Germany in the Modern World

A New History

By (author) Sam A. Mustafa

Paperback - £38.00

Publication date:

02 March 2016

Length of book:

316 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442265134

With a careful blend of concision and rich detail, Sam A. Mustafa's readable and lively text traces German history from Roman times to the present, placing particular emphasis on the past three centuries. Balanced and clearly written, the book guides readers expertly through the complex tangle of Germany's past. Mustafa provides a judicious mix of narrative history and historiography, tracing the influential individuals and broad social currents, myths and legends, and political and cultural elements that have shaped the country. In addition, the book is unique in bringing the story fully to the present with a chapter on the past twenty-five years that explores the nation's reunification and its struggles with history and memory. Generously illustrated with photos, artwork, and maps, the book also includes text boxes to allow readers to pause and consider key concepts in greater detail. Each chapter offers a list of further suggested readings, with a mixture of classic and recent scholarship, to provide a range of coverage of important issues.
Sam A. Mustafa has produced an eminently readable survey history that both engages and stimulates the student. I have found it tremendously useful when teaching on modern German history. While able to stand on its own and provide a wealth of ideas for discussion, Germany in the Modern World is succinct enough to be read in conjunction with other materials. His compact narrative covers historiographical and cultural history particularly well, emphasizing both how Germans have seen themselves and how others have seen them. Mustafa’s examples resonate, the revisions bring greater clarity and depth to his arguments, and the cogent final chapter assessing Germany through the end of 2015 is particularly welcome.