Weimar Germany

Promise and Tragedy, Weimar Centennial Edition

By: Eric D. Weitz

Narrated by: Robert G. Slade

Length: 18 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

This audiobook narrated by Robert G. Slade paints a riveting portrait of the Weimar era.

Weimar Germany brings to life an era of unmatched creativity in the 20th century - one whose influence and inspiration still resonate today. Eric Weitz has written the authoritative history that this fascinating and complex period deserves, and he illuminates the uniquely progressive achievements and even greater promise of the Weimar Republic. Weitz reveals how Germans rose from the turbulence and defeat of World War I and revolution to forge democratic institutions and make Berlin a world capital of avant-garde art. He explores the period’s groundbreaking cultural creativity, from architecture and theater, to the new field of "sexology" - and presents richly detailed portraits of some of the Weimar’s greatest figures.

Weimar Germany also shows that beneath this glossy veneer lay political turmoil that ultimately led to the demise of the republic and the rise of the radical right. Yet for decades after, the Weimar period continued to powerfully influence contemporary art, urban design, and intellectual life - from Tokyo to Ankara and Brasilia to New York. Featuring a new preface, this comprehensive and compelling book demonstrates why Weimar is an example of all that is liberating and all that can go wrong in a democracy.

©2018 Eric D. Weitz (P)2020 Princeton University Press

Critic reviews

"[Weitz] bring[s] to bear his uncommon erudition and a prose style that is at once rigorous, wonderfully animated, and distinguished by breathtaking clarity." (Noah Isenberg, Bookforum)

"Weitz effortlessly blends politics and economics, philosophy and literature, art and architecture in a gripping portrait of a culture whose pathology was exceeded only by its creativity.... This is history at its best." (Josef Joffe, publisher and editor of Die Zeit and fellow of the Hoover Institution, Stanford University)

"Excellent.... [A] superb introduction...probably the best available." (Eric Hobsbawm, London Review of Books)

Narrow perspective on the history of Weimar

Narrative gets lost in the description of particular architects or artists.
Interesting insight into the Zeitgeist of the Weimar Rep but weak in tying it together with the political machinations in the background.

Performance is borderline pathetic - A reader that is utterly incapable of pronouncing anything German is a disgrace - as a German speaker i couldn't understand anything this guy was saying - very distracting and doesnt do the material justice.

Excellent and immersive

I particularly enjoyed all the details of daily life, economics, art and culture after having read other more historical books about the period. This book offers a rich deep dive together with historical context into details to understand this great period in democracy and the lessons it has to help understand our world today.

Fire the Narrator

The content of the audiobook met my expectations helped me achieve my learning goals, but the narrator kept speaking quotes with horrible imitation of the speech of the person who wrote the quote. If you don't want your listeners to experience irritation every time you speak a quote, say the quote and indicate somehow that is a quote if you can't hire someone who can imitate accents well.

Very good

This is a great history of an often overshadowed period in German history. I would recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about the Weimar Republic. Also, the narrator was exceptional, I would definitely put him up there with Grover Gardner for best narrators.

An Amazing, Ultimate Guide to Weimar Germany 10/10

Weitz has written a truly unparoled guide to Weimar Germany. He extrapolates key lessons and ideas applicable to a wide range of society and politics that are expertly argued. One of my biggest takeaways is that the insight provided by Weitz is greatly applicable and could serve as a warning to the reader about the chaotic and divided nature of the United States today.

Great....for Non-Fiction

Thorough and interesting...Not a Thrilling Tale of the Nazi Rise to Power so don't get ur hopes up if ur looking for a History Channel Audiobook...but an engaging (if long) look at all the facets of interwar Germany.
Reader does accents subtly and respectfully and only to highlight direct quotes.

The history of Weimar Germany, that I have been looking for.

This is a brilliant coverage of the years between the world wars. It is a complete history of the politics, economics, art, and philosophy that explains much even about our current world today.

Nice to refresh the era

Sometimes overlapping content between chapters. Strong focus on cultural achievements. Did not the like the silly accent imitations.

Disappointed

The good:
-Great performance. Very easy to listen to.
-A complete and thorough review of the culture of the Weimar Republic with an emphasis on the arts and philosophy.

Why I was disappointed:
First of all the structure was not what I expected or am accustomed to in other histories. Rather than being a chronological march through the events of the period, the book is instead more of a profile of the big players in culture. There is little discussion on the political players other than brief mentions.
Which is why I was most disappointed in it. As I write this, America is going through a politically challenging situation. I hoped that this work would be able to shed a light on what caused Weimar to fail. The author does, but in pretty reductionist terms. As portrayed, Weimar was nearly perfect, but then the Nazis bamboozled folks into installing them into power. Maybe that’s true, but it’s not well fleshed out and is a dissatisfying explanation in the context of the high praise he heaps upon the other players in the works. I was left wishing for more.

Ended up returning this one

Purchased this with a Credit thinking it was going to be a thorough history of the Weimar Republic era of German History. I expected the book to be more about the struggles of a fledgling democracy trying as it can to stand up under the weight of Versailles, international turmoil, economic strife and internal agitants. Instead, it was largely a droning about the society, arts, architecture, etc., which while interesting to some is not interesting to me. I wanted history, instead I got sociology.

On a positive note, the narration is good. So there's that, at least...