Germany: The Empire Within
Wall Street Journal correspondent Shlaes contributes interesting insights into various facets of the German psyche as the "Volk" confront the uncertainties of reunification. Obviously well-versed in things Teutonic, she examines different social aspects that will shape and explain the new nation: the recent and historical "aussiedler" (settlers) from Eastern Europe; the politics of music in Bavaria; the contemporary status of German nobility; a private Jewish school in Berlin; and the unification of a once-divided city. Exhibiting considerable sympathy, she manages to make understandable a great deal of the nation's postwar behavior. She is at her best when dealing with the West German reaction to those coming in from the East, pointing out that Germans, commonly considered cold and aloof, feel a real warmth and sense of responsibility for the emigres. Her acute observations on a people once again thrust into a position of primacy on the European continent make this a good choice for public and academic libraries.- Norman Lederer, Stevens State Sch. of Technology, Lancaster, Pa.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.