Germany

Explore Germany's complex and fascinating history in this groundbreaking 500-year volume by Helmut Walser Smith. Challenging traditional perceptions, Smith reveals a nation far more complicated than previously imagined. From the earliest glimmers of a nation, to the tension between the idea of the nation and the ideology of nationalism, Smith traces Germany's constant reinvention of itself. He examines the devastating effects of World War I and II, the role of German women throughout history, and the horrors of the Holocaust at both a high echelon and local level. With poignant prose and original maps, this comprehensive book redefines our understanding of Germany for the twenty-first century.