In 1800 there was no "Germany" as we think of a unitary nation state today. Still nominally held together under the framework of the Holy Roman Empire, its political shape and boundaries were in a state of flux. In the following two centuries, Germany went through massive transformations. This collection brings together an international team of distinguished scholars to produce an innovative and accessible guide to the controversial course of modern German history. Exploring the main issues in social, economic, cultural, and political history, the book reflects the diversity and liveliness of the field. Using a wealth of tables, maps and illustrations, it provides points of entry to key issues for students and scholars alike.
Mary Jean Alexandra Fulbrook (née Wilson) is a British academic, historian and author. Since 1995, she has been Professor of German History at University College London. She is a noted researcher in a wide range of fields, including religion and society in early modern Europe, the German dictatorships of the twentieth century, Europe after the Holocaust, and historiography and social theory.
I don't normally enjoy textbook-style books, but the essays included here are genuinely stimulating and the biographies attached to each one are a great tool around which to launch into further research. I would definitely use this book in teaching a class, its great for undergraduate-level students or for the general public. The best chapters concern examinations of German historiographical and cultural currents over time.