Why the Germans Do it Better: Notes from a Grown-Up Country

By John Kampfner

***THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER***
BOOK OF THE YEAR IN GUARDIAN, ECONOMIST & NEW STATESMAN

'Excellent and provocative... a passionate, timely book.' Sunday Times
'A fine new book... thoughtful, deeply reported and impeccably even-handed.' The Times

Emerging from a collection of city states 150 years ago, no other country has had as turbulent a history as Germany or enjoyed so much prosperity in such a short time frame. Today, as much of the world succumbs to authoritarianism and democracy is undermined from its heart, Germany stands as a bulwark for decency and stability.

Mixing personal journey and anecdote with compelling empirical evidence, this is a critical and entertaining exploration of the country many in the West still love to hate. Raising important questions for our post-Brexit landscape, Kampfner asks why, despite its faults, Germany has become a model for others to emulate, while Britain fails to tackle contemporary challenges. Part memoir, part history, part travelogue, Why the Germans Do It Better is a rich and witty portrait of an eternally fascinating country.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Atlantic Books
• Release date: Aug 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781786499776

Reviews for Why the Germans Do it Better

[aadyer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Excellent synopsis of essentially Germany since the Second World War. It’s correctly highlights the emotional maturity of a newlyformed nation and the struggles both economic, political, and societal that has had to deal with. The author is obviously a big German fan, but when one looks at his arguments you can understand why. If I had one complaint it would be that the narrator was slightly too fast and had a bucolic manner.

[khaliddajani · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good companion to Germany: Memories of a Nation by Neil McGregor

[krzysztof_mroczko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Must read, simply as that. Great book and really well written

[Diogo Hernandes Moura · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The reason of the book and the title dont match. The reason is a culture of 2000 years. The book is about german Society after II War.

[thewestwing-864351 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A really good book that looks at post war Germany, with most emphasis on contemporary history. I thought it was well balanced and looked at various issues facing Germany and how they tackle them.