Kaiser and His Times (Norton Library) [Paperback]

Michael Balfour (Author)

Book Description

Series: Norton Library | Publication Date: October 1, 1986

What did it mean for Germany, and the world, to have William II on the throne for the First World War? In "The Kaiser and His Times," Michael Balfour analyzes the social, constitutional, and economic forces at work in imperial Germany, and sets the complex and disputed character of the Kaiser, who occupied such a central position in the three decades before 1918, in the context of his family background and the history of Germany. Written with verve and style, and drawing on anecdotes and quotations that illuminate the major personages, the book gives an essential historical perspective to the gathering events of the early twentieth-century European history.

Product Details

• Paperback: 564 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1st Publ. in the Norton Library 1972 edition (October 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393006611
• ISBN-13: 978-0393006612
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,615,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars King of Fools, August 30, 1998

By 

Gloria E. Salavarria ([e-mail]) (Middlebury, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kaiser and His Times (Norton Library) (Paperback)

A tad on the dry side for the average reader, this scholarly account of the Kaiser clearly explains the influences that came to bear on the man--his family history, his personality and the society in which he lived. Just as his grandmother, Queen Victoria, embodied 19th century Britain, Kaiser Wilhelm II was Germany at the turn of the century. His behavior was in keeping with the beliefs and expectations of the Prussian upper class. Although he is not fully responsible for World War I, his flaws were the flaws that lead his country into World War I. This book is a good account of one of history's great failures.