Customer Reviews

The Kaiser and his Court: Wilhelm II and the Government of Germany

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a solid, commendable introduction to the strange personality and courtly world of Germany's last emperor. It has much to say about the physical and psychological deformities that may explain why Kaiser Wilhelm behaved as he did. It is also extremely revealing about the depths of his vicious anti-Semitism. The book makes good use of rarely mined source material and is written in a pleasingly forceful style that commands the reader's attention.

This book is a very interesting look into the theory and practice of government under Wilhelm II - particularly in those years of "personal rule" after the dismissal of Bismarck from the chancellorship. The book is essentially a collection of essays devoted to various issues involving the Kaiser and his government. So while it is not structured like a conventional history of this era, or a biography of the Kaiser, an abundance of historical and biographical information is presented.

I enjoyed this book very much - it is very well-written and was a pleasure to read. I think anyone interested in this period of German/European history will find reading this book well worth the effort.

Do not expect to read much about Kaiser Wilhelm II in this book. The title is quite misleading---it is about the era of Wilhelm, but few details about him are included here, esp. his role in WWI.

If you are a scholar and like lots and lots of references to peruse, you might like this book. However, if you are somebody who enjoys reading history in a non-academic form, you might find this book mind-numbingly boring. I could barely get through the first 100 pages and pretty much gave up after that. I love history and am always looking for great stories; this isn't one of them.

This book talks about Wilhem II, and his court in Germany. It also speaks about the hatred that he had toward Jewish People. The book is very interesting, and it sets the record straight on alot of things. This book is a must!