Germany Books

1.2 million German soldiers needlessly perished in Soviet war captivity under Stalin. This book tells of one of the fortunate men who survived this terrible ordeal.

Georg Schinke was a very intelligent, organized, and highly motivated individual. He was an attorney and very knowledgeable in history which makes this book so much more interesting. He gives a broad overview of the Soviet system in addition to his observations. I will describe the book by relating a bit about some of the chapters it has. Homecoming tells about Georg's return through the eyes of his daughter. Hammer and Sickle gives an excellent synopsis of how Stalin ruled Russia. Onward gives a basic beginning from Georg's birth to his becoming a POW. From there on the reader is rewarded with a rich account of Georg's experiences. What makes the reading so enjoyable is the broad scope that Georg relates to in addition to his daily life in the camps. The only `shortcoming' of the book is that the reader is left wanting to know more about Georg and his pre and post war life. (All good books leave you wanting more) It is my opinion that Georg was a modest man, and chose not to concentrate so much on himself or his accomplishments so he chose to stick to his main purpose, describing life in the Red Cage. He was a first lieutenant (Oberleutnant), yet he never bragged or thought himself above others. Georg's humor nicely spices up the book, as does his writing style.

The book is sold on Amazon by Georg's daughter and includes a personalized, signed sticker, which adds to the book's appeal. I am delighted I purchased the book, which was delivered with outstanding service.

This book is spell binding, and others, who read it too, cannot lay it aside, but must finish reading from cover to cover. Not many people were capable to write about their experiences of being captivated by the enemy and kept behind barbed wire for endless years. Most soldiers, who fall prey to this kind of reprisal remain quiet, trying to forget. But can they? And what will happen to many after the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon? Soldiers will be sent again to do their duty.....

It is hard to read a book like this without anger swallowing my soul. For some the war did not end in 1945... it was just beginning. So it was for one german soldier named Georg Schinke and millions of other axis soldiers. Their crimes? They served their country. They fought for what they believed in. They lost the war.

Sadly Mr. Schinke has left us for eternity... but his daughter Gerborg took his memoirs in her very loving and capable hands and gave them shape and cohesion, keeping their context intact for the new generations. One of the few accounts available about the Gulag experience in the english language and it is a sobering experience. Those of you who belong to the new generations and find it hard to understand why we fought for Hitler should read this tome. Those of us who took part in The Great European Crusade Against Bolshevism know the dark side of the russians very well. Those axis soldiers that survived not only 4-5 years of brutal fighting on the eastern front but also 10 years of enslavement afterwards are the true heroes of the war, about which endless tomes should have been written; unfortunately it's the big shots who get all the credit in history books. I know first hand that our officers and those of the German armed forces were always (for the most part) at the front leading by example, men like Theodor Eicke of the 3rd SS Totenkopf who, rifle in hand would fight beside his troops, shared the same rations as them and refused preferential treatment.

Mr. Schinke's account is one of triumph under the most desperate conditions. These men shared one enduring quality that was the key component that allowed most to endure and survive those ten long years; camaraderie, that eternal soldierly brotherhood bonded from common suffering, sacrifice and unselfishness. A soldier learns to chip away at the unessential elements of existence to such a degree that they find it impossible to worry about the petty needs of daily existence. When you look death in the face on a daily basis you learn to love every minute of your existence like it's your last. Mr. Schinke and his comrades knew.

Huge memorials have ben built in the west to perpetuate the lies and honor the alleged victims of our horror. Yet, perhaps someday these brave axis soldiers too will have their memorial erected to honor their sacrifice for love of folk and nation, a nation that unfortunately turned it's back on them... refusing them veteran's pensions, placing them on trial for alleged crimes against humanity, persecuting their families and blaming them for all the evils wwii brought about. Sounds so much like the Vietnam veteran's sad retribution unfortunately. But as for now they each have their own very simple memorial... one built in the hearts of their loved ones, a memorial that is undying and that burns with the intensity of but one desire... to never forget who the true heroes are and honor them within the confines of our soul... and Mr. Schinke's literary homage to his and their suffering does just that.

I have always wondered how these men who came back faced a completely transformed world; transformed in every sense of the word... a world devoid of all the values these men had shed their blood for, without leaders of the same mettle as Hitler, DeGrelle, Rudel, Franco; a world which had crimininalized them, their actions, their institutions (while they were imprisoned and unable to defend themselves) and made them into a sort of resident evil for the new generations.

In war a soldier has the warriors chance, the capacity to survive battle by means of his soldierly skills. In captivity there is no such warrior's chance. Yet oddly enough this is a time when man reaches for substenance beyond the physical sphere into another realm... known but to him.

Raimund Fonseca

It is an excellent biography of Richard Strauss, well written and employing up-to-date scholarship on the great composer. It portrays not only Strauss' life and historical milieu, but also addresses inaccurate views of his political situation during Hitler's Third Reich, which have unfairly colored his reputation. The book would be an essential tool in fully understanding and appreciating this musical genius.

I have grown up reading Michael Kennedy's biographies of such great English composers as Vaughan-Williams and Edward Elgar. So I eagerly picked-up his latest biography of Richard Strauss partly because of what I deemed to be Kennedy's objective approach to his subjects, and also because Strauss seemed to be a deeply held secret not meant to be shared with us ordinary listeners (in other words, there wasn't much else available).

Kennedy seems to have slightly more passion for Strauss it turns out than for RVW or Elgar, or at least enough moxy to blow the cover off some well established sacred cows. I know that I was not expecting to read exactly what I read.

If you are even vaguely interested in the music of Strauss or even if you are simply intereted in the history of Germany from 1900 to 1950, then this is a very interesting read.

Very well done!

Studies of Richard Strauss have a tendency to hover between enthusiasm and mealy-mouthed criticism. Or else they are so voluminous (multiple volumes) that only the most serious scholar or eager enthusiast can imagine plowing through them. Michael Kennedy's volume has two great strengths that place it at the top of the class when it comes to finding a good introduction to Strauss: It is compact, yet invitingly enthusiastic. Kennedy has the knack of highlighting precisely the unique strengths of each different work. Perhaps this is not so rare when he speaks of the leading masterpieces that others praise as well. But it is his special gift that he makes the reader want to listen to those works that have not been blessed with extreme popularity. All of them offer something that sounds interesting and inviting to the music-lover. Not only is it a superb guide to Richard Strauss; I think this book is a veritable model for the way that the non-technical music lover should be introduced to an important composer.

If you only could read and own one history book on Nazi Germany, this would be it. Don't let the 1245 pages daunt you, this is a very well written and readable book on the subject. Shirer was apparently a journalist and started research on the book when he first went to Germany in 1925. He spent 5-1/2 years writing it. The title pretty much explains it, it covers the rise of Adolf Hitler to the eventual fall of Berlin. There are other history books that cover specific aspects of the Nazi's, such as the recommended 2002 publication of Antony Beevor's The Fall of Berlin 1945, but this is the one history book on it all. Considering how the events covered set up the modern world, this should be essential reading for everyone on the planet.

I see that this is the first review for the hardcopy version of the book, which is the version of the text that I have. Those wanting to read other reviews should go to the paperback version site.

I recommend this book to everyone. Whether or not you're a fan of the current presidential administration, reading this book will give you valuable insight into Nazi Germany, so next time some 21 year old anarchist is comparing George Bush to Hitler, you can say "That is a pretty stupid comparison."

I have studied two years of German in college for my BS degree. My dad grew up in Nazi Germany. We were not the best of friends. Yet, this was a very fascinating book to me! I bought it because I figured that Hitler was a foreurunner of the Antichrist of the Bible and maybe this book would give me insight into his character. And it did. Yet I found some strange humor in it as well.Both my dad and one of my German professors had used the expression "he ought to be shot!" before as a reference to the frequent use of firing squads in the Third Reich. There is some of that gallows humor in there. Like a description of the quaiity built crematoriums for the death camps-made with the finsest of materials and German craftsmanship! My dad always was big on German craftsmanship and efficiency. I even found myself joking with my therapist about how cool it would be to become a dictator like Hitler where I could put all my enemies into concentarion camps, have them executed and have it filmed as the master had done!
I seemed to know more from that book about Hitler that my dad did. I discovered Hitler was a failed artist. My dad had tought he was a house painter. As my dad had terminal cancer and we visited once a month with him, we could talk about how he was living in Romania when Hitler invaded Russia and when they were repulsed that he and my aunt Margit had been evacuated out of Romania by Hitler. My dad was pretty tight-lipped about his childhood; yet this book actually gave us something to talk about befeore he died. What did we have in common? Quantum Theory? NOt! Bible Prophecy? NOt! We could discuss old "Uncle Adolph" as he had once called him!
So, I did see a twisted sort of humor to it. Just like on a News Radio Station from the Eastern US I had heard about a man who had a custom license plate in Virginia that said ZYKLON B on it. And how the state of Virginia had the plate revoked when they found out what it was. In Shirer's book, I discovered that ZYKLON B was the chemical that IG Farben had produced which Hitler used to carry out the "Final Solution" of the Jewish problem.
This book is jam packed with all kinds of trivia and interesting details. Just like I said, my dad grew up in Hitler Third Reich and did not know some ot these things!
There is an interesting lesson in this book in the life of Hitler. Hitler went to Vienna to study to be a painter. They rejected his application. So, he blamed this on the Jews and made it his ambition to erradicate them from the face of the earth-The Final Solution. Or in more modern times, I had seen on TV how the woman who had prayer banned from the public schools hadd been discriminated against in church; so she did not want to make her kids have to pray in school! Sometimes, discrimination comes back to haunt people!

I just finished reading Rising Tide by Melvin E. Weaver and did not hesitate to give this book a "FIVE STAR RATING." From the very beginning, the characters came to life in such a way that it was impossible to put the book down. Rising Tide has it all...political intrigue, romance, mystery. A "must read" book for ages thirteen and up!

Being from a small south Fla town myself, I really got into this book! It reminded me of all the family owned dairy farms & farm land that South Fla used to boast. Rod Serling is a great action packed character w/a great sense of humor! If you like WWII stuff, you'll love this book!

The story jumps right into suspense and mystery, with cliff-hangers to keep you reading non-stop. As the hero, Rod, travels from Florida to Cuba, he becomes enchanged with Conchita. Then there's smuggling covered by "innocent" dairy-farming, a topic in which the author shows in-depth knowledge. The mysterious disappearance of Rod's brother is resolved with a surprise. And then there's all that sex, sex, sex.

This book is a good starting point for understanding German military developments in mechanized warfare during the interwar years. Alternately, if you only wanted to read one book on the subject, this would be a good choice. Easy to read, makes clear points, and covers a fair amount of territory.

Corum, a historian, German linguist, and former military intelligence officer has written a fine study of how Germany was able to absorb the lessons of its defeat in WWI, overcome the restrictions placed on the size and composition of its armed forces, and develop the revolutionary military doctrine that swept it to astonishing victories against every European country it engaged. Corum focuses on General Hans von Seeckt, enigmatic Chief of the German General Staff -- twice awarded the Pour le Merit, Germany's highest decoration for valor -- as the architecht of this remarkable feat. Seeckt set the stage for reform of the Army by fostering a climate of open discussion on all matters regarding doctrine development in which the ideas of the best thinkers -- regardless of rank -- were given a full hearing. A tremendous number of experimental programs were conducted to try out various tactical doctrine. Many of these, secretly carried out in the USSR. Corum cites numerous training manuals, military correspondence and other primary resource documents to illustrate the revolutionary nature of Seeckt's impact on the German military. The book appeared about the same time as a book on American preparation for WWII -- There's a War to be Won -- that is very instructive when read together with Roots of Blitzkrieg. Current military leaders and their civilian overseers should read both books and bear in mind that the constrained resourses available to our armed forces today make the German model the more relevant of the two. Americans, fifty years ago could count on the full mobilization of our industrial and population base to prepare for war. Today's headlines continually reflect lack of preparedness in training exercises, inability to recruit and retain quality personnel (especially pilots), and inadequate funding for research and development programs -- a formula for disaster. Our political focus on humanitarian missions conducted by our armed forces has diverted training and R & D funds and that other scarce resource -- time -- from their intended purposes and prevented implementation of new information age technology. Corum's book demonstrates that, with even minimal support from the political establishment, the U.S. could revive its rapidly deteriorating military capability.

Professor Corum has produced a very concise (c. 200 pages) history of how the German Army spent its inter-war years. Including chapters on doctrinal development (air and ground), training, and weapons design and implementation, Dr. Corum has done his best to avoid political/strategic questions that are inherent in a text covering the rebirth of the German military.

Dr. Corum also makes a statement in focusing on General Hans Von Seeckt as the driving force behind many of the reforms the Reichswehr undertook during his years as chief of the general staff. By taking the spotlight away from Heinz Guderian, Corum has placed the emphasis on the man who fostered the kind of general staff where sweeping tactical and organizational changes were possible. Professor Corum also makes it very clear that those changes were in large part due to a serious assessment of the lessons of the First World War.

A reader from an allied country may have difficulties in trying to separate the great advances in warfare made during the period of the Reichswehr, and how these principles were misused only a few years later. However, one can not avoid marveling at the professionalism and flexibility of the tradition of the Prussian General Staff, and it is those qualities that Professor Corum has focused on in his text.

Publications about Freemasonry and its history tend to fall into two classes - the first written by and for Freemasons and of little interest to anyone else; the second sensational and denunciatory, portraying the Craft as a diabolic conspiracy against God and man. Academic historians have mostly paid little attention to Freemasonry, perhaps because it has seemed the province of dabblers and fanatics. Christopher McIntosh is neither, and has treated an interesting period in history during which offshoots of the Craft had significant social and political importance, in a sensible and factual way, and with impeccable scholarship.

Much has been made by conspiracy theorists of Adam Weishaupt's Illuminati, attributing to it all manner of sinister influence. Yet, as McIntosh shows, a system of hautes-grades Freemasonry called the Gold- und Rosenkreuz both had a longer life and achieved actual political influence the Illuminati never did. Two cabinet ministers of the Prussian King Frederick William II, Johann Christof Wöllner and Johann Rudolf von Bischoffswerder, were the chiefs of this order, and the king was a member. Under the ministry of Wöllner and Bischoffswerder, the Prussian government sought to enforce a rigorous Lutheran orthodoxy against the rising tide of "enlightened" scepticism and scientism. Wöllner and Bischoffswerder have been described as "the first self-consciously conservative politicians in German history." Throughout the Holy Roman Empire, Gold- und Rosenkreuz circles found themselves in rivalry with Illuminati groups, as McIntosh describes in his chapter on "The Polemical Stance of the Gold- und Rosenkreuz."

While this episode of Masonic history has understandably been neglected by the conspiracy theorists, because it does not fit their preconceptions, some German historians have represented the Gold- und Rosenkreuz as a completely reactionary, anti-Aufklärung force. McIntosh shows that this was really not true, and that the Gold- und Rosenkreuz represented a different size of the phenomenon we refer to as the Enlightenment. The philosophical ferment of the eighteenth century incorporated Adam Smith, Samuel Johnson, and Edmund Burke as well as Voltaire, Helvétius, LaMettrie and Rousseau. It is facile to equate the Enlightenment with the views of a few French philosophes.

While the political influence of the Gold- und Rosenkreuz petered out with the death of Frederick William II, its cultural influence lasted well into the nineteenth century and extended as far east as Russia, and as far west as Great Britain, where the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia was founded using the ritual and grade structure of the Gold- und Rosenkreuz. This, in turn, gave rise to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which attracted a curious blend of literary and artistic figures, wealthy dilettantes, and a few charlatans like Mathers and Crowley.

What I wish McIntosh had pointed out more explicitly is that the importance of secret and semi-secret groups in politics is inversely proportional to the degree of freedom in the body politic. In Great Britain, the wellspring of speculative Freemasonry, the Craft never developed a political character, because the country was a constitutional monarchy. Representative government (if not complete democracy) and substantial latitude in public discourse (if not perfect freedom of speech) already existed there by the eighteenth century. Prussia, in contrast, was an absolute monarchy. Public dissent from the policies of government was suppressed as thoroughly as possible. In such a climate, masonic lodges became hospitable refuges for those having political aims, which were facilitated by members' pledges of secrecy and mutual assistance. Everywhere "political" freemasonry continues to exist in continental Europe and Latin America similarly had or has a comparable pattern of repressing open political dialogue.

Furthermore, as Eric Voegelin has pointed out in his "New Science of Politics," there is an affinity between gnosticism and totalitarianism. The latter has philosophical roots in the former. On the continent of Europe there are two streams of gnosticism that arguably have led to competing totalitarian systems. One, flowing from French philosophes like d'Alembert and Rousseau, through Weishaupt, to early nineteenth-century German rationalist philosophers, ultimately ends in the swamp of Marxism. The other, represented by the occultism of the Gold- und Rosenkreuz, flows through German romanticism, antiquarianism, and pseudo-scientific philology, among others to Nietzsche, Lanz "von Liebenfels," Glauer "von Sebottendorf," as well as through Blavatsky, Guénon, Evola, and empties into Fascism and Nazism. However different these systems may seem, both propose to build utopian societies in which men will be "as gods." It should be no surprise that they have come a-cropper even more disastrously than did the efforts of Wöllner and Bischoffswerder.

Publications about Freemasonry and its history tend to fall into two classes - the first written by and for Freemasons and of little interest to anyone else; the second sensational and denunciatory, portraying the Craft as a diabolic conspiracy against God and man. Academic historians have mostly paid little attention to Freemasonry, perhaps because it has seemed the province of dabblers and fanatics. Christopher McIntosh is neither, and has treated an interesting period in history during which offshoots of the Craft had significant social and political importance, in a sensible and factual way, and with impeccable scholarship.

Much has been made by conspiracy theorists of Adam Weishaupt's Illuminati, attributing to it all manner of sinister influence. Yet, as McIntosh shows, a system of hautes-grades Freemasonry called the Gold- und Rosenkreuz both had a longer life and achieved actual political influence the Illuminati never did. Two cabinet ministers of the Prussian King Frederick William II, Johann Christof Wöllner and Johann Rudolf von Bischoffswerder, were the chiefs of this order, and the king was a member. Under the ministry of Wöllner and Bischoffswerder, the Prussian government sought to enforce a rigorous Lutheran orthodoxy against the rising tide of "enlightened" scepticism and scientism. Wöllner and Bischoffswerder have been described as "the first self-consciously conservative politicians in German history." Throughout the Holy Roman Empire, Gold- und Rosenkreuz circles found themselves in rivalry with Illuminati groups, as McIntosh describes in his chapter on "The Polemical Stance of the Gold- und Rosenkreuz."

While this episode of Masonic history has understandably been neglected by the conspiracy theorists, because it does not fit their preconceptions, some German historians have represented the Gold- und Rosenkreuz as a completely reactionary, anti-Aufklärung force. McIntosh shows that this was really not true, and that the Gold- und Rosenkreuz represented a different size of the phenomenon we refer to as the Enlightenment. The philosophical ferment of the eighteenth century incorporated Adam Smith, Samuel Johnson, and Edmund Burke as well as Voltaire, Helvétius, LaMettrie and Rousseau. It is facile to equate the Enlightenment with the views of a few French philosophes.

Although the political influence of the Gold- und Rosenkreuz petered out with the death of Frederick William II, its cultural influence lasted well into the nineteenth century and extended as far east as Russia, and as far west as Great Britain, where the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia was founded using the ritual and grade structure of the Gold- und Rosenkreuz. This, in turn, gave rise to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which attracted a curious blend of literary and artistic figures, wealthy dilettantes, and a few charlatans like Mathers and Crowley.

What I wish McIntosh had pointed out more explicitly is that the importance of secret and semi-secret groups in politics is inversely proportional to the degree of freedom in the body politic. In Great Britain, the wellspring of speculative Freemasonry, the Craft never developed a political character, because the country was a constitutional monarchy. Representative government (if not complete democracy) and substantial latitude in public discourse (if not perfect freedom of speech) already existed there by the eighteenth century. Prussia, in contrast, was an absolute monarchy. Public dissent from the policies of government was suppressed as thoroughly as possible. In such a climate, masonic lodges became hospitable refuges for those having political aims, which were facilitated by members' pledges of secrecy and mutual assistance. Everywhere "political" freemasonry continues to exist in continental Europe and Latin America similarly had or has a comparable pattern of repressing open political dialogue.

Furthermore, as Eric Voegelin has pointed out in his "New Science of Politics," there is an affinity between gnosticism and totalitarianism. The latter has philosophical roots in the former. On the continent of Europe there are two streams of gnosticism that arguably have led to competing totalitarian systems. One, flowing from French philosophes like d'Alembert and Rousseau, through Weishaupt, to early nineteenth-century German rationalist philosophers, ultimately ends in the swamp of Marxism. The other, represented by the occultism of the Gold- und Rosenkreuz, flows through German romanticism, antiquarianism, and pseudo-scientific philology, among others to Nietzsche, Lanz "von Liebenfels," Glauer "von Sebottendorf," as well as through Blavatsky, Guénon, Evola, and empties into Fascism and Nazism. However different these systems may seem, both propose to build utopian societies in which men will be "as gods." It should be no surprise that they have come a-cropper even more disastrously than did the efforts of Wöllner and Bischoffswerder.

If you're here because you're looking for it--then you've found it. "The Rose Cross and the Age of Reason" provides a much needed re-evaluation of 18th century esoteric movements in Continential Europe, especially in Germany. The study is an evaluation of the structure, rituals, and doctrine of the Gold und Rosencreutz, an esoteric but politically powerful Rosicrucian order in Germany from about 1760 to the end of the 18th century. Many governent officials, as well as merchants and other professionals, were members of this order, which practiced an austere Christianity, but one powerfully symbolic as well. Alchemy and masonry also came to the fore in this study.

McIntosh's judgment is that the evaluate literature so far has painted occultism, especially German esotericism, as anti-Enlightenment in structure, doctrine, and function. This is commonly explained by the pietism of its members, who were resistant tor openly hostile to Cartesian science and metaphysics. The "G und R" also became involved in a conservative, perhaps even reactionary monarchy in Prussia (King Frederick William II). As this Rosicrucian movement gained power, it drew the ire of a number of Enlightnment critics, and a secret society, the Bavarian Illuminati, was formed in part to oppose it.

McIntosh demonstrates conclusively that simply judging the G und R as anti-Enlightenment is not the case, and he suggests a more nuanced view. To do this, McIntosh identifies three modalities of thought that were operative at the time in 18th century Germany, an Enlightenment mode, represented by Kant and others, the Orthodox churches (Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed) and a variety of Hermetic Neoplatonism, informed by Kabbalistic (both Jewish and Christian) discourse and alchemy, both theorectical and practical. Between the Orthodox religious views (the Counter-Enlightenment) and the Aufklarer, the Neoplatonic intellectual mode argued for a metaphysics illuminated by divine quintessance at every level. Drawing on classic Gnosticism and German Protestant Pietism, this Hermetic strain that gave birth to the G und R shared some characteristics with each of the other two movements. Like orthodox Christianity, the G und R held to a mostly world-negative cosmology and pessimistic epistemology, and taught that before all else men must fear and rever Jesus Christ. However, Pietism, Kabbalah and other influences gave it a strong emphasis on self-development towards the Kingdom of the Paraclete, and as such nationalistic development toward this idea as well. Reason and Science were encouraged so long as they took place within this religious telos, and many of the G und R and associated occultists found themselves on this list of prohibited books in Rome. Relations with the clergy were sometimes tense, and the G und R at times made moves to silence Counter-Enlightment clergy when they felt their interests threatened.

What this text adds to a dicussion of esotericism and intellectual culture is a better framework of understanding the relationship of these metaphysical and religious movements and their influence on culture. In much of the scholarly literature and popular imagination, such religious and magical movements represent a return to "irrationality" and as such can easily be dismissed by Enlightenment discourse as unworthy cultural productions. McIntosh's text recontextualizes occultism and shows that it can (and has) had a pervasive cultural impact at crucial times and places.

...continues the excellence of the series. Originally intended as the final book of the series, "The Story of Civilization", in ended up being the penultimate volume.

The Durants lucidly and eloquently summarize the philosophy, life and influence that Rousseau had on the 18th century and, indeed, continues to have to this very day. Rousseau may be regarded as the creator of the Left-wing sensibility. This may seem anachronistic and, in a sense, it is. Rousseau died before the French Revolution, which created the modern political division of Right and Left. Nevertheless, it is accurate to see him as the Fountainhead for relativism, communism, and the worship of feeling as opposed to reason (debased and emptied of all intellectual content this is now called building "self-esteem" by the modern leftist).

Rousseau created most of the modern ills of political fanaticism and airy, absurd idealism as the Durants so ably note.

The rest of the period is not neglected and vivid portraits are made of Frederick the Great, Catherine the Great, the Elder Pitt, Diderot, D'Holbach, Samuel Johnson and many, many others help this book to shine.

Awarded the Pulitzer Prize--which should have gone to the entire series as opposed to just this volume--this book gives the reader a complete (if necessarily synopsized) account of the End and Failure of the Enlightenment and how what Rousseau and Voltaire intended in their attacks on the social structure (Rousseau) and religion (Voltaire) lead to disastrous consequences in the French Revolution.

The writing sparkles with vivid wit, pith and lucid beauty. It is a book to be read for a lifetime and bequeathed to children. In an age where smarmy, intellectually empty, political fanaticism is attempting to erase the past in favor of the PC fantasies of the moment, the Durants offer a vivid account of the Truth. European civilization is presented here in all its glory and with all its warts. Slavery, religious fanaticism, exploitation and the horrors of the penal system and warfare are all presented here, in their proper place and in context. The modern academic community has attempted to destroy the ideal of context and balance. As long as these books are around, REAL history and historiography are available to anyone who simply opens a copy and reads it.

Was this review helpful to you?

...continues the excellence of the series. Originally intended as the final book of the series, "The Story of Civilization", in ended up being the penultimate volume.

The Durants lucidly and eloquently summarize the philosophy, life and influence that Rousseau had on the 18th century and, indeed, continues to have to this very day. Rousseau may be regarded as the creator of the Left-wing sensibility. This may seem anachronistic and, in a sense, it is. Rousseau died before the French Revolution, which created the modern political division of Right and Left. Nevertheless, it is accurate to see him as the Fountainhead for relativism, communism, and the worship of feeling as opposed to reason (debased and emptied of all intellectual content this is now called building "self-esteem" by the modern leftist).

Rousseau created most of the modern ills of political fanaticism and airy, absurd idealism as the Durants so ably note.

The rest of the period is not neglected and vivid portraits are made of Frederick the Great, Catherine the Great, the Elder Pitt, Diderot, D'Holbach, Samuel Johnson and many, many others help this book to shine.

Awarded the Pulitzer Prize--which should have gone to the entire series as opposed to just this volume--this book gives the reader a complete (if necessarily synopsized) account of the End and Failure of the Enlightenment and how what Rousseau and Voltaire intended in their attacks on the social structure (Rousseau) and religion (Voltaire) lead to disastrous consequences in the French Revolution.

The writing sparkles with vivid wit, pith and lucid beauty. It is a book to be read for a lifetime and bequeathed to children. In an age where smarmy, intellectually empty, political fanaticism is attempting to erase the past in favor of the PC fantasies of the moment, the Durants offer a vivid account of the Truth. European civilization is presented here in all its glory and with all its warts. Slavery, religious fanaticism, exploitation and the horrors of the penal system and warfare are all presented here, in their proper place and in context. The modern academic community has attempted to destroy the ideal of context and balance. As long as these books are around, REAL history and historiography are available to anyone who simply opens a copy and reads it.

In this, the tenth volume in the critically acclaimed series "The Story of Civilization," Dr. will & Ariel Durant have compiled a masterful dramatic exploration of the European climate and the events which paved the way for the French Revolution.

The reader will be exposed to a vivid recount of the acts of: Rousseau, who confessed his most embarassing sexual and emotional episodes. England and the rise of her overseas empire. Catherine The Great of Russia. Frederick The Great of Prussia. The German Enlightenment. Marie Antoinette. France's impotent and frustrated King Louis XVI. And much, much more including plates and maps.

Written to stand alone or within the series, the Durants have composed an unparalleled historical prose in smooth flowing narrative that is easy to read and understand by both professional and layperson alike. In short, this book is for everyone. I rate it as five stars. Bravo!

With a plot that reads as if it came from the mind of Alistair MacLean, Robert Ludlum or Tom Clancy, this long unreported episode in our nation's history could not be more relevant in 21st century America.

From a World War II Nazi plan for espionage and terrorism, the authors have managed to craft a compelling and intriguing historical account, which raises many important questions. Questions which desperately need to be asked in post 9-11 America. But, they are questions which are all too often being ignored by most of the ratings-starved and war-hungry media.

Messrs. Gordon and Abello have done their home work, and it shows. Bravo, to the first time collaboration of this judge and this novelist.

Abella and Gordon hit the nail on the head with this book. If you are even slightly interested in WWII history, this is a great read. Given what's going on in the world today, the subject matter is truly relevant. Abella and Gordon make this historical story accessible and interesting.

This terrific book is about foreign terrorists who land on American shores and plan to destroy American buildings, military bases, and kill civilians. In particular, they plan to bomb Jewish owned businesses and stores such as Macy's. No, this doesn't take place now, but in 1942. And these terrorists are Nazis.
The first part of the book describes the true story of how 8 Nazis landed on the eastern coast in 1942. These were men who had spent part of their lives in the United States, so they knew how to blend in and they knew American customs.
If not for the work of the FBI, and for the defection of one of the men to the Americans, the damage that would have been done to America would have been horrendous. And these 8 may have been just the first of many terrorists to follow.
The second part of the book describes how the men were given military tribunals, because Roosevelt believed that public trials would only endanger our national security and our country. Sound familiar?
This is a well-written, timely book that holds the reader's interest from start to finish. I thought I knew quite a bit about World War ll, but I didn't know anything about the events described in the book.
I highly recommend this book to anyone concerned about the politics and policies of today, and for anyone who is simply interested in a good and interesting story.

This fabulous conclusion to Robert Elmer's Wall series is probably my favorite. Smuggler's Treasure has the kind of pacing and intrigue that kids need to keep them engaged in a book. Plus, they will learn about history while absorbing information about the events that took place in Berlin in 1989.

I'll never forget when the Berlin Wall came down. I was a freshman in college and watched with fascination as the events unfolded on television. The story of years of separation and broken relationships between families within the same city being suddenly restored when the wall was taken down by force touched America's heart. It was a thrilling time in history and one that should never be forgotten. Freedom is an important thing that our children need to learn about so they will appreciate the sacrifices made to hear freedom ring. Unfortunately, the liberal media has nearly destroyed patriotism in the minds of many US citizens over the past several years. I admire Elmer's intention to educate our youth about important historical events that relate to today's world.

Smuggler's Treasure wraps up three generations of history starting with book one, and the ending is guaranteed to make the reader smile. I don't want to give details and spoil the story, but I will say that it got me a bit misty-eyed when I read this final book in the series. I highly recommend Smuggler's Treasure (and the entire series) because it's highly entertaining and historically fascinating...plus it's interesting enough for adults to enjoy. I'm just bummed to see the series end.

It's 1989 in Berlin. Sabine and Willi are married and have a teenage daughter, Lisel. They live in West Berlin now and life is good. Eric, Sabine's brother still lives in East Berlin, and occassionally she and Liesl go through the border checkpoint to visit him, but he can never come to them. Presiden Regan came to Berlin, and made his famous demand, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." But Lisel doesn't believe it will ever happen. Then Nick Wilder comes from America, bringing devastating news for Lisel and her family.
Robert Elmer's three volume series, The Wall, should be required reading for all teenagers. This is a extraordinary time in our history, which should never be forgotten. Books like this help us to remember.

In Book III of Robert Elmer's The Wall Series, Liesl Stumpf, Sabine's and Willi's thirteen-year-old daughter, is safe in West Berlin. But while working on a school project regarding The Wall, Liesl stumbles onto a family secret. Is it possible her American grandfather is still alive? Does her mother know? Does her grandmother even know? When an American boy brings a treasure belonging to a church decimated during the Berlin bombings of World War II, Liesl's suspicions regarding her grandfather are confirmed. Her Uncle Erich might be able to shed some light regarding this family secret, but he is stuck behind the wall - the wall that continues to keep her family separated. The Year is 1989 and East Berliners are hopeful in the words of the American President, Ronald Reagan, who commanded that Mr. Gorbachev tear down the wall. Too many lives had been lost in efforts to escape to free West Berlin. Liesl remembers the story of her parents' narrow escape. The Wall continues to be a barricade to her family's reunification as well as her country's. Robert Elmer's conclusion to The Wall Series holds the same gripping drama as the previous two and is told with equal historical accuracy. A great read for any age.

An intriguing book. Rather too detailed (but don't give up -- it's full of good stuff). A good reference for managers on how to run a business by maintaining excellent rapport with one's employees (Marcus Woolf style) and an excellent example of professional ethics (again, Marcus Woolf style towards his moles). Some amazing ideas by the East German intelligence, e.g.Romeo agents, are described.

Having travelled to East Berlin during the 50's and 60's, I thought this book would be of some interest. I was not prepared to be as thoroughly enthralled by this account of the East German secret police and its deputy minister, Markus Wolf, as I was. It was an unexpected find! Colitt obviously knows his subject and has created a spellbinding historical account.

Having travelled to East Berlin during the 50's and 60's, I thought this book would be of some interest. I was not prepared to be as thoroughly enthralled by this account of the East German secret police and its deputy minister, Markus Wolf, as I was. It was an unexpected find! Colitt obviously knows his subject and has created a spellbinding historical account.