German History in Modern Times

-Geoff Eley, University of Michigan "This book is an extraordinary achievement by a leading authority in the field of German history. Lucid accounts of social and political continuity and change are set within a highly distinctive narrative architecture structured around the violent disruptions of modern German history. Rich in fresh and arresting insights and enlivened by vivid and beautifully illustrated individual portraits, German History in Modern Times is not just a masterpiece, but a deeply enjoyable read." -Christopher Clark, University of Cambridge "William Hagen's strikingly original book offers a rich picture of the history of German-speaking Central Europe since the Reformation. Hagen treats neither Nazism nor market capitalism as natural or inevitable results of the many-sided history of this diverse region, but emphasizes contingencies-and the reversibility of developments like liberalism, authoritarianism, communist dictatorship, and European integration. Hagen's concise text is accompanied by a thought-provoking visual history which offers a set of unusual and well-chosen images, and a fine bibliography. Both students and professional scholars will find this a fresh, clear and fascinating introduction to the history of not one, but many Germanies over the last 500 years." -Suzanne Marchand, Louisiana State University "A fresh, judicious, and readable survey which, like Hagen's previous scholarship, spans more than four centuries. His imaginative organization of German history into four 'lives' conveys a sense of its open-endedness and contingency. Though not at all denying the tragic and darker sides of German history, Hagen ends by emphasizing the important ways in which Germans have charted new paths since 1945." -James Van Horn Melton, Emory University; President-elect, Organization of Central European Historians "German History in Modern Times distills a lifetime of scholarly engagement with the German past. William Hagen's new book has something for everyone, from readers who are looking for a reliable introduction to Germany's turbulent history to experts who will find new and provocative insights. The book's value is enhanced by a fine collection of maps and a large number of carefully-chosen and brilliantly-described illustrations. This is a wonderful book." -James J. Sheehan, Stanford University "Clear, precise, sophisticated, and profusely illustrated, Hagen's German History in Modern Times is now the best one-volume textbook in the field. It combines wide sweep with remarkable depth, tying together Germany's recent and more distant pasts into a coherent understanding. For serious students of Germany's troubled history, this is an ideal starting place." -Helmut Walser Smith, Vanderbilt University "William Hagen brings a lifetime of learning to bear on that always fraught topic, German history. The result is an engaging and erudite exploration that bristles with insights and information. Hagen covers the broad expanse of German history, not just the post-1871 territorial state, and effectively combines political, social, economic, and cultural history. Lavishly illustrated with expert commentary, this is a book that both novice and expert will learn from and cherish." -Eric D. Weitz, University of Minnesota, author of Weimar Germany: Promise and Tragedy