Death of a Nation: A New History of Germany

Death of a Nation is an engrossing, meticulously researched history of Germany from 105 BC to the present day, vividly illustrating the rich and complex past of a nation that is so often defined by the events of World War Two. The author, Stephen R A Barrow, spent twenty years researching, travelling and writing to compile this account of the country's varied and fascinating history. As a result, he proves that Germany's past has so much more of interest than simply the twelve years of domination by Hitler and National Socialism. The book opens with the battles of the Roman Empire in the first century BC; the role of the Holy Roman Empire in the Crusades; German settlement across Central and Eastern Europe and the Thirty Years War. The author goes on to address the militarist stereotype of Prussia; Prussia and Germany's rise to shatter the European balance of power; the causes and consequences of the wars initiated by Germany and how they shaped the modern world. One of the most important themes is the frequently overlooked question of the treatment of German civilians during the last days of World War Two and the immediate aftermath. Illuminating and authoritative, Death of a Nation seeks to provide an accurate understanding of German and European history, and how it affects the world we live in today.