Modern Germany

Germany is one of the richest and most influential countries in the world, which is amazing when you consider that the nation is only about the size of the US states of Oregon and Washington combined. It’s even more astounding when you consider that at the end of World War II, every major German city (and many minor ones) had been flattened by the Allied bombing campaign. Still more amazing is that the country has gone from international pariah and home of the Holocaust to one of the most well-regarded and humanitarian nations on Earth.

Around the turn of the nineteenth century, a steady stream of young German poets and thinkers coursed to the town of Jena to make history. The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars had dealt a one-two punch to the dynastic system. Confidence in traditional social, political, and religious norms had been replaced by a profound uncertainty that was as terrifying for some as it was exhilarating for others. Nowhere was the excitement more palpable than among the extraordinary group of poets, philosophers, translators, and socialites who gathered in this Thuringian village.

*INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* WITH A FOREWORD BY SIR BEN KINGSLEY A powerful memoir by one of the youngest survivors of Auschwitz, Tova Friedman, following her childhood growing up during the Holocaust and surviving a string of near-death experiences in a Jewish ghetto, a Nazi labor camp...

A definitive account of one of the darkest chapters in modern history, The Third Reich: A Complete History traces the rise, rule, and collapse of Nazi Germany from the aftermath of the First World War to its destruction in 1945. Thoroughly researched and vividly written, this book presents a complete narrative of how Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party emerged from political and economic crisis, transformed Germany into a totalitarian state, and led Europe into catastrophic war. Covering the political, military, social, and ideological dimensions of the regime, the book explores the collapse of...

By July of 1944, the Third Reich's days were numbered. Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a general staff insider with open eyes (and access to the Fuhrer), was convinced that assassinating Hitler was the only way to prevent the destruction of the Fatherland and the deaths of millions. On July 20, he hid a bomb-stuffed briefcase at a high-level meeting. The explosion tore through the room, but a table leg spared Hitler from the blast. The result was a witch hunt, a wave of executions, and a further pointless year of war. Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh deliver an exhilarating and definitive portrait of the anti-Nazi movement (called "Secret Germany") that almost killed Hitler. Secret Germany is the story of "World War II's boldest plot-that-failed" (Time), a coup that was a moral and spiritual necessity.

Written by two of the world's leading authorities on the subject, Imperial Germany and War, 1871-1918 examines the most essential components of the imperial German military system, with an emphasis on such foundational areas as theory, doctrine, institutional structures, training, and the officer corps. In the period between 1871 and 1918, rapid technological development demanded considerable adaptation and change in military doctrine and planning. 

Delve into the intricate tapestry of European history with "The Iron Chancellor," an enlightening exploration of the life and legacy of Otto von Bismarck. From his formative years to his eventual rise as the architect of German unification, this compelling eBook takes readers on a journey through key historical moments that shaped the modern world. Begin your adventure with a look into Bismarck's early years, uncovering the familial, educational, and political influences that set the stage for his emergence onto the political scene. Chart his meteoric ascent to power as he navigated complex...

The future has entered World War II—and the enemy is learning how to fight it. After the USS Gerald R. Ford was thrown back into 1942, Rear Admiral Diane Kessler used the most powerful carrier strike group on Earth to change the course of the war. But every victory has revealed something. Germany is no longer reacting blindly. A secret intelligence staff is studying American radio traffic, recovered technology, captured equipment, and every weapon the Ford has fired. New traps are being designed for aircraft that should not exist. The enemy now understands that the carrier’s missiles ...

Bloomsbury presents Goethe, written and read by A. N. Wilson Goethe remains one of the most influential figures in modern literature and thought. Goethe was the inventor of the psychological novel, a pioneer scientist, great man of the theatre and a leading politician. As A. N. Wilson argues in...

This program is read by the author. From a master of popular history, the lively, immersive story of the race to seize Berlin in the aftermath of World War II as it’s never been told before BERLIN’S FATE WAS SEALED AT THE 1945 YALTA CONFERENCE: the city, along with the rest of Germany, was...

“Wholly immersive and impeccably researched, Bryn Turnbull’s tale brings the time vividly to life.”—Toronto Star on The Paris Deception For fans of Kate Quinn and Kristin Hannah, this sweeping love story follows a young couple whose lives are irrevocably changed when they’re separated...

A modern account of the war that toppled the French Empire, unified Germany, and set Europe on the path to World War I. “A vivid and informative story of these events and their consequences … Chrastil’s compassionate and thought-provoking history does justice to both sides of this legacy...

For nearly a century, historians have depicted Germany as a rabidly nationalist land, born in a sea of aggression. Not so, says Helmut Walser Smith, who, in this groundbreaking 500-year history, challenges traditional perceptions of Germany's conflicted past, revealing a nation far more thematically complicated than 20th-century historians have imagined. 

Explore gripping European political history as fractured medieval states violently forge a modern democratic powerhouse. Trace ten monumental turning points that redefined borders, sparked cultural nationalism, and tested the limits of human resilience. This narrative captures the dramatic rise...

Offering a history of the Germany that Bavaria made over the twentieth century, A Nation Fermented both eschews sharp temporal divisions and forgoes conventional narratives centered on Prussia, Berlin, or the Rhineland. In so doing, Terrell offers a fresh take on the importance of provincial influences and the role of commodities and commerce in shaping the nation.

An essential new history of Central Europe that “deftly unravels the strands of a long and complex past” (Wall Street Journal) Central Europe has long been infamous as a region beset by war, a place where empires clashed and world wars began. In The Middle Kingdoms, Martyn Rady offers the...

This fascinating three-thousand-year history of the census traces the making of the modern survey and explores its political power in the age of big data and surveillance. In April 2020, the United States will embark on what has been called "the largest peacetime mobilization in American...

An unprecedented examination of the ways in which the uninhibited urban sexuality, sexual experimentation, and medical advances of pre-Weimar Berlin created and molded our modern understanding of sexual orientation and gay identity. Known already in the 1850s for the friendly company of its...

In this fascinating book, Johann Chapoutot, one of France’s most brilliant historians, traces the profound links between Nazism and the principles of modern corporate management, our definitions of success, and a concept of personal freedom that masks rigid hierarchical structures of power and control.

Experience an epic European history where fractured medieval realms clash to forge a modern political superpower. Perfect for an educational morning commute, this sweeping narrative transforms complex centuries of war, religion, and revolution into a gripping audio journey. Whether you are...