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Aftermath

Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich
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( 4,761 ratings, 586 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Aftermath by Harald Jähner explores post-World War II Germany, delving into the lives of ordinary people as they navigate the societal upheaval and reconstruction of their nation. The book examines how Germans adapted to the drastic changes in their world, blending historical analysis with personal stories to portray a country in transition.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are interested in post-World War II history, particularly how Germany rebuilt itself after the devastation. It provides a fascinating look at the social, cultural, and political changes during this transformative period.

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Featuring black and white photographs and posters from post-war Germany - some beautiful, some revelatory, some shocking - Aftermath evokes an immersive portrait of a society corrupted, demoralised and freed - all at the same time.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The internationally bestselling and prize-winning history of German life in the fallout of the Third Reich, filled with eye-opening, shocking, and vitally human stories of ruin, repression, and revival.

The Times Top 10 Bestseller

Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction
Shortlisted for the British Academy Book Prize
Shortlisted for the Cundill History Prize

A Book of the Year
The Times Sunday Times Telegraph New Statesman Financial Times Irish Independent Daily Mail

A masterpiece - Spectator

Exemplary and important... This is the kind of book few writers possess the clarity of vision to write - Max Hastings, Sunday Times

Magnificent... There are great lessons in the nature of humanity to be learnt here - Telegraph

Germany, 1945 - a country in ruins. Cities have been reduced to rubble and more than half of the population are where they do not belong or do not want to be. How can a functioning society ever emerge from this chaos?

In bombed-out Berlin, Ruth Andreas-Friedrich, journalist and member of the Nazi resistance, warms herself by a makeshift stove and records in her diary how a frenzy of expectation and industriousness grips the city. The Americans send Hans Habe, an Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist and US army soldier, to the frontline of psychological warfare - tasked with establishing a newspaper empire capable of remoulding the minds of the Germans. The philosopher Hannah Arendt returns to the country she fled to find a population gripped by a manic loquaciousness, but faces a deafening wall of silence at the mention of the Holocaust.

Aftermath is a nuanced panorama of a nation undergoing monumental change. 1945 to 1955 was a raw, wild decade poised between two eras that proved decisive for Germany's future - and one starkly different to how most of us imagine it today. Featuring black and white photographs and posters from post-war Germany - some beautiful, some revelatory, some shocking - Aftermath evokes an immersive portrait of a society corrupted, demoralised, and freed - all at the same time.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Aftermath has received high praise for its clarity of vision, illuminating a dark and almost forgotten period of German history. The book is described as exemplary, masterly, and thought-provoking, presenting a nuanced and humane account of post-war Germany. Reviewers commend Jähner's ability to combine vividness, drama, and deep insight into the nature of humanity and historical truths.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780753557884

Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 14 April 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: W H Allen

Contributors:

  • Translated by Shaun Whiteside

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 297g

Pages: 432

About the Author

Harald J hner (Author) Harald J hner is a cultural journalist and former editor of the Berliner Zeitung. He was also an honorary professor of cultural journalism at the Berlin University of the Arts. His book Aftermath- Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich was shortlisted for the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction in the UK and won the Leipzig Book Fair Prize for Non-Fiction in his native Germany. Shaun Whiteside (Translator) Shaun Whiteside is an award-winning translator from French, German, Italian and Dutch. His most recent translations from German include Aftermath by Harald J hner, To Die in Spring by Ralf Rothmann, Swansong 1945 by Walter Kempowski, Berlin Finale by Heinz Rein and The Broken House by Horst Kr ger.

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