Great book. It deals with the Soviet plans for the future of occupied eastern side of Germany (later GDR) until the rise to power of post-Stalin leadership, and the controversal relationship between the SED and the Soviet leading groups . Accurate work on documentary sources, every judgement is balanced and considered. The author goes beyond simplistic
analisys based on a "two-blocs-confrontation" criterion for the whole Cold War era.
A must read for everyone interested in understanding what was happening on the other side of the Curtain. A very good example of how to use the new archival sources from USSR and Eastern Europe.
Useful for everyone who has a basical historical knowledge.

Great book.It deals with the Soviet plans for the future of the occupied German territories (later GDR) until the rise to power of the post-Stalin leadership, and the controversial relationship between the SED leading group and the Soviet leadership. Meticulous work on documentary sources, accuracy in every judgement. The author goes beyond simplistic analisys of a "two-blocs-confrontation" as the abslute cryteria to understand the whole Cold War era. A must read for everyone interested in understanding what was happening "on the other side of the Curtain". A very good example of how to use the new archival sources from USSR and Eastern Europe.
Interesting for everyone who has a basical historical knowledge.
Read also: Reviewing the Cold War: Approaches, Interpretations, Theory. by Norway)/ Westad, Odd Arne Nobel Symposium 1998 Lysebu (Editor)

I found this book to offer a different view
of von Manstein and von paulus than people
are used to. Written by someone who was
in the pocket of stalingrad, it offers
a first person view of the battle. For fans
of von manstein, the book offers a critical
and i thought a fresh view of the man, who is
held in high regard by most historians but not
so high by this officer in the sixth army.I found
book to be fast read. You'll enjoy it

Written from the perspective of an Intelligence Staff Officer, this book offers an outstanding blend of the perspective from the top as well as a more junior officer. Specific sections on von Manstein, von Seydlitz, and Paulus are also quite insightful. No matter what other fine books you have on Stalingrad, i.e. Beevor, definitely add this one to your collection.

Unless you speak/read German, this is as good as it gets. Not only is this most comprehensive compilation of relative values of German States issues, but the other information helps with the overall history lesson. This book is an ABSOLUTE MUST for anyone at the German coin beginner/intermediate level of collecting, and I suspect it has become quite useful to the advanced collectors/dealers.

Krause Publications has brought under one cover the vast numismatic production of the German cities, states, and colonies from 1600 to date. Every serious collector of German coins needs this book. This book is a real bargain because it eliminates the need for the German coin collector to purchase Krause's regular world coin books that are now broken down into different centuries (this single volume pulls information out of the four volumes that would otherwise be required).

Here are some good points:

1. Collectors of Thalers will be pleased to see Davenport numbers incorporated in their favorite areas.

2. Numerous illustrations aid the collector in identifying unknown coins.

3. Prices appear in at least four grades for each coin.

4. Helpful sections include an "Instant Identifier" with illustrations of various coin designs specific to a particular area, and "Legend Abbreviations" which give the collector a big leg up in identifying coins based on the legends alone.

5. A decent attempt is made at listing Pattern pieces (those coin designs never officially adopted).

Here are a few areas where the book could be better:

1. Prices appear to reflect the American market for German coins which, in many cases, is substantially lower than the German market for the same coins.

2. Some of the States higher in the alphabet (Saxony, for example) seem to be lacking data on the earliest coins.

3. I'd like to see the Pattern section expanded and possibly include the numbers from Schaaf's reference book on this area.

4. Cross-references to Jaeger (the German "Guidebook") would be helpful to our friends across the big pond.

Lest I appear too critical, let me state that the positive impact of this book and the obvious time and effort that went into its production are immensely important. No other reference on German coins comes anywhere close to matching the sheer volume of information contained herein. No other single book opens up the world of German coins like this book does. Thus, whether you're a beginning or an advanced collector, this book should be an essential part of your reference library.

How very wonderful to find such a beautifully illustrated book that can reach into the heart of children. I highly recommend this book.

The Star Gift is a book that tells of love and the beauty of giving with an innocense that is all too rare in this cynical world of ours. Every parent should read this to their children and let them know they are loved.

Mr Koehler get's rare interviews from the "horses mouth" & has done some tremendous work in this book. His attention to detail is fantastic with times, dates, etc. Mr. Koehler should also be applauded for bringing the truth to light about Marcus Wolf's Man without a face book where he takes almost no responsibility to the destruction of many East Germans lives & knowing about the terrorist movement in the DDR. This is an outstanding book of facts & follows closely the life of the notorious henceman Erich Meilke. It is also amazing to watch the birth of a country like East Germany after just witnessing the 3rd reich, which they became so much like. Sadly, as people we haven't learned much!

The first word that came to my mind after reading this piece of literature, that best describes my reading experience of this well researched and well told account of the Stasi is, "Chilling." This book scared me out of my wits. It amazed me to read about how the East Germans were basically kept walled up in a type of concentration camp, sort of like the Jews and how they were terrorized by the brutal, ruthless Stasi organization up until just little over a decade ago. I would have been to weak to survive the Stasi and probably would have made a haste attempt to escape the Berlin Wall, as so many others did. I can now see why so many died trying to escape past the wall, even though they knew that they stood a very poor chance of making it. Death was more comforting to them from what I gather, than being stuck for just one more day under the Stazi and its microscope. I now know why the East Germans had so much fun smashing the wall to pieces. They were being released to freedom and for many of them, freedom had become nothing more then a dream, a miracle, under the Stasi. I believe after reading about how the Stasi got things done that the Stasi was as ruthless as the Gestapo and the NKVD, expecially when reading about accounts of their interrogations. The Stasi kept total order among the East German people and it was fascinating to read and find out how the Stasi crushed any and all attempts that could challenge its authority, any attempts of political uprisings and how the Stasi simply controlled the East German people with fear and intimidation. It amazed me to read about the fellow who informed on his wife, even though they had been married for such a long time. The Stazi was very powerful, even more powerful than love. This wonderful work of literature gives some terrific information that helps to better understand the Cold War and it paints a wonderful picture of how communist nations and dictatorships work behind the scenes. The one thing that I found to be most interesting about this book was that the Stasi did not limit itself just to controlling the East German people, but rather it extended its feelers and spied on the West, sabotaged NATO, etc. The Stasi and it's international agents really got around. This book should definitely be read by any and all interested in the Cold War, espionage, secret police agencies and last but not least, Germany and its recent past. This book does not exhaust various issues related to the Stasi, as many other novels written about secret security organizations based on interviews, files, etc., do, such as the 700 page, plus Mitrokhin Archieve which is about the KGB, but simply discusses different Stasi issues in lengths appropriate to their importance, that keep the reader interested. This book gave me a message I will not soon forget and that is, "trust no one if you know what's good for your survival."

Proto-industry attracted a lot of attention in the 1970-80's. Soon, however this line of research about early modern European social and economic history came to consist of a confusing plethora of disparate case studies, that lacked any coherence and theoretical underpinning, although all writers used the term proto-industry. Finally, however, there is this great book, that provides a unified, and thoughtful analysis, not only of the concept 'proto-industry', but also provides an excellent empirical study of a proto-industrial region in Germany. This is not yet another descriptive study about 'proto-industry', paying only lip service to the original literature. If you are to read one book about what is called 'proto-industry' this is it. The book is well structured, the arguments clearly put, and frankly, this is the book, that finally will turn the proto-industrial debate into an interesting conversation about early modern European economic development. Read and enjoy!

In this book, Sheilagh Ogilvie combines painstaking empirical research about a small region in Germany, with a lucid application of economic theory, to a field of social history that hasn't seen much progress since the early 1980's. This book is a model of clarity, and of interest not only to students of early modern Europe, but to anyone interested in how institutions constrain human behavior. While the empirical part is based on a case study, Ogilvie spells out the larger implications for economic development in early modern Europe, based on the concept of 'State-corporatism', i.e., the symbiotic relationship between the state and privileged groups, e.g., guilds and local communities. She discusses the role of institutions, mentalities and the impact of early modern institutions on economic development. This is a must read for anyone interested in early modern European history and should be of interest not only to social historians, but also to economists interested in empirical studies of how institutions affect human behavior, past and present.

Of the ten or so serious biographies on Stauffenberg, this will stand as the text to refer to for comprehensiveness and objectivity. The prose is clear, the questions of enduring interest are all answered, and the reader meets the man. Unreservedly recommended.

Peter Hoffmann's biography of Stauffenberg is the best anyone is likely to write on the subject. The book comprehensively assesses all primary sources hitherto used by Stauffenberg's previous biographers, plus many additional sources which the author himself found. Hoffmann's previous books, among them 'THE HISTORY OF THE GERMAN RESISTANCE, 1933-1945', and 'HITLER'S PERSONAL SECURITY' serve as a foundation to this work which, all told, spans 30 years of scholarly research. As the depth and breadth of this study eclipses any other attempt to date, its conclusions are unassailably judicious. Thus, Hoffmann's 'STAUFFENBERG' has made perhaps the most definitive contribution to the historical field of resistance to the Third Reich.

I could not put this book down! The characters were wonderfully woven in and out of eachothers lives with terrific skill. The author found a most interesting way to bring the story vividly alive from the first chapter. I was sorry to read one of the reviews appearing on Amazon. The author did not depict Luther as being the sole protestor of the Catholic Church, or its' methodology of religion. The book mentioned plenty of others, including John Huss. But let's face it, the book was about Martin Luther.... my 7th graders would resound with an eye-rolling "Hellloooooww"! I hope to see other books from this author, but I am happy to still be basking in the glow of finishing "Storm".

Just like the subtitle of this novel says, the author describes different facettes of Martin Luther's personality and life.

This is a great novel. It is a fascinating read. Recommended to everyone who wants to get an introduction to Luther and have fun reading it.

The book suggests it is for scholars and post-graduate researchers. I admire the thought of being a scholar, but this is book for anyone with an interest in the structure of the ancient Germanic world. Every phrase is dissected. Alternative interpretations of text, possible errors, conflicting theories on every facet of the text of Tacitus's monumental work fill page after page. In the process, one sees beyond Tacitus into minute details of the Germanic past, the very nature of their existence. References to other scholarly works is vast! Critique is refined, balanced, meticulous. Who knows, maybe even a Frenchman would like this book. Now. I said it.

In this Clarendon Ancient History Series edition, James Rives has given us much more than another translation. Enough background materials and commentary are provided to give a reader all that is needed for an informed understanding of this important historical text.

Conflicting theories are treated in an even-handed manner and the author's conclusions are well reasoned. The actual text is an easy to read, yet pleasingly accurate version of the original Latin in which the surviving copies of the Germania were written.

A hefty price for a paperback, but in this instance it is one justified by the wealth of information the book contains.

Bonhoeffer was not a well-recognized figure outside of Germany when he made the decision to return to his native country from America despite the fact that the Nazis had seized power and were persecuting any who resisted their domination. Bonhoeffer had already come a long way in developing a theology of 'discipleship' and 'costly grace', and he put that theology into action when he returned to Germany and joined those who were resisting Nazi rule.

As one of the major figures of the minority 'Confessing Church' (along with Karl Barth) who rejected Nazism's total claims on the churches, Bonhoeffer spoke out in favour of the Jews, whom he called 'the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ'. He was arrested by the Gestapo on suspicion of being part of a group planning to assassinate Hitler. Then, just weeks before the end of the war and Hitler's suicide, he and his co-conspirators were executed, hung by piano-wire before the dictator's malicious eyes.

In the almost sixty years since his death, Bonhoeffer's influence has continued to grow as more and more people have encountered his forward-thinking theology and the way it was lived out concretely in his life. Today he is fast surpassing Barth and Tillich as the major (German) Protestant theologian of the 20th century. There is good reason for this: Bonhoeffer was an original thinker, and all his thoughts came out of a concrete experience of God in real life, and the quest to serve and follow God - always a dynamic process - rather than serving rigid 'principles' that can never fully encompass the divine will.

This book makes for an excellent introduction to this powerful theologian's work. Serious students may then wish to turn to the full volumes of 'The Cost of Discipleship', 'Ethics' (Bonhoeffer's unfinished masterpiece), and the important and compassionate 'Letters and Papers from Prison'. Learn why this is the man many are calling not only a martyr, but also a saint.

The translations of Bonhoeffer's works by Simon & Schuster are almost unreadable. This translation reads like real English spoken by real people. The ideas expressed are powerful and reveal Bonhoeffer's dedication to knowing and following the will of God. Get it, read it, follow it.