The German War

Reviews / Votes

One of the New York Times Book Review's 100 Notable Books of 2015 Winner of the PEN Hessell Tiltman Prize Editor's Choice, New York Times Book Review "A dramatic look at the lives of ordinary German men and women during World War II." New York Times Book Review "[A] gripping new book... To write like this requires a rare sensitivity and psychological sophistication coupled with a degree of fearlessness... Stargardt impresses not only as a cultural historian. He also has an impressively strong grasp on the military narrative of the war. And this is indispensable... Stargardt has given us a truly profound piece of history." The Guardian "This vivid history of everyday life captures the complex feelings of ordinary Germans under the Nazi regime... A superb study." Wall Street Journal "Nicholas Stargardt's...gracefully written The German War offers by far the most comprehensive and readable guide to these issues...This is splendid scholarship... Anyone interested in National Socialist Germany, World War II and the many murderous regimes that still disfigure the earth should relish The German War." Economist "[Stargardt's] method of using letters and diaries of ordinary Germans yields unexpected insights, both into the Germans' humanity and their turn to barbarism." New York Review of Books "[Stargardt] draws on diaries, letters, and contemporary documents to paint a huge social canvas of Germans at war, soldiers and civilians, men and women of all ages... [he] tells his bleak story fluently and well, and illustrates it with a host of telling and often unfamiliar anecdotes." Washington Post, Richard Cohen "In his new and excellent book, 'The German War,' Oxford University historian Nicholas Stargardt exhumes the letters and diaries of German soldiers and others. He details how a cultured nation went insane, how ordinary soldiers became mass killers and how the churches of Germany looked the other way as the innocent were murdered." Foreign Affairs "Enthralling... Stargardt puts together a complex portrait of a nation gripped by patriotism and resentment, thrilled by early military victories, and proud of the fighting skills of the Wehrmacht." Forbes.com, Steve Forbes "The German War brilliantly and with impressive nuance and texture deals with the astounding questions of how the most educated and cultured nation on earth could unloose such a murderous, barbarous and genocidal war... Stargardt smoothly and vividly weaves together the stories of more than a score of individual Germans from all walks of life and the unfolding events of the war." Independent (UK) Trying to make sense of the mood and thoughts of 80 million-odd people is an immense task but Nicholas Stargardt has made a terrifically good stab at it. Spectator, (UK) "Superbly researched and clearly written, The German War is an important and significant book." The Observer "[T]his is a beautifully written and, yes, sensitive and subtle portrayal of war. The author deftly weaves individual tales with surprising observation." Times Higher Education "Ambitious... Stargardt's book is a prodigious accomplishment, as he manages to keep us in touch with the grand sweep of the war, as well as its ebb and flow, without losing sight of specific soldiers' behaviour. Its treasure trove of interesting information, clever observations and fresh insights make The German War essential reading for anyone interested in the Second World War in Europe." Washington Times "Exhaustive... A first-rate historical read." Washington Book Review "An important addition to the growing number of books on the history of WWII... a very insightful study." Roanoake Times "Exhaustively researched, well-written... well and unblinkingly told." Kirkus Reviews "[A] massive but thorough meditation... A well-researched, unsettling social history of war that will prove deeply thought-provoking--even worrying--for readers who wonder what they might have done under the same circumstances."