Germany Memories of a Nation [Paperback]

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 understand themselves?
 
Neil MacGregor argues that, uniquely for any European country, no coherent, overarching narrative of Germany’s history can be constructed, for in Germany both geography and history have always been unstable. 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. MacGregor chooses objects and ideas, people and places that 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.

“Striking. . . .Germany: Memories of a Nationis deeply felt, carefully conceived, and an important addition to any consideration of the shape not only of modern Germany but of Europe as a whole.” —The Economist

“Fascinating. . . .The book’s high-quality allows for its many illustrations to be reproduced well. Engravings, paintings, photographs and detailed maps from Germany’s past all serve to make its legacy come alive. Throughout this magnificent work, Neil MacGregor shows that despite its past, Germany is a country that has come into full flower a quarter-century into its fully unified modern state. He presents the healthy perspective of a people who, despite being weighted with baggage, are reconciling well as they move into the future.”  —Perry Munyon,The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
“Highly readable. . . .beautifully illustrated. . . .Mr. MacGregor’s choice of olã&