Look out for a new book from Garry Wills; What the Qur'an Meant; coming fall 2017.Gary Wills has won significant acclaim for his bestselling works of religion and history. Here; for the first time; he combines both disciplines in a sweeping examination of Christianity in America throughout the last 400 years. Wills argues that the struggle now; as throughout our nation's history; is between the head and the heart; reason and emotion; enlightenment and Evangelism. A landmark volume for anyone interested in either politics or religion; Head and Heart concludes that; while religion is a fertile and enduring force in American politics; the tension between the two is necessary; inevitable; and unending.
#199870 in Books Adam Tooze 2008-02-26 2008-02-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.42 x 1.79 x 5.51l; 1.43 #File Name: 0143113208848 pagesThe Wages of Destruction The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. FascinatingBy Thomas ReiterI can't contribute much to the 90 other reviews (as of the time of this review); but did want to add my five star rating for the book.I bought this book a few years ago but was hesitant to read it because I was afraid it would be a very boring read...in fact; while maybe not a page-turner; the book is rather interesting and fairly easy to read. The author makes several many very interesting points about the German economy before and during the war. But the book goes beyond economics in describing the author's view of the strategic rationale for the war; and why it unfolded the way it did.The biggest take-away for me was just how resource-starved the Germany economy was even before the war began--from foreign currency; to steel; to food; to oil; to labor--Germany just didn't have the resources to conduct a sustained war effort. However; because Hitler figured that things would only get worse in the future; he decided the launch the war to grab resources while his enemies were relatively weak.The author's description of the people involved in the Germany economy--including of course Albert Speer--is also very interesting.In any event; a highly recommended read for anyone interested in World War II.9 of 10 people found the following review helpful. An astounding tour de force of WWII historyBy Jerry SapersteinSurely; Adam Tooze joins Niall Ferguson as an important voice in the study of contemporary history. Tooze's groundbreaking study of the German economy is; in a word; breathtaking. The evil inherent in German designs for its Third Reich is astonishing. Imagine; German planning called for the intentional starvation of 30 million or more Soviets so that Germans might eat. This was to be on top of the horrendous German murders of Jews; Gypsies; Slavs and other "sub-humans". Hitler understood that Germany could not win a protracted war that ultimately would involve the production potential of the United States; so he invaded the Soviet Union for its natural resources; intending to kill off the "useless eaters" at the appropriate time. Hitler underestimated both the ruthlessness of Stalin and his cohorts and the inefficiency of the German war economy. Tooze is not an "exciting" writer. Only the dedicated student of history will be able to wend their way through the 676 pages of narrative. But the serious student will be rewarded with insight after insight into the inner workings of German society and its economy - - - and be chilled to the core by its inherent; almost unbelievable depth of evil. Owing to both Tooze's pedestrian writing and more so to the depth of information; "The Wages of Destruction" requires more than one reading. But it is so worthwhile; that a second reading is definitely worth the reading. Tooze demolishes Albert Speer's self-made myth of being just an apolitical technocrat. He was; according to the evidence assembled by Tooze; an integral part of the German killing machine. He just did it on the assembly line in underground factories rather than in the gas chambers. Others have written that the clash between Germany and the Soviet Union was a war between two immensely evil totalitarian systems. Tooze shows how the Germans were able to do as well as they did initially - and why their efforts were largely doomed to failure from the first moment. A truly breathtaking achievement.Jerry1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A long-awaited economic explanation of Germany's rise to powerBy steve AThis book gives a different view of world war II; from an economic position; than anything I've ever read. It gives interesting and detailed data and anecdotal information about the people involved in Germany's rise to power between 1918 and its destruction in 1945. It clears up much of the mystery about how such a buildup could have been accomplished from the ruined economy after world war I.
