Germany Books

This awakening-to-consciousness journey laid before the reader is rich and enlightening; painting the pictures of lands and beliefs with a full colored brush.
The true story gives us a look into how Nazi Germany bent and broke both Jewish and Christian people in subtle and shocking ways; ultimately-in the wake of its destruction-sending one young man, whose indoctrination into the Hitler youth estranged him from his own family and the reality of the plight of Jewish countrymen, across nations on a spiritual search for meaning in an exploration of the religions of the world.
Information and insights on Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity broaden the reader along with this pilgrim.
The route from conquered Germany through places like impoverished streets of Bombay, a cave in the Himalayas, ashrams in India, sand stormed deserts in Pakistan, Babylonian excavations in Iraq, the Jordanian border to Jerusalem is filled with richly described encounters, hazards and life lessons. Getting from point A to point B is alternately smooth and tense with risks.
The end leaves one wanting to know more; believing that if peace and reconciliation can be possible for this man, with all his baggage on his search for a meaningful life of peace, then it is more than a nebulous vision for the rest of us with our multi-patterned, cultural valises in tow.
I recommend this book to everyone- if for no other reason than to garner a glimpse at Oskar/Asher's winding paths and how it is in the daily existence of those who we may never meet, in lands we may only read about or see in snatches of media.
This author has sensitively and honestly written this insightful biography which shows practical applications for today's journeys to the possibilities of peace between nations and people with myriad belief systems.
It says so completely that it is not necessary to go down the path of destruction again.
This would be an excellent book for reading groups/ethical societies where discussion is included.
My recommendation is: read and share with others.
You will want to discuss this book!

This is an amazing story of a man who was in the hitler youth, and became an orthodox Jew living in Israel. The story of his journey - spiritual and physical - is incredible. The book is written so that you feel as if you are experiencing the story with Oskar/Asher. Definitely recommended reading!

This book, as far as I can tell, remains to this day one of the best written and most comprehensive reports on what was happening during the 18 or so months from the creation of Solidarity movement in Poland in August 1980 to the imposition of martial law on December 13, 1981. And the library of books on this subject, as far as English language is concerned, isn't big anyway.

First reason - the author was right where the action was, literally. And, unlike many other foreign correspondents, he did not limit himself to shallow, superficial observations calculated for fast print; he went further. He managed to get in touch with many Solidarity activists, on various levels, and through participation (as an observer) in meetings as well as conversations and interviews succeeded in getting more in depth description of what exactly was happening and explanation why and for what purpose.

Reporting of events, as important as it is in itself, was not the only feature of this book. Timothy Garton Ash also offers quite in depth, even if at times controversial, analysis of events and critical portraits of some key players in the political events - on both sides of the political 'barricade'. The characteristic of Wojciech Jaruzelski, the head of Polish government at the time (both Prime Minister and First Secretary of "PZPR" the Communist Party), particularly stands out as original and convincing.

I myself was actively involved in the Solidarity movement at that time and I can testify to the general accuracy of the statements contained in this book. No particular story, account of an event or critical analysis strikes me as improbable or outright false. Last but not least what also helps the book considerably is its lively, captivating narrative. It is, simply, a good read.

If the aim of the author was to bring Poland, its contemporary history and predicament closer to an English speaking reader, he graciously succeeded. I deem this book an essential reading for anyone who wants to get closer understanding of contemporary Poland and also some understanding of how it was like to live under the Communist rule in those years. Very highly recommended.

Timothy Ash was sent to Poland in August 1980 to cover a strike by workers in a Gdansk shipyard. He ended up covering a 16 month struggle for national independence which ended when the Polish Army declared a State of War and crushed the Solidarity movement in December 1981. His account is compelling, human and covers not only events in Warsaw, but other Solidarity centres and strikes around Poland. This book is a wonderfully rich introduction to contemporary Poland and the events and attitudes that have shaped Polish thinking since the war. If you are interested in reading about the Polish struggle for independence this is the book for you.

I read this book to compare it to my own experiences of war in Vietnam. Mr. Sirianni grew up in the same town that I developed in, long before I was born. I found that I had many of the experiences and attitudes that he aquired in a working class town. The panic, excitement, camaraderie, boredom, fatigue and self-awareness are the building blocks of all military men, regardless of background. His willingness to help out when times were tough and pay the price when it was over are common to all veterans. Today (2007) he still lives with the metal fragments embedded in his body the he recieved when he was wounded.
This is a good read, for no other reason than to understand that America is made of men like him and that any aspiring soldier/sailor will come away with the understanding that you have lived life to an extreme and can be proud of it.
Thank you Mr. Sirianni.

All too often we learn in history class about the valiant bravery of American soldiers in conflicts, but we forget that there is a high cost for our freedom. This book reveals the darker side of war, the horrors of losing friends and comrades, and ultimately the author loses his own freedom as he and others bravely protect the freedom that we all enjoy today. Throughout this book, Ralph Sirianni shares his vivid memories of bombing missions in Europe, being shot down, interrogated, and interned in a German POW camp. This book is invaluable reference to anyone who had a relative imprisoned in Stalag Luft One! For everyone else, you will be moved by the hardships faced by our imprisoned soldiers as well as by examples of human ingenuity, and faith. Thank you Mr. Sirianni for sharing your memories, as our fathers and grandfathers were often reluctant to revisit that time in their lives. Thanks to you, we can understand more about their experiences and how those experiences may have shaped who they are.

This book is broadly synthetic, deeply though implicitly historiographical, and deliciously sublime. I've read it now twice and though it may occasionally flag under the impressive crush of its voluminously well-documented research, the clarity of its ambition provides much worth reading and thinking about.

This is one of the most important books written on political culture in Imperial Germany. Anderson skillfully demonstrates that this era contained a vibrant culture of political contestation and democratic spirit. Despite the authoritarian aspects of the Imperial German government and constitution, Germans did not blindly follow the lead of entrenched elites.

In addition to its many contributions to academic debates in modern German history, _Practicing Democracy_ is a lively, well-written book, with wonderful anecdotes and engaging prose. It would be stimulating even for those with only an amateur interest in history.

The recent U.S. election debacle also adds saliency to what Anderson has to say. Much of her material is drawn from the records of election challenges, and offers insights into the difficult process of conducting free and fair elections, while also pointing out that ideas of election fairness are culturally conditioned.

As a historian of Germany and a lover of books and politics, I give this book my highest recommendation.

Frank Farnsley weaves a tale of hardness with a rare sensitive approach. In "Prisoner of War", Farnsley takes the reader through POW camplife like a tour guide in New York City! Unlike many war authors who lose their style of writing to grasp the fact of horror, Farnsley maintains his sly storytelling tongue and produces an epic that will go down in his family's history. I found out, after reading this book, that Farnsley died shortly after it's release. He end's his tale with Thomas Wolfe's quote: "You can't go home again" and disagrees saying that: "As long as I have one close,living relative, I shall go home again, because it's one of the most wonderful experiences I've ever had." In light of his passing, he truly has gone home again.

This is a moving, first hand account of humor and horror, the torture and deprivations experienced by bombing crews shot down and captured over Nazi-occupied Europe in the closing days of WWII. It is a subject much overlooked by students of WWII and the daily trials and tribulations are painstakingly detailed by the author over fifty-years later in a short, simple but gripping narrative rarely spoken about by the men who lived through it.

A micro-brewer lent us his copy, and we immediately ordered one for us. It is a "must have" for beer lovers. It presents wide-ranging information about the history and manufacture of beer in a most engaging style. A definite page-turner!

I purchased this book because of my love for all types of beer. I have always been fascinated by the stories behind German beers. I had never realized, until I read this book, how each individual style evolved on its own and the politics behind it. I have purchased three additional copies of "Prost" to give as gifts to my friends who truly appreciate a great beers and the stories behind them. The author is both technically and intellectually competent, and surprisingly well written for someone whose native language is German. I would like to have, if given the opportunity, the pleasure of meeting him and meeting him and autographing my book.

This book is very good in that it not only goes into great detail about the Prussian army and the myriad battles and wars it fought, but also it explains the political, social, financial, monarchial, and geographic influences on the army itself, all of which were important. Many similar books have come out about the Prussian/German army, but this book excels at integrating the rest of Prussian life and culture into the book, which gives the reader a real feel as to why Prussia developed a paranoia about the rest of Europe and had to raise a huge army for hundreds of years.

For those interested in purchasing this book, it might be useful to describe Dr. White's style as being akin to Stephen Ambrose's own, but transplanted into the context of the era of horse and musket. Dr. White discourses on the weapons, politics, and major combats of the period, but never seems to leave the reader with the impression that this book (while compact) is really anything less than a complete synthesis of the phenomenon of militarism within the Prussian state. White is readable, personable, and does not cower behind the dispassionate mantle of of military historians such as Keegan when expressing his own views as to the nature of war. Hence, I reccommend _The Prussian Army_ to those seeking an overview of the rise of armed, nationalistic nations which, for the first time in quite awhile, does not take Adolf Hitler's Germany as its subject.

And to those who should have the good fortune to meet the author (as I have), please take the oppertunity. He is an extremely helpful, considerate, and supremely intelligent fellow.

-Brett MacKellar
U.S. Army, GVSU Alumn

Twenty-five years ago I read this book to the first graders where I was student teaching and we all loved it. I have been reading it to children (and adults) ever since because it illuminates the truth that we often SEEK relationships to fulfill our needs rather than to take care of them ourselves. This picture book makes it easier to talk about breaking gender stereotypes and becoming the person we were intended to be.
It's also a HUGE hit because we always serve warm gingerbread to everyone while a musician visits to play the slide trombone.

This is a wonderful and sophisticated tale about expectations. A king goes looking for the perfect wife: beautiful and wise and can bake gingerbread just the way he likes it. Of course, the perfect wife doesn't exist and as he becomes ready to accept a good enough princess, he runs into various snags. Eventually he will settle for the wise Princess Calliope, but runs into the snag that she is looking for a husband who can play the slide trombone. They compromise and vow to never mention gingerbread or slide trombones again.
But of course they do. Eventually they do some soul-searching, realizing that the other married them for being wise and kind and mentioning the forbidden words was neither. Eventually they solve their problem brilliantly, settling it once and forever.
This is a must read for anyone getting married. It reinforces the wisdom that each of us is responsible for our own happiness, among other lessons.

I will not bore you with a lengthy review. This is a great book with lots of rare and candid pics you normally don't see. A MUST PICK-UP for anyone who is interested in the subject. I got lucky enough to have mine signed by the author!

Eric Queen's "Red Shines the Sun: A Pictorial History of the Fallschirm-Infanterie" is much more than a photo collection of the German airborne infantry in World War II. It is in fact a fairly authoritative history and source reference, containing interviews with German WWII paratroopers as well as photographs of dozens of contemporary documents.

Queen covers the creation and training of the German airborne corps and its use in various campaigns. But the strength of this book is his reliance on surviving veterans to tell their story, beginning with why they volunteered to be paratroopers to their battles in the various theaters and campaigns of the war.

From the beginning to the end of the war, Germany's paratroopers were Hitler's elite soldiers and the Allies learned to expect fanatical resistance wherever they encountered them - from North Africa to Northwestern Europe.

For those interested in the German airborne in World War II - this volume is well worth the price!

Primarily a memoir for his first twenty years of life, Jurgen Herbst goes into great detail about his coming-of-age experiences in the Third Reich. He was raised in the Prussian military tradition emphasizing a strong sense of family, country, and church, and thus spends his adolescence trying to reconcile these notions with the propaganda and events of Hitler's Reich. He joins the Jungvolk (as all youths in Germany were required) and sees it primarily as a means to advance into the military career he has always dreamed of. Along the way, through his experiences, he sees that the Third Reich is not all it claims to be.

Herbst's book, which reads very much like a novel, is one-of-a-kind; not many books describe the life and experiences of boys in the Jungvolk or the Hitler Jugend. Even if you only have a cursory interest in Nazi Germany, I highly recommend reading this book.

I took courses in the History of Education under Dr. Herbst (1967-69)and found him to be a very engaging teacher--one of the best I had in graduate school. I knew nothing about his past, except that he was German-born, until I heard of this book. This man has a way with words! In this brief but very compact and vivid memoir, he deals with some of the great dilemmas of life--in any period--,although of course he focuses on the period 1928-1948, his first twenty years. Herbst's memoir reminds me of another memoir of a childhood that can teach us all many valuable lessons (Irving Louis Horowitz, DAYDREAMS AND NIGHTMARES). REQUIEM is profoundly gripping. A must-read (and probably re-read) to help us understand our own times . . .and our own selves.