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Why the Germans Do it Better: Notes from a Grown-Up Country
A provocative and entertaining exploration of the country that Britons love to hate by one of our most respected journalists.
Emerging from a collection of disparate 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 searching 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 Germany has become a model for others to emulate, while Britain still languishes in wartime nostalgia and 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.
Emerging from a collection of disparate 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 searching 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 Germany has become a model for others to emulate, while Britain still languishes in wartime nostalgia and 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.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2020
About the author
John Kampfner
12 books57 followersJohn Kampfner is an author, commentator, broadcaster and journalist. From 2008 to 2012 he ran Index on Censorship, from 2005 to 2008 he was editor of the New Statesman, and before that he worked for the Financial Times, the BBC and the Telegraph. He is a regular pundit and presenter for all channels on politics and foreign affairs and the author of four previous books. - from publishers Allen and Unwin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 360 reviews
November 8, 2020
Enjoyed the book but the title is a bit misleading
This is a fascinating account of post-war Germany right up to and including COVID 19. It’s a very balanced account with both positive and negative comparisons between Germany and the rest of the world, particularly the UK. Germany is not as well developed as the UK on support for women in the workplace, its trains don’t run on time and its infrastructure is tired and badly in need of investment. This is a good book but I could only give 4 stars because, from the cover and the title, I was expecting something a bit lighter - 10 reasons why the Germans do it better and a chapter on each - maybe with one set in the bedroom! I felt I’d been hoodwinked into reading a much better book but I’m glad I did.
This is a fascinating account of post-war Germany right up to and including COVID 19. It’s a very balanced account with both positive and negative comparisons between Germany and the rest of the world, particularly the UK. Germany is not as well developed as the UK on support for women in the workplace, its trains don’t run on time and its infrastructure is tired and badly in need of investment. This is a good book but I could only give 4 stars because, from the cover and the title, I was expecting something a bit lighter - 10 reasons why the Germans do it better and a chapter on each - maybe with one set in the bedroom! I felt I’d been hoodwinked into reading a much better book but I’m glad I did.
March 25, 2021
This is an overview of the political, economic, and social history in post-war Germany. The author is fair in his coverage of these topics. He mentions not only the good aspects, but also introduces some of the problems that Germany faces. However, the impression that I got is that Germany is facing many of the same problems as other countries despite taking different approaches, so it seems to be a bit early to say that the Germans have done things better.
April 10, 2021
The title of the book can be distorting at best, and misleading at worst for two main reasons. Firstly, it takes for granted the fact that the Germans, (as country, society, economy, national football team?) or Germany in general, is a more successful and prosperous country that offers to its people the opportunity to lead happy and fulfilled lives. But they do “it” better than who? Any other nation worldwide? Certainly some in America or China would disagree. The first would demonstrate their country’s role as the biggest global economy, the only superpower, and its democratic credentials embedded in a Constitution as no other. The latter would underline their country’s cultural and historical superiority, its stable political system that holds together almost 1,4 billion people, and its unprecedented economic development. This leaves us with the assumption that the Germans must be “doing it” better than countries of a similar level, population, and even proximity, such as the UK and France. Secondly, the title suggests that the Germans have created a flawless society because they found the magic receipt to converge everyone’s needs and interests. This impression is enhanced by the subtitle of the book, “Notes from a Grown-Up Country”. As if all other countries are either learning to walk or struggling with their puberty.
Far from that, John Kampfner manages to control the reader’s expectations by showing Germany’s innumerable struggles, problems, and difficulties that are only growing in size and scope. However, the book amply demonstrates how and why a country that can not dissociate itself from its dark past reached such highs in every aspect of human endeavour. Kampfner’s journalistic career offers him the authority and the authenticity to compare, through statistics, anecdotes, and historical narratives, Germany with other countries, notably his own own one, the UK, and illustrate why Germany’s economic model, communitarian society, and political system are so admired worldwide. He is careful to disengage from the Germany that preceded the end of the second world war. Instead, he concentrates on the narrative of how the country overcame the negative legacy of initiating two world wars and producing the atrocities of the third reich. A Germany that started from the bottom of economic, societal, and moral reconstruction in 1945, seems to be a role model of a country and a society in 2020.
So, how and why do the Germans do it better? According to Kampfner, among other things the post-war Germany had to build a new mentality that evolved around constitutional patriotism. The idea that the national pride is based not on its (discredited) army or (destroyed) land and soil nationalism, but on the rule of law and its constitutional democratic values ratified in the Basic Law (p.18). In other words, the national guilt of the second world war has been replaced by constant efforts of atonement. “Countries that struggle with the present take comfort from the nostalgia of past glories, real or imagined. Germany, because of its past, cannot” (p. 280). Germany’s patriotic sense begins not from the past, but from the present. If there is such a thing as a national mentality, the German one is built on modesty and the idea that they are the last to teach the world a lesson because it is so hard for them to praise their country (p. 20).
Modesty is the driving force of the German miracle and it was responsible for the relatively painless way the country was united after the collapse of the communism and the introduction of East Germany to a Western lifestyle. It was not just re-uniting two opposing countries, but mainly two clashing ideologies and systems. It came with many problems but not that of economic bankruptcy or societal trauma (p. 94). When the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, was asked in 2004 to characterise her country in one word, she mentioned that it is reliability the most prized German asset (p. 73). Indeed, this reliability is evident in the political system of the country and the fact that compromises can be reached by forming coalitions of political parties on opposing political spectrums. Can anyone imagine the American political system producing a Grand Coalition between Republicans and Democrats along the lines of the CDU and SPD?
However, Germany’s biggest asset in its last 75 years of life is undoubtedly its strong economic performance by pursuing market economy policies along with the idea of social market that allows certain social protection. The state has a strong say not in the production of wealth, but in the subsequent redistribution of it, in the name of social justice (p. 183-4). Another area where Germany indisputably did it better than anyone else was hosting and assimilating 1.4 million immigrants that applied for asylum between 2014 and 2019, mainly from war-torn Syria. These numbers put in shame countries of similar economic size that allowed only a fraction of immigrants in comparison with Germany (p. 106-108). Angela Merkel and her coalition of parties paid a high political price for such a decision but there is no moral or ethical argument that can be made against it. No other country has assimilated and accommodated better such a diverse and multicultural societal fabric where 20 million residents in Germany (a quarter of its population) have some kind of migrant background (p. 124).
It is no wonder that Germany leads the European project. Germany is undoubtedly the cornerstone for EU’s success and the heart of Europe. Other areas where Germany demonstrates admirable success can be seen in its educational system, a decent health care service, and its environmental credentials. Finally, a field where success can not be easily measured takes place around the everyday German way of life. This community-based approach is evident in the utilitarian mentality of the taxation system, where higher taxes enforced by the government are accepted as a way of providing not just for one’s own family, but for the needs of society at large (p. 225).
Germany has a unique modern history and has undergone deep and dramatic transformation in all sectors of its society. It carries fundamental dichotomies and problems that can not be easily overcome. However, it has managed to adjust and prosper in a changing world where economic crises and the rise of populism are challenging the fundamental ideas of the role and the structure of societies, economies, and the state. Germany can be seen as a role model because its deep historical traumas transformed the country into a modest preacher of goodness, rightness, and fairness.
Far from that, John Kampfner manages to control the reader’s expectations by showing Germany’s innumerable struggles, problems, and difficulties that are only growing in size and scope. However, the book amply demonstrates how and why a country that can not dissociate itself from its dark past reached such highs in every aspect of human endeavour. Kampfner’s journalistic career offers him the authority and the authenticity to compare, through statistics, anecdotes, and historical narratives, Germany with other countries, notably his own own one, the UK, and illustrate why Germany’s economic model, communitarian society, and political system are so admired worldwide. He is careful to disengage from the Germany that preceded the end of the second world war. Instead, he concentrates on the narrative of how the country overcame the negative legacy of initiating two world wars and producing the atrocities of the third reich. A Germany that started from the bottom of economic, societal, and moral reconstruction in 1945, seems to be a role model of a country and a society in 2020.
So, how and why do the Germans do it better? According to Kampfner, among other things the post-war Germany had to build a new mentality that evolved around constitutional patriotism. The idea that the national pride is based not on its (discredited) army or (destroyed) land and soil nationalism, but on the rule of law and its constitutional democratic values ratified in the Basic Law (p.18). In other words, the national guilt of the second world war has been replaced by constant efforts of atonement. “Countries that struggle with the present take comfort from the nostalgia of past glories, real or imagined. Germany, because of its past, cannot” (p. 280). Germany’s patriotic sense begins not from the past, but from the present. If there is such a thing as a national mentality, the German one is built on modesty and the idea that they are the last to teach the world a lesson because it is so hard for them to praise their country (p. 20).
Modesty is the driving force of the German miracle and it was responsible for the relatively painless way the country was united after the collapse of the communism and the introduction of East Germany to a Western lifestyle. It was not just re-uniting two opposing countries, but mainly two clashing ideologies and systems. It came with many problems but not that of economic bankruptcy or societal trauma (p. 94). When the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, was asked in 2004 to characterise her country in one word, she mentioned that it is reliability the most prized German asset (p. 73). Indeed, this reliability is evident in the political system of the country and the fact that compromises can be reached by forming coalitions of political parties on opposing political spectrums. Can anyone imagine the American political system producing a Grand Coalition between Republicans and Democrats along the lines of the CDU and SPD?
However, Germany’s biggest asset in its last 75 years of life is undoubtedly its strong economic performance by pursuing market economy policies along with the idea of social market that allows certain social protection. The state has a strong say not in the production of wealth, but in the subsequent redistribution of it, in the name of social justice (p. 183-4). Another area where Germany indisputably did it better than anyone else was hosting and assimilating 1.4 million immigrants that applied for asylum between 2014 and 2019, mainly from war-torn Syria. These numbers put in shame countries of similar economic size that allowed only a fraction of immigrants in comparison with Germany (p. 106-108). Angela Merkel and her coalition of parties paid a high political price for such a decision but there is no moral or ethical argument that can be made against it. No other country has assimilated and accommodated better such a diverse and multicultural societal fabric where 20 million residents in Germany (a quarter of its population) have some kind of migrant background (p. 124).
It is no wonder that Germany leads the European project. Germany is undoubtedly the cornerstone for EU’s success and the heart of Europe. Other areas where Germany demonstrates admirable success can be seen in its educational system, a decent health care service, and its environmental credentials. Finally, a field where success can not be easily measured takes place around the everyday German way of life. This community-based approach is evident in the utilitarian mentality of the taxation system, where higher taxes enforced by the government are accepted as a way of providing not just for one’s own family, but for the needs of society at large (p. 225).
Germany has a unique modern history and has undergone deep and dramatic transformation in all sectors of its society. It carries fundamental dichotomies and problems that can not be easily overcome. However, it has managed to adjust and prosper in a changing world where economic crises and the rise of populism are challenging the fundamental ideas of the role and the structure of societies, economies, and the state. Germany can be seen as a role model because its deep historical traumas transformed the country into a modest preacher of goodness, rightness, and fairness.
September 27, 2021
I absolutely love Grrmany, it's one of my favourite countries that I've visited - having enjoyed trips to both Berlin and Munich.
So this book was always going to appeal.
The main crux of the authors thesis of why German is better than Britain pretty much stems from how both countries treat the events of the Second World War.
Britain is still 'revelling' in it's past glories typified by the language used by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
A lot of both his rhetoric and the Vote Leave campaign used war like terminology in speech and in hindsight became obvious why Brexit happened.
Germany doesn't shy away from it's horric past and I've indeed visited the holocaust memorial in the capital city.
But at the same time there's a promatic progress approach especially since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The author goes to great lengths to highlight his points with interesting statistics, such as a German worker is more productive than their British counterparts.
I found the sections focusing on Chancellor Merkel to be the most fascinating.
Someone who was there in 1989 as the wall was pulled down, now tackling the threat of Covid-19 and ultimately the restrictions needed to be put in place.
I guess Britain is always going to be a backwards thinking country, which again was explored with the types of live performances both cultures prefer to see.
Interestingly educational, I'd loved to visit more of the country.
So this book was always going to appeal.
The main crux of the authors thesis of why German is better than Britain pretty much stems from how both countries treat the events of the Second World War.
Britain is still 'revelling' in it's past glories typified by the language used by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
A lot of both his rhetoric and the Vote Leave campaign used war like terminology in speech and in hindsight became obvious why Brexit happened.
Germany doesn't shy away from it's horric past and I've indeed visited the holocaust memorial in the capital city.
But at the same time there's a promatic progress approach especially since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The author goes to great lengths to highlight his points with interesting statistics, such as a German worker is more productive than their British counterparts.
I found the sections focusing on Chancellor Merkel to be the most fascinating.
Someone who was there in 1989 as the wall was pulled down, now tackling the threat of Covid-19 and ultimately the restrictions needed to be put in place.
I guess Britain is always going to be a backwards thinking country, which again was explored with the types of live performances both cultures prefer to see.
Interestingly educational, I'd loved to visit more of the country.
October 2, 2020
this is a modern essay/book looking at modern Germany as it reaches its 150th anniversary in 2021 and how it has had to cope with post war rebuilding and reunification in 1990 and how the German nation has reacted and dealt with different issues. well worth reading and get a balanced view.
November 17, 2020
Fantastic detail of life in Modern Germany. Makes a strong case for German society yet doesn’t shy away from its shortcomings. A serious study of Germany despite the slightly flippant title. Accessible and highly readable narrative with real journalists touch. Highly recommended
June 29, 2021
4.5 Stars!
“It takes people in Germany four days to produce what people in the UK take five days to produce. And that means they can pay themselves better, or they need to work fewer hours.”
Kampfner raises a very good point in the introduction when he asks, “Look around your local bookshop, in any country, and how many books are there about Germany that are not about the two world wars?” He tells us that there are four key years which have defined Germany since the war, 1949, 1968, 1989 and 2015.
Something that is increasingly hard to do is pick out the things that Germany doesn’t do better than UK (He often means England). They work less hours, get paid more, save more, shop less and have far better worker’s rights. They are far more environmentally friendly, the role of the Green Party in German politics is meaningful, compared to the tokenistic stigma it gets in the UK or the US. They have more housing and all but two of the Bundesliga clubs are majority owned by their fans. Meanwhile the vast majority of the Germanophobic English remain forever trapped in their “two world wars and one world cup” mentality, as Germany pulls further and further ahead in almost every conceivable way.
The Germans have long-since practiced a form of responsible capitalism and long-termism, with an eye on social cohesion. The workers have far superior rights and conditions and therefore are more incentivised and invested in working better and more efficiently. They tend to be better educated and highly skilled. Then there is the crucial role played by the Mittelstand (small & medium sized enterprises which have proved resilient to fickle changes in the financial climate), which employs around 75% of the nation’s workforce and produces more than half the economic output.
We must credit Germany in that it has had the courage and honesty to openly and repeatedly confront the horrors its previous generations were responsible for, and tried to come to terms with it in the best possible way, especially when you compare it with the likes of Japan, a country which largely retains a disturbingly revisionist and silent approach of denial and dis-ownership of its various war crimes.
But we do get an insight into some of the flaws and frustrations that effect the nation too, like the sickening violence towards the politicians who support immigration, and apparently the trains don’t run on time, smoking is still allowed in many shared and public spaces, much of the infrastructure is needing work. The problems with having no speed limit on the autobahn. They have corrupt and awful banks too (but who doesn’t?) and apparently half a million faults were discovered within BER, the new Berlin airport, which was an unmitigated disaster so bad that it even spawned its own board game.
One factor which cannot be ignored is the reasoned and stabilising effects of Merkel’s assured leadership, in so many ways her approach has been particularly appealing, especially when contrasted against the crass, belligerent and egotistic leaders which have led the likes of the UK since at least the 70s. The way she meaningful spoke up and actually took some action against Russia, after Putin had annexed Crimea and shot down a passenger jet. In spite of the rise of the right wing extremists, AfD, she still demonstrated a phenomenally compassionate approach to immigration (not a phrase we hear too often of a political leader). How many leaders can you name who carried out such decisions knowing the severe impact it has on their popularity and can lose them their job. That’s what a decent politician should be doing.
Kampfner makes a great point about questions surrounding the rising cases of right wing extremism in Germany, he says yes that is an issue, but it is not one merely limited to Germany, but a global problem. It is merely newsworthy because of the historical context of Nazism etc. This is a great point after all extremism may be rising in Germany, but they have yet to elect a right wing idiot as they have done in the US, the UK and Australia, which all put right wing men in charge, and perhaps the worrying thing is that although the Americans got rid of Trump, more people than ever voted for him after four years of hatred, racism and ignorance.
“In the first six months of 1945 more than 100’000 women in Berlin and 1.5 million elsewhere in Germany between the ages of ten and eighty were raped by Soviet soldiers, in many cases on a multiple and continuing basis.”
We see that many Germans who used to look towards England, have become disillusioned and baffled by Brexit and the bizarre and convoluted culture of elevating tradition over pragmatism, such as the 3.6 million Euros a year it costs to heat Buckingham Palace making it the least energy inefficient building in the whole of London. Then you have the likes of the Queen Mother unveiling a statue of Bomber Harris, responsible for the horrifying death of around 700’000 civilians, including about 75’000 children who burnt or choked to death. So it would seem that many allied nations could learn a thing or two about ignorance and respect .
It has been said many times that Britain has never gotten over losing an empire or winning the war and that remains truer now than it ever has. As it remains mired in arguably its darkest period since WWII, being dragged deeper and deeper into a dark and dangerous place by a band of lying, incompetent elites. So this was an eloquent, balanced and hugely enjoyable piece of work, and there's also a nice list of other appealing books to chase up down the line too...Oh and yes I will be cheering them on against England tomorrow.
March 17, 2021
An examination of how Germany operates and its mature approach to problem solving without the level of populism and nationalism that has bedevilled other countries in recent years. Not all is perfect in Germany it would seem but their long termism and ‘ social contract' that capitalism must produce benefits for all and not just the wealthy appears to have given them an enviable cohesion and standard of living. As the author points out few countries could have absorbed the economic mess that was East Germany with such little impact on the country’s continued success. Germany’s big failing is seen as its reluctance to take a lead on international issues but that could also seen as an advantage. It has also been fairly slow in embracing some new technologies but the strength of Germany’s companies means it still has time to catch up and even overtake earlier adopters. It has been largely uncritical of China as trade with that country is significant to Germany and even more so now that Duisburg has become the European hub for trade with China. Likewise it has tried hard to get along with Putin and most Germans want better relations with Russia given the two countries' histories and their geographic proximity. All these issues and more are examined in this easily readable book.
July 10, 2020
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.
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.
December 22, 2020
I have found it difficult to find decent books about modern Germany, France or Italy. Surly, it can't be just me. We are awash with books about the USA but not alas about our near neighbors in Europe. Maybe our collective attitudes on Brexit are informed by our collective lack of comparative understanding.
Anyway, when I alighted on this book I was delighted. It didn't disappoint. Its only fault is that it is wasn't twice as long. I have been left wanting to learn much more. I now will continue with my search.
For now, I can heartily recommend this book as a good starter for 10, as Bamber Gascoigne would say.
Anyway, when I alighted on this book I was delighted. It didn't disappoint. Its only fault is that it is wasn't twice as long. I have been left wanting to learn much more. I now will continue with my search.
For now, I can heartily recommend this book as a good starter for 10, as Bamber Gascoigne would say.
March 6, 2021
“Why can’t the Brits be like the Germans?” might have been a more appropriate title.
The book written by an Englishman specifically for an English audience. Yes, I am an American reading this book during the pandemic in Maui, yet the author makes some very good German/UK comparisons.
Boris Johnson is no Angela Merkel. The German Economy is robust. UK is inward looking with no major consequential allies after Brexit.
The author sees Germany as the European leadership hope, and UK with dictatorial and provincial Boris Johnson and UK economic and world standing almost hopeless.
The book written by an Englishman specifically for an English audience. Yes, I am an American reading this book during the pandemic in Maui, yet the author makes some very good German/UK comparisons.
Boris Johnson is no Angela Merkel. The German Economy is robust. UK is inward looking with no major consequential allies after Brexit.
The author sees Germany as the European leadership hope, and UK with dictatorial and provincial Boris Johnson and UK economic and world standing almost hopeless.
April 8, 2021
I found it assumed a lot of prior knowledge - my degree is in German but it still made me feel uninformed at times.
It seemed more a study of Merkel than the country.
It was also very balanced in identifying Germany’s flaws as well as its strengths...but the upshot is I now have a more negative view of Germany, which seems counter to the book’s aim.
It seemed more a study of Merkel than the country.
It was also very balanced in identifying Germany’s flaws as well as its strengths...but the upshot is I now have a more negative view of Germany, which seems counter to the book’s aim.
November 25, 2021
The book contains significant events that happened after the reunification of Germans up until the current COVID-19 pandemic. The book focuses on the political perspective and decision on seven issues, for instance, immigration policy, aging society, climate and car industry. Each chapter starts with Germans' wrong moves in situation handling, then, follows by showing the better scenarios (not always count as a good version to all problems) as they learned the mistake and changed their strategies - As can be summarised from the title of the book (which the benchmark country from my understanding is mainly UK).
It is quite hard to follow some events if you are not familiar with the German context, both geographical and historical. There are a lot of events to consume in one issue. I would not recommend for a leisure reading, but it is quite a good historical book (with a mix of events from current timeline).
It is quite hard to follow some events if you are not familiar with the German context, both geographical and historical. There are a lot of events to consume in one issue. I would not recommend for a leisure reading, but it is quite a good historical book (with a mix of events from current timeline).
July 17, 2022
I still haven’t had time to edit my notes and quotes from this excellent book, but it confirms my already Germanophile views that for all the past atrocities of the Nazi era, which it has worked hard to face up to and make amends for, Germany is today a very decent country.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
February 4, 2021
As a German, I absolutely understand why every German person Kampfner mentioned the title of this book to reacted by cringing a little. Just... no. That aside, this is a pretty interesting, largely well-balanced account of Germany's development since the end of WWII right up until the first wave of Covid-19. Kampfner has plenty of praise to shower on especially the government response to the latter, which, looking at the situation now seems rather premature. Some of the supposed present day figures he cites for the whole country are either based solely on numbers from the Western states or things have changed a lot more than I'd have expected since I moved abroad in 2008 - only 14% of mothers with one, and only 6% of mothers with two children go back to work full-time? During all my school years, in all the schools I attended, I didn't know a single kid with a stay-at-home or only part-time working mother. (Apparently those figures came from a 2011 New York Times article, though I didn't look up where that got them from.)
April 29, 2024
I find it hard to rate this book, so consider it a 3.5. Similar to the other top reviews, I have to start mine with the title: “Why the Germans DO it better” surely didn’t have me expect an in-depth account of the last 75 years of German history (that puts my knowledge of my birth country to shame), especially because I wouldn’t have picked another account of the Second World War as my next read, after my school’s curriculum had me spend my early teenage years with nothing else but.
Before I knew that it was misleading, the title was intriguing for me, as - and Kampfner acknowledges this as well - the idea of national pride is simply absurd and unimaginable for Germans. My whole life, I’ve not only been taught to be ashamed of my origin, but am constantly reminded of it by people wherever I go. I thought this book might give me a glimpse of what our country could be doing well, outside of the stereotypes of “punctuality” and “efficiency”? He indeed manages to find a few points in recent history that Germany could be awarded a star for - like COVID-19 and immigration policies - however, I expected it to include more accounts of “ordinary” people and their lives in the country nowadays, rather than the very well researched historical/economical/business account it was. The fact that it was rated book of the year by the Economist could have hinted at that.
To conclude, I feel bad for not rating it higher, seeing as I would love for a lot of my British - or non-German friends - to read it and improve their view on Germany, however, I do feel so misled by the title that I can’t possibly rate it any differently. A better one would have been: What Germany HAS DONE well - and what to learn from it.
Before I knew that it was misleading, the title was intriguing for me, as - and Kampfner acknowledges this as well - the idea of national pride is simply absurd and unimaginable for Germans. My whole life, I’ve not only been taught to be ashamed of my origin, but am constantly reminded of it by people wherever I go. I thought this book might give me a glimpse of what our country could be doing well, outside of the stereotypes of “punctuality” and “efficiency”? He indeed manages to find a few points in recent history that Germany could be awarded a star for - like COVID-19 and immigration policies - however, I expected it to include more accounts of “ordinary” people and their lives in the country nowadays, rather than the very well researched historical/economical/business account it was. The fact that it was rated book of the year by the Economist could have hinted at that.
To conclude, I feel bad for not rating it higher, seeing as I would love for a lot of my British - or non-German friends - to read it and improve their view on Germany, however, I do feel so misled by the title that I can’t possibly rate it any differently. A better one would have been: What Germany HAS DONE well - and what to learn from it.
October 19, 2021
langsamer aber sicher... slowly but surly, That's the German way
I went into this book eager to read about the financial growth, especially how they managed to absorb the shock after the reunification.. but finished the book with more insight into the psychology of an entire nation, the emotional maturity of Germany, the reason behind holding on the memory and why sticking to rules, why playing it safe instead of picking up opportunities.. why lacking the innovative thinking.
and no, it's not just talking about the good side of Germany, because no place is perfect, the author explores the downsides of it all too.
comparing the American, the British and the German mentality in sever aspects was a very interesting element in the book.
definitely a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book! won't be long until I reread it.
I went into this book eager to read about the financial growth, especially how they managed to absorb the shock after the reunification.. but finished the book with more insight into the psychology of an entire nation, the emotional maturity of Germany, the reason behind holding on the memory and why sticking to rules, why playing it safe instead of picking up opportunities.. why lacking the innovative thinking.
and no, it's not just talking about the good side of Germany, because no place is perfect, the author explores the downsides of it all too.
comparing the American, the British and the German mentality in sever aspects was a very interesting element in the book.
definitely a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book! won't be long until I reread it.
July 13, 2022
John Kampfner bundan önce birkaç kitap da yazmış. Ama bizim kısmetimize bu kitabı okumak düşmüş (diğerlerinin çevrilmemiş olması da cabası).
Kampfner bir ingiliz olarak almanları konu almış. Almaniya ve almanlar üzerine tam olarak tarafsız olmasa da (zira insanın nefreti ve sempatisi olaylara bakış açısında objektif davranması yolunda büyük bir engel) mümkün mertebe objektif kalem kullanmış yazarımız. Bir ingilis olarak Birleşik Krallığa karşı bir hayli eleştirel dil kullanması ama Almanyaya karşı önyargılı değil de sempatik yaklaşması hayranlık uyandıracak cinsten. Yazarımız katı akademik bir dil kullanarak teorik bir makale kaleme almamış. Aksine, kendisi de Almanyada bir süre yaşamış ve de kendi tecrübelerini uzman bir bakış açısıyla kaleme almış. Bu hayranlık uyandıracak cinsten bir başarı. Yazarımız Almanyanın tüm tarihini değil de esasen güncel tarihini ve olaylarını kaleme almış. Ve ortaya harika bir çalışma çıkarmış. Konuya ilgi duyan herkese kesinlikle tavsiye ederim.
Kampfner bir ingiliz olarak almanları konu almış. Almaniya ve almanlar üzerine tam olarak tarafsız olmasa da (zira insanın nefreti ve sempatisi olaylara bakış açısında objektif davranması yolunda büyük bir engel) mümkün mertebe objektif kalem kullanmış yazarımız. Bir ingilis olarak Birleşik Krallığa karşı bir hayli eleştirel dil kullanması ama Almanyaya karşı önyargılı değil de sempatik yaklaşması hayranlık uyandıracak cinsten. Yazarımız katı akademik bir dil kullanarak teorik bir makale kaleme almamış. Aksine, kendisi de Almanyada bir süre yaşamış ve de kendi tecrübelerini uzman bir bakış açısıyla kaleme almış. Bu hayranlık uyandıracak cinsten bir başarı. Yazarımız Almanyanın tüm tarihini değil de esasen güncel tarihini ve olaylarını kaleme almış. Ve ortaya harika bir çalışma çıkarmış. Konuya ilgi duyan herkese kesinlikle tavsiye ederim.
December 16, 2021
Mostly an ode to Merkel. He talks about her like the way some people discuss Thatcher. It's not a lighthearted fun book about why Germans do things better. But more discussing the cultural differences that sets Germany apart (mostly their guilt and shame of WW2, and the consequent humble attitude derived from this and their need for robust institutions and rule of law).
Overall an interesting book. Would have preferred more Economic insight and individual stories of Germany from German politicians and Business leaders hence the 3*
Chapter: Mutti's warm embrace (Angela Merkel & Eastern Legacy)
Page 75: The book isn't very old but already dated. The author mentions how the SPD is "potentially facing extinction" but the SPD just won the recent elections.
Page 59/60: Hadn't known Merkel was pro-Iraq War. Have lost some respect for her. Glad the Germans didn't vote for her during that 1st election.
Page 82: interesting observation of East Germans vs West Germans. It was not uncommon for a plumber to marry a judge in East Germany, but unheard of in West German.
Page 85: not a single German Corporation from the DAX30 index is HQ'd in East Germany. And only 7% of german companies from the top 500 have a HQ there.
Page 87/88: €2 trillion has been invested/spent in modernising East Germany. Soli (solidarity tax) is paid to help East Germany. I remember this deduction from when i lived in Germany. We ought to have the same from the South of England to the North.
Chapter: Muktikulti (immigration & identity)
Page 95/96: Refugees attacked to Schmitz & Barbara Burckhardt helling refugees in Charlottenburg (where i lived in Berlin)
Page 119: the CEO of Siemens' Joe Kasser's uncle refused to join the Hitler's Youth and killed in a concentration camp for his dissent. Mr Kasser encourages opposition to Rightwing populism
Chapter: No Longer a Child (Foreign policy in an age of populism)
Page 133: Germany is a "reluctant hegemon"
Henry Kissinger: "Germany is too large for Europe and too small for the world."
Page 136/137: Germany was vindicated in its decision to avoid war in Iraq (thanks to Schroder) and Libya (thank to Merkel).
Page 144/147: a little too Merkel-fan-club and anti-Russian conspiracy theory in these pages. Loved the little details about Merkel speaking fluent Russian (which i knew) but the attacks against Schroder are a little Tabloid-y. Would have enjoyed more details on Nord Stream 2
Pages 153/155: Trump and his petulant attitude towards Merkel, NATO and liberals. Germans have a low opinion of NATO (as do France and most Western Europeans) and most Germans want rapprochement with Russia.
Pages 158/160: the real threat is China. Duisburg has become a Chinese port city as part of China's Silk Road
Chapter: The Wonder (the Economic Miracle and it's Aftermath)
Pages 187/189: Schroder led the reforms (supported by the opposition rather than his own party) to transform Germany to a more Market Friendly economy (less social security and more incentives to work) which Merkel benefited from but the SPD suffered from.
Pages 190/191: Germany introduced a national minimum wage around 2013 (45 years after France and 16 years after the UK). Even Unions didn't think it was required as they believed they had better protections in Germany
Chapter: The Dog doesn't Eat the Dog (a Society that sticks together)
Pages 224/227: Germany's healthcare system is the oldest in the world and better than the NHS. The stats are funny on this because it depends where in the UK you review this. London is huge with a huge population and a much more crowded.
Pages
Overall an interesting book. Would have preferred more Economic insight and individual stories of Germany from German politicians and Business leaders hence the 3*
Chapter: Mutti's warm embrace (Angela Merkel & Eastern Legacy)
Page 75: The book isn't very old but already dated. The author mentions how the SPD is "potentially facing extinction" but the SPD just won the recent elections.
Page 59/60: Hadn't known Merkel was pro-Iraq War. Have lost some respect for her. Glad the Germans didn't vote for her during that 1st election.
Page 82: interesting observation of East Germans vs West Germans. It was not uncommon for a plumber to marry a judge in East Germany, but unheard of in West German.
Page 85: not a single German Corporation from the DAX30 index is HQ'd in East Germany. And only 7% of german companies from the top 500 have a HQ there.
Page 87/88: €2 trillion has been invested/spent in modernising East Germany. Soli (solidarity tax) is paid to help East Germany. I remember this deduction from when i lived in Germany. We ought to have the same from the South of England to the North.
Chapter: Muktikulti (immigration & identity)
Page 95/96: Refugees attacked to Schmitz & Barbara Burckhardt helling refugees in Charlottenburg (where i lived in Berlin)
Page 119: the CEO of Siemens' Joe Kasser's uncle refused to join the Hitler's Youth and killed in a concentration camp for his dissent. Mr Kasser encourages opposition to Rightwing populism
Chapter: No Longer a Child (Foreign policy in an age of populism)
Page 133: Germany is a "reluctant hegemon"
Henry Kissinger: "Germany is too large for Europe and too small for the world."
Page 136/137: Germany was vindicated in its decision to avoid war in Iraq (thanks to Schroder) and Libya (thank to Merkel).
Page 144/147: a little too Merkel-fan-club and anti-Russian conspiracy theory in these pages. Loved the little details about Merkel speaking fluent Russian (which i knew) but the attacks against Schroder are a little Tabloid-y. Would have enjoyed more details on Nord Stream 2
Pages 153/155: Trump and his petulant attitude towards Merkel, NATO and liberals. Germans have a low opinion of NATO (as do France and most Western Europeans) and most Germans want rapprochement with Russia.
Pages 158/160: the real threat is China. Duisburg has become a Chinese port city as part of China's Silk Road
Chapter: The Wonder (the Economic Miracle and it's Aftermath)
Pages 187/189: Schroder led the reforms (supported by the opposition rather than his own party) to transform Germany to a more Market Friendly economy (less social security and more incentives to work) which Merkel benefited from but the SPD suffered from.
Pages 190/191: Germany introduced a national minimum wage around 2013 (45 years after France and 16 years after the UK). Even Unions didn't think it was required as they believed they had better protections in Germany
Chapter: The Dog doesn't Eat the Dog (a Society that sticks together)
Pages 224/227: Germany's healthcare system is the oldest in the world and better than the NHS. The stats are funny on this because it depends where in the UK you review this. London is huge with a huge population and a much more crowded.
Pages
April 3, 2021
Describes in detail faults but glosses over the resulting outcomes. For instance, the country's business model is set out as a shining light of the German social conscience without delving into the hypocrisies that the author himself points out or drawing parallels to how a mafia economy would describe itself as upholding these same pillars through regional control and family networks. Another glaring contradiction is the discussion of community cohesion without taking into consideration how as an outsider you're automatically ostracised if you have not grown up with those regional experiences or the educational system example can be comprehensive if you've been part of it since birth but coming from elsewhere you're not qualified to take part. Imagine moving to a country and not being able to work in a shop because that requires a three year apprenticeship. The author states that Germany was propelled forward because the American's need for an anti-communism bloc in Europe after WW2 but then attributes its current world position to German merit. Germany has a traumatic history that is not far in the past, and as a collective culture has barely begun to unpack that and change the narrative. So if foreigners compare it to the authoritarian regimes they previously left, the reaction isn't for Germans to be sad over criticism, it's to double down on why this is the case. Every immigrant or expat seems to catch on very quickly to Germany not being a totally free society, so now it's the elephant in the room that Germans and the author don't want to confront.
December 13, 2020
It is the end of the year and I am tired, so I'll sum this book up with a quotation:
'With the credibility of the US and the UK undermined, Germany has found itself in the deeply uncomfortable position of being the standard-bearer for liberal democracy.'
Recommended for anyone from Britain or elsewhere in the Anglosphere who wants to understand Germany. It's super up-to-date and doesn't linger on the tired old tropes.
'With the credibility of the US and the UK undermined, Germany has found itself in the deeply uncomfortable position of being the standard-bearer for liberal democracy.'
Recommended for anyone from Britain or elsewhere in the Anglosphere who wants to understand Germany. It's super up-to-date and doesn't linger on the tired old tropes.
April 13, 2021
Not really my cup of tea.
Author focuses more on politics, reunification, immigration. Although there are some good points, author goes all over the place, and some background history isn't explained for your average layman.
Author focuses more on politics, reunification, immigration. Although there are some good points, author goes all over the place, and some background history isn't explained for your average layman.
June 8, 2021
Six stars out of five. Highly recommended.
March 11, 2022
As someone who is very intrigued by modern German politics, society, and culture, this was an interesting book that detailed how, despite incredible setbacks and horrible societal actions (say, two world wars where they were the aggressors), Germany has managed to weather many crises since reconstruction following the world wars, as well as unification. The first few chapters explored Merkel and the political landscape, but I was particularly interested in the German economy and how it differs from the UK and the US. Kampfner's writing isn't always the most exciting -- the same could be said of Germany -- but it is solid, measured, and well-researched.
October 6, 2023
I enjoyed parts of this book and learnt quite a lot. I deduct half a star because I don't agree with a lot of the assertions the author makes (I know that is ultimately totally subjective but no one made you read this review or take it seriously) and I think they occasionally border on being nonsequitous. The other half star is deducted for occasionally not having the references so clearly set out of included for some fairly bold statements on modern politics and policy, which I found odd because the author bothered to reference a lot of things in the book.
I would have deducted another star for being wrong about the decline of the AfD post-2021 (it looks like they'll do pretty well in 2023 but maybe that's going to be wrong, too) but actually I think people in the UK (and Germany) should actually read this book, so 4 stars.
I would have deducted another star for being wrong about the decline of the AfD post-2021 (it looks like they'll do pretty well in 2023 but maybe that's going to be wrong, too) but actually I think people in the UK (and Germany) should actually read this book, so 4 stars.
March 30, 2021
Mr Kampfner’s review of modern Germany was an interesting look into the country which manages the fill many gaps in the reader’s knowledge. The intention that the reader is British was, however, all-too-clear through the majority of the comparisons—and for more informed people this book might not be that illuminating a title.
The author covered the main tendencies in German politics and economy, described how the integration of the East and the West took place, and, of course, dedicated a fair bit of the book to showing how Merkel’s chancellorship has been impressive. In this, the author followed the trends to note the deficiencies with German inability to take up a proper leading position in foreign policy.
What I found most riveting were the descriptions on cultural and social norms: people working together for a common good and this being a societal expectation. Similarly, the anti-credit-spending thinking was an enlightening contrast to the more common British and American models while the contrasts between the leaders’ cultural tastes was also quite interesting (Merkel: theatre; Cameron: TV). The author was still very open in describing the problems that the bureaucratic style has and may lead to, for example, in the construction of the Berlin Airport—a truly song-worthy fiasco.
The historical basis that could have underlied the above-mentioned social descriptions wasn’t as strong as it could have been. Beyond a description of how the Bonn Republic came to stand on its feet in the 1950’s, the author mostly jumped across events until reintegration. Even these events were not detailed as well as Merkel’s leadership—as such, this is a political biography of modern Germany. Some detail is given on how the country got to its present state, but that is only sufficient to answer the most basic questions.
While this is a good overview of 21st century Germany, this book doesn’t come close to answering all questions one could have about how this state developed. That, however, was not the author’s goal—to show what are the worthwhile aspects of the “German system”.
This review was originally posted on my blog.
The author covered the main tendencies in German politics and economy, described how the integration of the East and the West took place, and, of course, dedicated a fair bit of the book to showing how Merkel’s chancellorship has been impressive. In this, the author followed the trends to note the deficiencies with German inability to take up a proper leading position in foreign policy.
What I found most riveting were the descriptions on cultural and social norms: people working together for a common good and this being a societal expectation. Similarly, the anti-credit-spending thinking was an enlightening contrast to the more common British and American models while the contrasts between the leaders’ cultural tastes was also quite interesting (Merkel: theatre; Cameron: TV). The author was still very open in describing the problems that the bureaucratic style has and may lead to, for example, in the construction of the Berlin Airport—a truly song-worthy fiasco.
The historical basis that could have underlied the above-mentioned social descriptions wasn’t as strong as it could have been. Beyond a description of how the Bonn Republic came to stand on its feet in the 1950’s, the author mostly jumped across events until reintegration. Even these events were not detailed as well as Merkel’s leadership—as such, this is a political biography of modern Germany. Some detail is given on how the country got to its present state, but that is only sufficient to answer the most basic questions.
While this is a good overview of 21st century Germany, this book doesn’t come close to answering all questions one could have about how this state developed. That, however, was not the author’s goal—to show what are the worthwhile aspects of the “German system”.
This review was originally posted on my blog.
April 12, 2024
For people familiar with the modern European history this is not a very enlightening book with a very misleading title to boot. It's just an overview of German political, economic and social history and not something piquant as the title might suggest.
June 7, 2022
A must-read to start much-needed conversations about our priorities as a society.
November 24, 2022
A fascinating look at German culture. Kampfner is brilliant at bringing in recent history to explain developments. Great to have a little more knowledge of Europe's largest country; however, his chapters on the history of the GDR as well as on Merkel are a little dry.
January 3, 2022
An excellent read that provides an insightful, balanced and thought-provoking account of the state of Germany (sic). Has renewed my urge to spend even more time there.
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