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The German Genius

Europe's Third Renaissance, the Second Scientific Revolution and the Twentieth Century

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The German Genius

By: Peter Watson
Narrated by: Richard Attlee
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About this listen

 From the end of the Baroque age and the death of Bach in 1750 to the rise of Hitler in 1933, Germany was transformed from a poor relation among western nations into a dominant intellectual and cultural force more influential than France, Britain, Italy, Holland, and the United States. In the early decades of the 20th century, German artists, writers, philosophers, scientists, and engineers were leading their freshly-unified country to new and undreamed of heights, and by 1933, they had won more Nobel prizes than anyone else and more than the British and Americans combined. But this genius was cut down in its prime with the rise and subsequent fall of Adolf Hitler and his fascist Third Reich-a legacy of evil that has overshadowed the nation's contributions ever since.

Yet how did the Germans achieve their pre-eminence beginning in the mid-18th century? In this fascinating cultural history, Peter Watson goes back through time to explore the origins of the German genius, how it flourished and shaped our lives, and, most importantly, to reveal how it continues to shape our world. As he convincingly demonstarates, while we may hold other European cultures in higher esteem, it was German thinking-from Bach to Nietzsche to Freud-that actually shaped modern America and Britain in ways that resonate today.©2010 Peter Watson (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, UK Civilization Emigration & Immigration Europe Germany Social Sciences World Middle Ages Socialism
All stars
Most relevant
Well read and appealing book. Makes you step back to look at Germany as the great country it is and not only focusing on the Nazi period, it is much, much more.

A great overview of German culture and its effects

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Simmers with philosophical and historical insights, providing an entirely new perspective to Germany. Peter Watson's book compellingly reveals Germany's history of genius extends beyond the 'Long Night' of 1933-45, and that it's academic excellence is alive and well in the 21st century. Wunderbar!

Brilliantly conceived

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Essential reading for Gemanaphobes and Germanaphiles alike, or indeed the modern age. What other culture has produced such dominate figures as Marx, Frued, Einstein and yes, sadly, Adolf Hitler?
Sometimes contentious and provoking, rarely dull, and provides much food for thought.

Essential Reading

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Utterly brilliant! A must read on one too many levels. Relish every word, you wont regret it!

Enriching read

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My mother is German, and I am fully aware of the difficulties German people have in understanding and reconciling the event of the Second World War to modern German culture. There was a tremendous cultural loss in the 30s as a result of the rise of the German nationalist socialist party. It seems to me that modernism and Germany’s participation in it did not have the benefit of its own intellectuals to adapt its culture to modernism as a result of the exodus that occurred. In a very real sense, Germans can value the history in this book that wonderfully illustrates the tremendous influence of German thinkers and culture on the modern world as a whole. The ideas and social issues set out in this book are relevant to Germany today, in my opinion.

Relevance to a German person

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