In Search Of Berlin by John Kampfner - Atlantic Books Hardback - 416pp European History - Waterstones Best History Book 2023

Details: Condition: BRAND NEW Format: Hardback ISBN: 9781838954819 Publisher: Atlantic Books Overview: In Search Of Berlin is John Kampfner's sweeping history of one of Europe's most compelling capitals. Blending personal reportage with rigorous research, the award-winning journalist traces Berlin's 800-year journey through empire, war, division and reinvention. A Waterstones Best History Book of 2023 and longlisted for the Ondaatje Prize, this hardback is essential reading for anyone fascinated by European history, memory and the resilience of great cities. About the Book: Ever since John Kampfner was a young journalist reporting from Communist East Berlin, the city has never left his mind. In this hardback history, he walks the length and breadth of Berlin, delving into archives and speaking with historians, writers, architects and archaeologists to uncover how a single city has lived through so many disasters and reinvented itself so many times. From clambering onto a fallen statue of Lenin to rummaging through boxes of early medieval bones, Kampfner uncovers the extraordinary layers beneath Berlin's streets. He explores its role as military barracks, industrial powerhouse, centre of learning and hotbed of decadence, alongside its darkest chapter as the site of the worst atrocities in human history. The narrative moves fluidly between past and present, showing how a city now home to 180 nationalities continues to attract the world even as it grapples with the weight of its own memory. Kampfner's prose is lucid and absorbing, mixing historical rigour with a traveller's curiosity, never shying away from difficult truths while celebrating Berlin's remarkable capacity for renewal. Praised by Peter Frankopan as offering a masterful portrait, this is both a serious work of history and an intimate love letter to a city that refuses to stand still. Key Benefits: Waterstones Best History Book of 2023 Longlisted for the 2024 Ondaatje Prize Written by a Sunday Times bestsel