{"product_id":"weimar-life-on-the-edge-of-catastrophe","title":"Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe","description":"\n\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Britain's favourite German historian... Hoyer has been beavering away in the archives to tell the story of the crack-up of democracy in interwar Germany, through a vivid cast of characters.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Its writing is gripping, Hoyer's command of existent histories is clear, and her primary research is thorough and inventive.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eHistory Today\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"We talk a lot about the Weimar Republic, but not so much about the town that gave the Republic its name. \n\u003ci\u003eWeimar\u003c\/i\u003e demonstrates through moving, often heart-breaking, personal stories how much the town's experience embodied the turbulence of German history in the era of the world wars, Nazism, and the Holocaust. Katja Hoyer is a humane and compassionate writer, and her gripping book is poignant reading in our present circumstances.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBenjamin Carter Hett, author of The Death of Democracy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A pow-er-ful syn-the-sis of his-to-ry and deeply per-son-al sto-ries as a clear cau-tion-ary tale for our own time.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eJewish Book Council\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Hoyer's telling of the the story of Weimar, its people, and Germany's impending tragedy is both compelling and readable. Her reliance on primary sources, and her decision to tell the tale through the prism of both the obscure and the infamous serve to render the city of Weimar as a tangible time and place. The story of \u003ci\u003eWeimar\u003c\/i\u003e, as a warning to the whole world about the potential for authoritarian states to rise out of liberal ones, is well worth reading.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eProvidence Mag\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Weimar is populated not by abstractions but by people. ... Hoyer writes with verve and a keen eye for the telling detail. ... She shows with quiet acuity how ordinary, self-respecting Weimarers succumbed to the siren call of Nazism.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Times (UK)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Such an important book.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Independent, Book of the Month\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Humane history-writing at its best.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eLiterary Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The autopsy of a liberal democracy, told in the words of its own citizens. Katja Hoyer tracks the everyday acts of omission and concession in the face of ruthless wrong, showing how the compliant and the complacent ultimately undermine the brave. A book about a hundred years ago--without question a book for now.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNeil MacGregor, historian and broadcaster\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A sprawling chronicle of interwar Germany.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Millions\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eKatja Hoyer\u003c\/b\u003e is a German British historian, journalist, and the author of the widely acclaimed  \n\u003ci\u003eBeyond the Wall\u003c\/i\u003e and \n\u003ci\u003eBlood and Iron\u003c\/i\u003e. A visiting research fellow at King's College London and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, she is a columnist for the  \n\u003ci\u003eBerliner Zeitung\u003c\/i\u003e, and her writing on German current affairs has appeared in \n\u003ci\u003eBloomberg\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e, \n\u003ci\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/i\u003e, and elsewhere. She was born in Germany and is now based in the UK.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A bright, young historian... Strap in to watch the slow collapse of a society, amid a throng of fascists, socialists, artists and politicians.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eTelegraph\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The city of Weimar -- home to many of the giants of European culture -- gave its name to Germany's ill-fated republic; it was also where the Nazis gained an early foothold. Historian Hoyer charts that journey of cultural experimentation and political upheaval through the stories of those who witnessed it and whose choices and fates reveal the human experience of a descent into tyranny.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A fresh and gripping account of the interwar years seen through the lens of Germany's most legendary town. By skilfully weaving into the political narrative the stories of ordinary people, Katja Hoyer gives readers a vivid sense of what it was like to be alive then and there. Brilliantly researched, this is history at its very best.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eJulia Boyd, author of Travelers in the Third Reich\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A fascinating microcosm of Germany's gradual descent into the abyss.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A charged, eminently accessible history that speaks to a troubled present as well as to the past.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"In this eye-opening book, historian Hoyer ( \n\u003ci\u003eBeyond the Wall\u003c\/i\u003e) vividly depicts everyday life in Weimar Germany from 1919 to 1939 ... For all readers seeking a deeper understanding of how the Nazis came into power in Germany.\"-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Lucid, lively. ... Entirely to her credit, Hoyer describes the vices, vanities, fears, cowardice, heroism, naivety, cynicism, opportunism and the very human instinct to protect one's loved ones without indulging in self-righteous moralising.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eNew Statesman\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Hoyer's book confronts us with troubling ambiguities ... Understanding why ordinary, even likeable, people turned away from democracy is, she argues, essential to safeguarding freedom ... that task could scarcely be more urgent.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eGuardian\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"...a gripping narrative.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eArt in America\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A nuanced account of the spiritual and cultural heart of Germany ... Hoyer serves up history with a human heart\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Irish Times\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A fascinating history of Germany from 1914 to the Second World War.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"[An] excellent new history.\"\u003c\/p\u003e-- \n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSplice Today\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFrom the author of the international bestseller \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBeyond the Wall\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e, a history of interwar Germany told through the town of Weimar, the cultural capital that was both the birthplace of the country's first full democracy and a launchpad for the Nazis.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\"Katja Hoyer is a humane and compassionate writer, and her gripping book is poignant reading in our present circumstances.\" --Benjamin Carter Hett, author of \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Death of Democracy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe Central German town of Weimar is perhaps most familiar to non-Germans for giving its name to the Weimar Republic. After Germany's inglorious defeat in World War I, the signing of a new constitution in Weimar marked the nation's first experiment with full-fledged democracy. And yet this storied town, long known as a center of German culture and tradition, was also the place where Nazis were first welcomed into a local government, a milestone in Adolf Hitler's fateful rise to power. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \n\u003ci\u003eWeimar\u003c\/i\u003e, historian Katja Hoyer examines Weimar as a microcosm for the entire German nation between the world wars. The Weimar Republic saw a flourishing in culture and the arts, including the establishment in Weimar of the Bauhaus school of architecture. But after Hitler seized the chancellorship in 1933, the town underwent rapid Nazification, with many ordinary Weimarers basking in the attention they and their town received from the regime and from Hitler personally. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCombining gripping narrative with deep historical analysis, Weimar explores both the political upheavals and the rhythms of daily life in one town, revealing how fascism took hold first there, and then across the nation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/01\/2026 pg. 124 (EAN 9781541605794, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/15\/2026 (EAN 9781541605794, Hardcover) - *Starred Review\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 05\/04\/2026 (EAN 9781541605794, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n","brand":"Basic Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51496181334294,"sku":"9781541605794","price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0857\/9910\/8886\/files\/9781541605794.jpg?v=1783056847","url":"https:\/\/lusper.myshopify.com\/products\/weimar-life-on-the-edge-of-catastrophe","provider":"Lusperbooks","version":"1.0","type":"link"}