reagan era, and written by a foreign observer: no matter how sensitive or thoughtful, it could not touch on many current national trends. In the German case, the dramatic changes underway since 1990 have given the country a verve, dynamism, and self-confidence unimaginable when this book came out. A new set of problems and possibilities have taken Germany well beyond where it was then, so readers should supplement Craig's work with more recent analysis.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Reading!, November 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Germans (Meridian) (Mass Market Paperback)

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.