Germany Memories

For the past 140 years, Germany has been the central power in continental Europe. Thirty years ago, a new German state came into being. How much do we really understand this new Germany, and how do its people now understand themselves? Neil MacGregor argues that uniquely for any European country, no coherent, over-arching narrative of Germany's history can be constructed, for in Germany, both geography and history have always been unstable.

In the 70 years since the demise of the Third Reich, there has been a significant transformation in the ways in which the modern world understands Nazism. In this brilliant and eye-opening collection, Richard J. Evans offers a critical commentary on that transformation, exploring how major changes in perspective have informed research and writing on the Third Reich in recent years. Drawing on his most notable writings, Evans reveals the shifting perspectives on Nazism's rise to political power, its economic intricacies, and its subterranean extension into postwar Germany.

This collection of eight stories explores the power of memories—both recent and distant—and their profound influence on our daily lives. Memories are more than simple recordings of the past; they are dynamic reconstructions, shaped by our present emotions, biology, and instincts for survival. They can evoke both joy and sorrow: the brain is evolutionarily tuned to remember threats, like the fear of a "monster in the closet," more vividly than uplifting moments, such as laughter at the circus. Similarly, the pain of losing a loved one often outweighs the joy of shared experiences. ...

When you talk to Addie Johnson (Reinert is her maiden name) it isn’t long before you encounter her startling outspokenness. Some would call her opinionated, but her strong convictions stem from personal experiences that few of us can imagine. She will be quick to point out, however, that her experiences are no different than countless other children who grew up during wartime.“Maybe they never talked about it or wrote about it, but many will recognize the things I have written here.”Born in 1934, Addie was only four years old when Hitler declared war and her childhood and life were ...

Treva Zimmerman finds herself at a crossroads in life after a heartbreaking failed relationship. Returning to Lancaster County to visit her Amish grandparents and elderly aunt, Treva plans to leave her Plain heritage behind for a fresh start in Alaska. Torn between the expectations of her community and her own desires, she seeks to follow her own path—but all that changes when her aunt Rosene suffers a heart attack. As Rosene recounts her own past, Treva is determined to discover the whereabouts of Rosene’s former sweetheart.

From the award-winning author of Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath, a stunning debut novel: the story of an intense first love haunted by history and family memory, inspired by the startling WWII scrapbook of Clark’s own grandfather, hidden in an attic until after his...

A moving account of how war is remembered – and by whom 'Impressive. A hundred individual histories, skillfully assembled, built into a poignant meditation on why they still matter' David Olusoga 'Brilliant' Piers Morgan Bestselling historian Tessa Dunlop travels the length and breadth of the...

A celebration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, including documentaries and readings as heard on BBC Radio 4. 2011 marked the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, a seminal text that remains the most widely published and influential book in the English language.Once...

In this detailed study, Terri Blom Crocker provides the first comprehensive analysis of both scholarly and popular portrayals of the Christmas Truce from 1914 to present. This new examination shows how a variety of works have both explored and enshrined this outbreak of peace amid overwhelming violence. The vast majority of these accounts depict the soldiers as acting in defiance of their superiors. Crocker, however, analyzes official accounts as well as private letters that reveal widespread support among officers for the détentes.

‘Haunting.’ Jonathan Freedland ‘Powerful.’ Daniel Finkelstein The profoundly moving and deeply intimate story of one Jewish family’s fate in the Holocaust, following the thread from Germany to Latvia and to Britain. In November 1941, Peter Bradley's grandparents, Sally and Bertha...

Der Großvater erzählt dem Enkel vom Krieg - so wie er ihn erlebt hat - ohne Umschweife und verklärten Pathos. Die Fehler der Herrschenden werden stets von den einfachen Leuten mit Blut bezahlt. Das war schon zu allen Zeiten so. Nicht anders erging es einem steirischen Bergbauernsohn, der, in der Blüte seiner Jugend stehend, in den Fleischwolf der Ostfront geschmissen wurde. Das in einer Phase, wo der Krieg für das Dritte Reich so gut wie verloren war. Im Greisenalter erinnert sich der Bergbauernsohn an jene dunklen Stunden zurück, die ihn Zeit seines Lebens verfolgt haben.

What was life like for Shakespeare's first audiences? In a time of political and religious unrest and economic expansion, how did Elizabethan play-goers make sense of their changing world? What did the plays mean to the public when they were first performed? In this fascinating series, Neil...

While a kid in Germany... A completely naive young American army brat... I saw a young Jew get beat up badly. But don't jump to conclusions... It is wrong to do so. Read the story first. And only then judge....