The author of this book, Joachim Fest, is one of the better know of the German World War 2 historians so I was expecting a well researched and factual book. What I found was just that. Fest first takes us through a history of a number of the failed plots and people responsible before sending the second half of the book on the plot that actually got the closest with a bomb blast injuring Hitler. Fest describes the set up of the plot, what was to take place after the assassination in regards to taking control of the German government and the assumptions of what would happen with the war. We also get a chapter on what happened to the members of the plot once it failed.

Overall this is an interesting and well-constructed book. The information is laid out in an organized and easy to understand method. The writing is better then you expect from a historian, it flows through the story. The book is a good one volume accounting of the attempts on Hitler's life and, unless you are a true historian of the issues, is about all one needs to understand and appreciate it. If you are interested in World War 2 this is a good pick up.

One of the things my sons and I have in common is an interest in World War II. I am interested in the personalities, one son is interested in battle specifics, one in the political ramifications, and the other in the over all picture. But in the past, they were united "against" me in one specific. They said that Hitler's generals who plotted to kill Hitler in July, 1944, did not begin their plot until they saw that they were going to lose the war. However, after reading Fest's "Plotting Hitler's Death" my sons and I all understand better what really happened--and we are now of the same understanding of this resistance. In his book "Hitler," Fest was quite contemplative, apparently trying to make sense of Hitler, his accomplishments and failures, and Germany's responsibility in bringing him to power. This introspection is lacking in "Plotting Hitler's Death." Perhaps that is because those who tried to get rid of Hitler compensated for those who brought him to power. Perhaps it is simply because it is a different tale to be told-a tale that Fest tells well. He rehearses in clear detail the events leading up to that July 20 th, the anxious and feverish moments before the explosion, the confusion following it, and the terrifying roundup and executions that followed. Fest points out that there was not one unified group or movement of resistance against Hitler; rather there were numerous groups that acted separately and often held differing views. Fest focuses on the three groups who were the only ones able to develop a strategy that posed a genuine threat to the regime. He follows them in his usual thorough manner. But this does not keep him from characterizing the very human natures involved, their determination and their indecisiveness, their fears and their courage, their plan and their failure. "Plotting Hitler's Death" brings an important clarity to one dimension of a tormented and confused era.

This is a must have book if you own a Porsche or dream of owning one. The quality of the photos are excellent and the text is adequate (not too much noise). The book traces the history of the first turbo to the current 996 version. There are some very interesting biograhies of some of the engineers who were/are directly responsible for the development of the machine. A very good book to read over and over again because there are just enough words there to be informative and not too much to put you to sleep.

This book is a design history of the current 996 Twin-Turbo. It traces the evolution of the design from the 934 & 935 race cars, through the 930, 959, 964, and 993 turbos. The majority of the book deals with the design of the entire 996 Turbo and includes some of the original drawings of the car. Interviews with several of the designers of various systems of the 996 Turbo are included. Stunning photography complements the thorough text. An absolute must for anyone who has or loves the Porsche Turbos. Highly recommended.

This book is broadly synthetic, deeply though implicitly historiographical, and deliciously sublime. I've read it now twice and though it may occasionally flag under the impressive crush of its voluminously well-documented research, the clarity of its ambition provides much worth reading and thinking about.

This is one of the most important books written on political culture in Imperial Germany. Anderson skillfully demonstrates that this era contained a vibrant culture of political contestation and democratic spirit. Despite the authoritarian aspects of the Imperial German government and constitution, Germans did not blindly follow the lead of entrenched elites.

In addition to its many contributions to academic debates in modern German history, _Practicing Democracy_ is a lively, well-written book, with wonderful anecdotes and engaging prose. It would be stimulating even for those with only an amateur interest in history.

The recent U.S. election debacle also adds saliency to what Anderson has to say. Much of her material is drawn from the records of election challenges, and offers insights into the difficult process of conducting free and fair elections, while also pointing out that ideas of election fairness are culturally conditioned.

As a historian of Germany and a lover of books and politics, I give this book my highest recommendation.

Prisoners of Nazis. A very good book with interesting stories. Two valuable appendices are included, one listing the names and locations of the camps which contained Americans and the other describing the German Regulations Concerning Prisoners of War.

This well-crafted literary mosaic features 19 firsthand accounts by American soldiers and airmen. Author Spiller introduces each former POW's tale with a brief. italicized biographical sketch. When each ex-POW is brought front and center, the reader gets comprehensive glimpses of the war in both the European and Mediterranean theaters. The reader can purgatorial existence within 12 different stalags and two lazarets(hospitals) At this point each POW fights his toughest battle. Strangely enough, the more the Allies become victorious the worse conditions become in the camps. Eventually, the most-populated camps are hastily evacuated and the prisoners are herded across Europe in nonsensical forced marches during the worse winter in 20 years. Spiller has orchestrated 19 highly qualified voices into a symphony which celebrates the triumph of the human spirit.

This book is very good in that it not only goes into great detail about the Prussian army and the myriad battles and wars it fought, but also it explains the political, social, financial, monarchial, and geographic influences on the army itself, all of which were important. Many similar books have come out about the Prussian/German army, but this book excels at integrating the rest of Prussian life and culture into the book, which gives the reader a real feel as to why Prussia developed a paranoia about the rest of Europe and had to raise a huge army for hundreds of years.

For those interested in purchasing this book, it might be useful to describe Dr. White's style as being akin to Stephen Ambrose's own, but transplanted into the context of the era of horse and musket. Dr. White discourses on the weapons, politics, and major combats of the period, but never seems to leave the reader with the impression that this book (while compact) is really anything less than a complete synthesis of the phenomenon of militarism within the Prussian state. White is readable, personable, and does not cower behind the dispassionate mantle of of military historians such as Keegan when expressing his own views as to the nature of war. Hence, I reccommend _The Prussian Army_ to those seeking an overview of the rise of armed, nationalistic nations which, for the first time in quite awhile, does not take Adolf Hitler's Germany as its subject.

And to those who should have the good fortune to meet the author (as I have), please take the oppertunity. He is an extremely helpful, considerate, and supremely intelligent fellow.

-Brett MacKellar
U.S. Army, GVSU Alumn

Though not the only source of knowledge about the Quakers during the Nazi period, it is currently the best. It can also be a practical guide for those confronting how pacificism and apolitical compassion may be applied in the face of modern, often evil, totalitarianism. The books documents the mistakes, the triumphs, the ideals and tactics of the Friends during one of their most trying of times. It is not surprising that the Quakers were recognized via their Friends Service Committee the 1947 Nobel Peace Prize. Strongly recommended.

Mr Schmidt extensively researched this book to not only reveal the work of the Quakers in Nazi Germany, but also to allow the reader inside the minds of so many of the participants. Though the book can become tedious because of its depth of detail, it also finds its power in those personal stories. Imagine a member of the Gestapo allowing the Quakers to feed the oppressed because he himself had been fed by the Quakers in post WWI relief efforts. This is a piece of history few if any know about, and Mr. Schmidt makes it all interesting.

Many Americans can't understand how Germany developed a racial state in the midst of modernism. This book gives vivid insight into the mechanisms & development of fascism. The National Socialist Party didn't just happen. The machinery of the state developed under the right conditions with the help of many non-military individuals, including both professors & doctors.

Not only is this book interesting for its historical information, reading it enlightens the reader to more recent fascist development. After reading this book, you will never say it can't happen here.

Techinically I was forced to read this book for a history cause I'm taking. However, instead of reading all the other source too, I read the whole thing instead of just the assignments for this book. If you have any interest in the Holocaust, this book is a must. The integration of documents and survivor's account gives the information alot of different perspective that really helps to better understand a situation that is so unimanigable.

If you want to know more about Lord Norman Foster's contribution towards Germany, then, this book would be it. It tells you all you need to know about Reichstag, probably the most controversial building ever built in the history of Germany. Along the way, you get to learn more about Germany as a country. This book was well presented with high quality pictures abound, taken by several prominent photographers of all aspects & angles of Reichstag, pictures of Lord Foster's previous works (to understand his way of seeing things), pictures of Reichstag's past and present (to let us appreciate how far that building has gone through). Moreover, to enhance diversity & to understand Reichstag from many prespectives, Norman Foster invited several scholars to complement his own writings. The final result was simply spectacular. I wouldn't find this book academic. Rather, I found it highly entertaining & I came out of it a better knowledgeable person. Definitely a must-have for architecture enthusiast or if you want to have a cerebral hard bound book to display on top of your coffee table. Among the highlights of the book was reading about the competition stage, about Lord Foster pitching against other international superarchitects (such as Santiago Calatrava) and local architects from Germany, & of his reservation if Germany was sincere towards its invitation of international people other than Germans to participate or the whole thing was just for show; his emphasis of 4 points, ie. Parliament being intertwined with Reichstag's history, an understanding of the institution & its inner workings, economics in terms of meeting the budget in the restoration of Reichstag & the savings achieved through reduced running costs via technology advancement & clever planning, & lastly the emphasis on energy ecology by using sustainable environment friendly for sources of energy other than its reliance on fossil fuels- reinforcing Germany's image as the country that takes the lead in fostering better technology that would reduce the unfavourable impacts towards our fragile environment; a project all on its own for Lord Foster to design the eagle or better known as the "fat hen" that signified Germany; Lord Foster's involvement with avantgarde artists such as Jenny Holzers (American), Christian Boltanski (French), Gerhard Richter & Sigmar Polke (German) & many others -reminding readers that Reichstag is not merely acting as a Parliament but also as an important Art Gallery (3% of the construction cost of the building, already 1% higher than the norm); the evolving stage of deriving the iconic dome, which was deemed as a 'boiled egg' by some critics at one stage but eventually, being deemed as the icon that all Germans are proud with in the end; Lord Foster's invitation of Danish graphic artist, Per Arnoldi to look into colour coordination of the place; the intensity (at times, heartbreak) but effectiveness of constant dialogues with the Building Committees, the techniques used in the restoration process re the graffitis left behind by the Allies armies after WW2, Claude Engle (lighting consultant)'s invaluable contribution of the lighting design by channelling xenon lights towards the cone & thus, channelling them through all corners of German, symbolising the democracy at work & spreading thru all corners of the land, & so forth. The book also contained a proper Reichstag's chronology, end credits, postscripts to bombard us with even more information. Lord Foster stressed the significance of getting in touch with the past, to live the present, & anticipate the future with optimism, sensitivity towards the history of a building to come up with a building solution that is appropriate for its time rather than having to resort to brutal reconstruction, the necessity of having transparency & lightness interior in contrast with the solid mass exterior to show the passage of time & the changes made in terms of thinking. Highly recommended.

I recently spent a month in Europe. I was suprised after visiting Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, and London- that Berlin emerged as my favorite place.... that despite what I thought beforehand, I left my heart in Berlin, not Prague.

I only went to Berlin because I studied many historical events that took place there, and Berlin was the epicenter of The Cold War! West Berlin was THE capitalist showpiece and East Berlin was THE communist showpiece. United, Berlin will become (when all the construction has been completed) Europe's showpiece and greatest city- WITHOUT A DOUBT.

This book is the story of the awesome history of Berlin, a history that seems more embedded in tragedy than triumph. But, alas, Berlin has survived two devastating wars and the harsh reality of the WALL. Now, it is Berlin's turn. It's Berlin's turn to show the world what a magnificant place she was, is, and will become.

The Rebuilding of the Reichstag not only talks about the post-Wall renovations, but illustrates in great detail the history of the building, and thus the history of Berlin- you are taken on a journey of the history of a city and it's people....the people of Berlin who always seem to have to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and begin again. In this book, the Reichstag shares with you what she has witnessed. You are there in 1945 witnessing the hollow shell of the war damaged Reichstag. You are there witnessing the division of the city as the Wall ran directly behind the building. You are there witnessing the divisions end as the wall comes tumbling down, and you are witness to the jubilation outside the Reichstag upon German unification.

After reading through this great book, I realized what a centerpiece to Berlin's history the Reichstag truly is. It's not just a parliament building- it's Berlin! The Reichstag speaks for Berlin's history. The fate of the Reichstag seems to run parallel to that of Berlin. What has happened to the Reichstag has happened to Berlin.

This book is full of awesome illustrations, from grand photos, to models, to architectural plans. Not only does it show the evolution of the Reichstag- it shows various plans for the building from the beginning and throughout its history. That is perhaps the most interesting part- the plans that people came up with. It's really too bad the "Big Roof" idea didn't pan out- because it would have been truly awe inspiring.

Even if you are only interested in architecture and have no interest in history- this book is still definitely for you.

That is why this book is so great.... I thought upon first seeing it, it would be pure architecture... it is pure architecture, but Foster has managed to capture something huge and so great. Foster has managed to capture Berlin.... a city on the verge of finally becoming.

"... this is a highly readable volume which amkes an important contribution to the study of East Germany's transformation."

From the European Journal of Area Studies

"As a detailed reconstruction of this important transition process, this book is outstanding. It covers developments in schooling at least as comprehensively as it does vocational training and higher education; I found the chapter on religion and schooling particularly instructive"

Professor John Field's review in "Higher Education Quarterly"

Hold onto your hats! This version is the one I grew up with!
Y'know, where RRH and her granny get EATEN! Gasp, swoon! AND its written with the good ol' James Marshall humor. I loved it as an adult. I read it to my 4 yr old preschool class, not knowing it had the "surprise" ending...tee hee...they were a bit shocked to know that RRH and granny get eaten instead of being locked up in the closet or chased around the room. What will their parents think? The room was dead silent when the wolf gobbled them up, humorously, of course. Nah, I recommend this book for those who want to keep up the tradition in the fairy tale world. Thanks, James Marshall, for braving political correctness' delicacy and doing up the true tale just right!

I can't recommend James Marshall's fairy tale rehashes more enthusiastically. They are SO funny. By all means buy them all for your children. See also "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and "The Three Little Pigs."