Germany in the Modern World: A New History

(Paperback, Second Edition)

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Description

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.

Reviews

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. Mustafas 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. -- David Barrow, University of South Dakota
Mustafa successfully presents a range of complex material in an accessible mannermy students acclaim the book as readable and enjoyable. Highly recommended for introductory courses on German history. -- Katherine Aaslestad, West Virginia University
Respected historian Sam Mustafas welcome second edition reflects new materials and interpretations that enhance our understanding of the course of German history. His clarity of argument and analysis of individuals and events provides an excellent foundation for students of German and European history. -- Frederick C. Schneid, High Point University

Praise for the First Edition:
Mustafa presents a concise, very readable history of Germany from Roman times to the present. He touches on Germanic migrations, the Carolingian Empire, the Reformation, and the rise of absolutism; treats more elaborately the Enlightenment, revolution, and the Romantic age; and finally concentrates on the emergence of the unified Wilhelmian German Reich and its defeat in WW I, the short-lived Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, divided Germany, and the reunification of Germany and its aftermath. Without overwhelming readers with too many details, the author skillfully combines aspects of political and social history with vignettes and portraits of major intellectual figures and developments. The engaging narrative features analysis and up-to-date interpretations of the major epochs of German history. . . . Overall, Mustafa's account is judicious and informative. The short bibliographies at the end of each chapter contain suggestions for further exploration. . . . Highly recommended. General readers to graduate students.

Author Bio

Dr. Sam A. Mustafa is professor of history at Ramapo College of New Jersey.