Sep 19, 2015 there are a series of historical novels by philip kerr about a detective named bernie gunther who fought in ww1 and lived in berlin between the wars then fought for the ss in ww2. It also includes some important works on the development of nazi imperial ideology, totalitarianism, german society during the era, the formation of anti. The undisputed king of alternative histories is the prolific harry turtledove, who has helped guide the genre into mainstream reading. By wibke bruhns 2008 decades after nazi armies began their march of conquest and genocide, the german children of the war have begun to confront their parents pasts. Dr bessel examines the changes brought by the war to germany, and those resulting from the return of the soldiers to civilian. This book does bring home the hard suffering in 1945 of the average german. Centering upon the thoughts and actions of the citizens living inside nazi germany during the second world war, the author argues that the war crimes committed by adolf hitlers domineering state had widespread awareness among regular people. Nazi eugenics parenting aryan children german evolution hitler occult ss darwin. I really dont know much about books for that period but id like to impart some info. Dec 22, 2014 the idea that books were intertwined with the values at stake in the war is central to mannings study, which begins with an account of a book burning in berlin in 1933, and describes how these.
Shirer this is still the best history of hitlers germany, written by an american journalist who witnessed many important events. Anthony reads top 10 books about hitler and the third. These included books written by jewish, pacifist, religious, liberal, anarchist, socialist, communist, and sexologist. The reasons for the brutality of this era were threefold.
Decades after nazi armies began their march of conquest and. Richard bessel suggests that germans suffering at the end of the war helped lay the groundwork for recovery. There were around 1,000 prisonerof war camps in germany during world war ii. Bessel does an excellent job of evoking the blasted land. On the reading list, and one of the best introductory volumes, is the first world war by john keegan. Run, dont walk, to your nearest bookstore or library and get richard j. The idea that books were intertwined with the values at stake in the war is central to mannings study, which begins with an account of a book burning in. Evanss the coming of the third reich and the third reich in power. Nov 15, 2015 the german war takes us into the lives of men and women from all walks of life, as they fought, survived and suffered grunts, tank commanders, staff officers.
How books became a critical part of the fight to win world war ii. Is there a good book about german life after the first. Frederick taylors compelling book debunks many myths about the. As stargardts research makes very very clear, the german war was a war supported, even after the wehrmacht began retreating following stalingrad and kursk, by the majority of the german people the volk and by a probably greater majority of their various leaders religious, social, political, and especially in the entertainment industry. Yet 70 years on despite whole libraries of books about the wars origins, course and atrocities we still do not know what germans thought they were fighting for and how they experienced and sustained the war until the bitter end. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This book shows us what a terrible confused and conflicted mess germany was after the war. The first time the holocaust came up in detail was in grade three. Early in the war the victory book campaign collected millions of books in nationwide book drives. Oct, 2015 the story of world war ii seen through the eyes of regular german citizens. A decade after witnesses of war, his impressive deconstruction. In 1945 there were 8 million nazi party members, more than 10% of the.
Is there a good book about german life after the first world. The germans dont hide any of their history from their children,or attempt to excuse it as such. World war i, 191418, also known as the great war, conflict, chiefly in europe, among most of the great western powers. List of books and articles about postwar germany online. I lived in germany for a few years, they really liked americans and were.
So for several decades after the war, people liked to think of themselves as being the heroes of the war. Germany after the first world war by richard bessel. It is estimated that over a third of all german books had already been destroyed by bombing in west germany alone, and this does not include those books in the areas taken from germany after the war. German science fiction up to 1945 germany has an extensive history of science fiction. A book examines germanys mass suicides after world war ii. Complete histories the rise and fall of the third reich by william l. His books include political violence and the rise of nazism, germany after the first world war and nazism and war. He is a member of the editorial boards of german history and history today. Jul 21, 2008 i seem to remember somebody mentioning a what if fiction book that looked back at wwii after the fact, written as if germany had won wwii. Reflecting on the greatest war in human history, one cannot help but think about the terrible conflict as a whole, its leaders, its peoples, and the puzzles still open about its conduct. The coming of america in the european war effort bolstered allied morale and brought in more troops. I seem to remember somebody mentioning a what if fiction book that looked back at wwii after the fact, written as if germany had won wwii.
I had been there for three years in the usaf 19691972. Deutschland, officially federal republic of germany, republic 2015 est. Lot time life the third reich 1st printing complete set of 21 wwii books ex. There is a tendency to blame everything on the nazis rather than on germany or germans the official line in germany now is that the german people themselves were the first victims of the nazis. She wrote her autobiography and published it last march about her experiences growing up in post war japan as well as contrasting of the japanese and american societies. I am looking to get a bit of a historical perspective on the lives of the normal german family during ww2. His days of infamy books have japan occupying hawaii. The german capital, berlin, was also divided into four sectors. In england, world war ii also lags behind the great war in the public imagination. Although these books are fiction, they are without a doubt the best. A leading authority on 20thcentury germany combines scholarship and readability in this analysis of year zero, the turning point in the history of the german people.
Added to the millions of german books destroyed worldwide during the antigerman hysteria of world war one, far more german books were destroyed. Given german barbarity, i shant feign concern for the discomforts suffered by the countrys citizens during world war ii, whose active participation. Youtube, youtube channel, video marketing, youtuber, igtv, erika vieira, video, instagram overeaters anonymous electratone guitar effects. On may 10, 1934, one year after the book burnings, the germany library of burnt books founded by alfred kantorowicz was opened to assemble copies of the books that had been destroyed. There are a series of historical novels by philip kerr about a detective named bernie gunther who fought in ww1 and lived in berlin between the wars then fought for the ss in ww2. After the battle of britain, the luftwaffe entered a steady decline in the quality of its pilots and its planes, as well as fuel shortage. Leaders on both sides realised that at stake from the very beginning was a complete restructuring of the world order. Agent of byzantium has the byzantine empire surviving. During the war years book publishers, libraries, and the american public responded to this great conflict by donating millions of free books to us troops across the world. Dec 29, 2008 my wife, reiko, was born in tokyo just after the war and grew up there, moving to the us as an adult after we married. Buy germany after the first world war 1st edition by bessel, richard isbn. Feb 06, 2014 learning about world war ii and the holocaust at school. This is a social history of germany in the years following the first world war. Germany s defeat and the subsequent demobilization of her armies had devastating social and psychological consequences for the nation, which richard bessel sets out to explore in this book.
The best books on the aftermath of world war ii five books. The best books on the aftermath of world war ii five books expert. For example, in germany for many years all sorts of groups have claimed that two or three million germans were killed in revenge after the war. The loss of air and sea domination as the war went on. When books went to war is a wwii social history perfect for book lovers. Wwi is famously quite naval, great sea battles or sea actions had wideranging implications for the war. What are the best books on germany immediately after world war. The same as the history books in other western countries.
What are some good books to read to understand what was. A fascinating, horrific telling of the last months of the war and what came after. A social history of germany in the years following the first world war, this book explores germanys defeat and the subsequent demobilization of its armies, events. The whole country must have been in a state of ptsd for decades. The best books on the aftermath of world war ii five. Suddenly at the end of the war everybody in france was a member of the resistance and the idea of collaboration was very conveniently swept under the carpet. These are the camps that housed captured members of the enemy armed forces, crews of ships of the merchant marine and the crews of civil aircraft. His southern victory or timeline191 series has the confederates beating the union.
Germany was a signatory at the third geneva convention, which established the provisions relative to the treatment of prisoners of war. Only when the war was over, with the veil of censorship lifted but the allied blockade continuing, did it become clear to all with eyes to read that germany had already met an economic disaster. Weimar germany hyperinflation explained business insider. Learning about world war ii and the holocaust at school. Divided hope germany after the war 194549 germany on. The war against germany and italy 3 partly because of this intricate situation, the allies designated an american, lt. This slim volume draws on letters purportedly written by soldiers of germanys. After the war germany was divided into four temporary occupation zones, roughly based on the locations of the allied armies. Maximilien aue has reinvented himself, many years after the war, as a middle class family man and factory owner in francethrough the eyes of. Christoph fischer goodreads author shelved 21 times as postwargermany avg rating 4. Eisenhower, to command the invasion to capitalize on the relative absence of rancor between french and americans by giving the invasion an american rather than a british complexion. Located in the center of europe, it borders the netherlands, belgium, luxembourg, and france on the west. Establishment historians characterize national socialist germany as a uniquely barbaric, vile and criminal regime that was totally responsible for starting world war ii and carrying out some of the most heinous war crimes in world history. List of books and articles about world war i online.
The thing that stuck in my mind was that the tone, phrases, attitudes, etc of the book were of the winner writes history slant which would be. Buy a cheap copy of germany after the first world war. Popular post war germany books showing 143 of 43 the black eagle inn paperback by. A social history of germany in the years following the first world war, this book explores germany s defeat and the subsequent demobilization of its armies, events. Causes world war i was immediately precipitated by the assassination of archduke francis ferdinand of austriahungary by a serbian nationalist in 1914. The story of world war ii seen through the eyes of regular german citizens. This book also reports the allied mass murder of the german people after the end of world war ii during which the alliesled by general dwight d.
The best alternative histories in literature on abebooks. The nazi book burnings were a campaign conducted by the german student union the dst to ceremonially burn books in nazi germany and austria in the 1930s. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representing ideologies opposed to nazism. Oct 01, 2010 he works on the social and political history of modern germany, the aftermath of the two world wars and the history of policing.
After the defeat in the great war, germany floundered for an incredibly dark decade, in which failed revolutions, starvation, suicide, and paramilitary scuffles all played a part. Anthony reads top 10 books about hitler and the third reich published on sun 16 nov 2003 19. What happened to germany immediately after world war ii. The german war takes us into the lives of men and women from all walks of life, as they fought, survived and suffered grunts, tank commanders, staff officers. I have read around the blitz etc but since fleetingly coming across the lives of germans in various books and tv programmes i am intrigued on how they managed to survive or not and how they viewed the allies and russians etc, but essentially a more in depth social history. The german war, by nicholas stargardt the new york times. The coming of the third reich covers the ascent of hitler and the nazi party from its creation to. Sep 06, 2015 nicholas stargardts the german war comes therefore as something of a reality check, a shock to the system or my system at least. This is a list of books about nazi germany, the state that existed in germany during the period from 1933 to 1945, when its government was controlled by adolf hitler and his national socialist german workers party nsdap. Germany s defeat and the subsequent demobilization of her armies had enormous economic, social, and psychological consequences for the nation, and it is these which richard bessel sets out to explore. Oct, 2015 given german barbarity, i shant feign concern for the discomforts suffered by the countrys citizens during world war ii, whose active participation and support kept the horrendous conflict alive. A nation under arms, 19391945 is a nonfiction book written by historian nicholas stargardt. I really need to up my great war game, but this is a widely reccd intro book, and prepared me for many discussions and questions about wwi. This question is often overshadowed by the liberation of the concentration camps.