“Germany: A New History”, by Hagen Schulze, translated by Deborah Lucas Schneider

368 pages, Harvard University Press, ISBN-13: 978-0674806887

Germany: A New History by Hagen Schulze (translated by Deborah Lucas Schneider) is by no means a bad book; it is well-written, even-handed and concise…oh, brother is it concise. Need an example? Okay: the First World War, in which Germany was utterly shattered, humiliated and made prey for the darkest impulses of its most infuriated citizens is covered in exactly…fourteen paragraphs. You read that right: fourteen paragraphs, or about two and a half pages, including all of the pretty pictures. Germany’s long, rich and fascinating history prior to 1400 is glossed over so lightly that it doesn’t even serve as an adequate prologue (in fact, if this book were your only historical resource, you could be forgiven for believing that Germania didn’t even exist before the Romans came along and started mucking about).

As you should have gleaned from this description, Schulze provides only an overview of Germany’s vast history, which is good if you only want to learn general concepts and events. Don’t let the fact that it is over 300 pages long fool you, either; the typeface is quite large and the lines are double-spaced. This may be exactly what readers are looking for, but I found the vague references to certain historical figures by surname only annoying, because Schulze is assuming the reader knows who in the hell he is talking about. I suppose it is only to be expected of a book that spends a few paragraphs on the Reformation and Counterreformation. I’m not saying it isn’t a good read (in fact, the narrative flows quite nicely), but it is obviously a book dedicated to advertising Schulze’s perspective on certain people and events in German history, for what Schulze wants to convey is his interpretation of the events, their consequences and lasting effects on the German people. Thus, if it is an easy-to-read, one-volume overview of German history from the Renaissance to modern times that you seek, this is your book; if you already know something of German history, you’ll be able to follow the story more-or-less ably. If not…then brother, buy another book.