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For the past 140 years, Germany has been the central power in continental Europe. Twenty-five years ago a new German state came into being. How much do we really understand this new Germany, and how do its people now understand themselves? From Neil MacGregor, the author of A History of the World in 100 Objects, this is a view of Germany like no other For the past 140 years, Germany has been the central power in continental Europe. Twenty-five years ago a new German state came into being. How much do we really understand this new Germany, and how do its people now understand themselves? Neil MacGregor argues that uniquely for any European country, no coherent, over-arching narrative of Germany's history can be constructed, for in Germany both geography and history have always been unstable. Its frontiers have constantly floated. K nigsberg, home to the greatest German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, is now Kaliningrad, Russia; Strasbourg, in whose cathedral Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's greatest writer, discovered the distinctiveness of his country's art and history, now lies within the borders of France. For most of the five hundred years covered by this book Germany has been composed of many separate political units, each with a distinct history. And any comfortable national story Germans might have told themselves before 1914 was destroyed by the events of the following thirty years. German history may be inherently fragmented, but it contains a large number of widely shared memories, awarenesses and experiences; examining some of these is the purpose of this book. Beginning with the fifteenth-century invention of modern printing by Gutenberg, MacGregor chooses objects and ideas, people and places which still resonate in the new Germany - porcelain from Dresden and rubble from its ruins, Bauhaus design and the German sausage, the crown of Charlemagne and the gates of Buchenwald - to show us something of its collective imagination. There has never been a book about Germany quite like it.

Product Identifiers

PublisherPenguin Books LTD

ISBN-139780141979786

eBay Product ID (ePID)221073492

Product Key Features

Number of Pages624 Pages

Publication NameGermany: Memories of a Nation

LanguageEnglish

SubjectHistory

Publication Year2016

TypeTextbook

AuthorDr Neil Macgregor

FormatPaperback

Dimensions

Item Height198 mm

Item Weight463 g

Item Width129 mm

Additional Product Features

Country/Region of ManufactureUnited Kingdom

Title_AuthorDr Neil Macgregor

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by rawumbercarolyn
03 Nov, 2024
An extraordinary read.
An extraordinary book. Neil MacGregor’s extensive knowledge takes us on a journey through the modern history of Germany. A journey filled with pertinent photographs and illustrations, helping to give the reader a clearer understanding of the country’s complex history. He reminds us that we can also learn so much about a country’s history through its many artefacts. For me he opens the door of a deeper understanding through art. Thank you.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
by dennivanduure0
20 Jan, 2021
Highly recommended
Excellent book
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned