Another case where the title of the book makes you expect a completely different book than what the title suggests.

Despite agreeing with the author about a lot of things, I found his thought processes sometimes odd and the side comments strange and bewildering (like Merkel being friendly with the Chinese, what was that all about).

So yes, I could not love it and about 3/4 through I put it down.

Hubby loves books on politics, finances, history, all that dryyyy *yawn* stuff. I don’t. I really don’t. When he urged me to read this book (he had read a glowing review somewhere), there was a lot of eye-rolling and heavy sighing coming from me.
Reluctantly, I started to read. A while later, when he asked how I was getting on, I actually shushed him. This heady mix of historical analysis, politics, personal anecdotes and interpretation of the German psyche was drawing me in big time.
You know how info on other countries sort of blinks up in the news from time to time - this book will link all those blinks to create a meaningful sequence of events. The fall of the Berlin wall features prominently and, since the author witnessed it first-hand, it makes for a far deeper impact than any news report could ever manage.
The political landscape shift over time is portrayed with a detailed insight, always with a comparing eye to British and world politics. The view is never fawning nor condemning the Germans, although there’s a lot of: well, I never...going on. Kampfner definitely has a soft spot for Angela Merkel.
It took me a long time to read. Not because it is boring - far from it. But because it is ram-packed with information and you have to take your time to savour it.

Highly readable study of Germany - its post-war history, culture, politics, economy, attitudes to work and the environment, Angela Merkel’s position in the context of the German world view and other fascinating topics. Written with a lightness of touch, but there’s a huge amount of information packed in here, through the lens of comparison with other western countries. In the context of the title, i’m Afraid it comes as no surprise that the UK does not compare favourably, and i suspect this will alienate some readers (the Simon Heffer review in the Telegraph is amusingly irritated) and reinforce the negative views of others. To be clear, this is no hagiography, it comes from a position of questioning interest and it’s left me with many questions about how we can collectively improve and demonstrate the sort of global outlook that the rhetoric suggests we should be, rather than how we appear to the rest of the world right now. It’s not about aping the Germans, but thinking about how we can improve in a British way....
A genuinely thought provoking read.

Ever since the First World War and Germany's aggression which culminated in them invading other European countries, the British have held a certain view about Germans and Germany. Then when World War II rolled around in the late 1930s Hitler's invasion of Poland undid the healing that had been achieved between Britain and Germany since the end of WWI and compounded feelings of anger towards them. much ever since Brits have had a hard time openly admiring German ingenuity even when it was blatantly obvious that the Germans were head and shoulders above the rest in a particular field. That is why Kampfner’s book has been hailed as provocative by many but I'd say the more accurate one-word description is much more simple: it is HONEST. Granted, award-winning author and journalist Kampfner is a self-confessed Germanophile but he is also a respected journalist and this very much feels like an objective and accessible take on Germany, its politics and its denizens and their evolution and development over the past 150 years.

Split into seven separate chapters which are topped and tailed with an introduction to the topic and a conclusion respectively. It is a fascinating read from start to finish and as I also have a soft spot for Germany I thoroughly enjoyed the refreshing opinions of the author instead of the take of someone who still has a grudge against the country for its past actions even though it is now being governed by totally different people with totally different ideals. It's an accessible and eminently readable book and you can tell immediately that the research that has gone into crafting this superb tome is extensive. Mixing personal journey and anecdote with compelling empirical evidence, this is a searching and entertaining exploration of the country that Britons love to hate. Raising important questions for post-Brexit Britain, Kampfner will ask why Germany has become a model for others to emulate, while we still languish in wartime nostalgia and fail to tackle contemporary challenges.

As one of the most respected journalists in Britain today – and as a committed but not unquestioning Germanophile – John Kampfner is the perfect author to explore our complicated relationship with the country. This is an urgently needed and very commercial book that will provoke and inform in equal measure. Many thanks to Atlantic Books for an ARC.

Hugely dense and information heavy, this remains an interesting examination of the German psyche - from its history to its politics to its people. Admittedly, I don't feel like I know a huge amount about Germany, with the exception to...you know...the stuff everyone knows about Germany. I suspect I'm not really the target audience for this book and it wasn't the perfect book - I did struggle getting through it quite a bit because of how densely packed the book is. One thing I didn't particularly enjoy is how quickly the author jumps from one topic to another, darting between ideas and analyses quick enough to give you whiplash. Nevertheless, this is a compelling and well-written exploration of Germany of the past and how it reflects Germany in the present.

I have loved this book since the first pages. Despite me spending the majority of my life in continental Europe, all I knew about Germany was the general information. This book provides a great overview of Germany, especially since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Explains the German position, nature, and attitude to life. Compares, understands, and analyses.
I found the comparisons with the UK especially helpful. Some people might see this book as slightly controversial and might not be fond of it as it sometimes appeared to be critical of England, however, the amount was just right to hopefully don’t offend anyone.
Other than that, a wonderfully written catchy book, which provides a lot of information and explains the journey Germany took since the reunification.

Germany has become one of the most prosperous and forward seeking countries in the world in recent times and for those wondering how this state of affairs has occurred I would heartily recommend John Kampfner has produced a witty and authoritative account of Germany's rise.

Part travelogue, part personal memoir and part history the author provides a fascinating picture of Germany today and how it has achieved its position. An important and worthwhile addition and well worth reading.

Fascinating and excellent overview of Germany by a journalist who has a longstanding connection with the country. It covers history, culture, economics and politics and offers a pretty balanced view of the country the UK still compares itself to most. Merkel is the (anti-)heroine of much of the book, emerging as a complex and often frustrating figure but with a maturity that other countries would give a lot to have in their leaders. The timing of the book is interesting as the much-admired German response to COVID-19 seems to justify its slow and safe approach after the book's pinpointing of a growing sense of complacency and inflexibility in recent years. It's not perfect - the chapter on culture ("The Dog Doesn't East the Dog") packs in too much information at the expense of detail - but read this for an overview of how politics and culture can be done differently, not perfectly but much more maturely. But with a few too many rules.