I was handed this book by Hollie King as she thought I might enjoy
it. I'm always apprehensive about reading non-fiction for the sake of reading. I find that sometimes it can leave the reader either asking for more facts
or getting bogged down in the detail but I'm quite happy to say that this book
does neither and I'm happy I was given it.
From the outset I'll admit that I've never read a book that tells
history through personal and cultural encounters before (Though I've always
been tempted. Jerusalem: The
Biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore always catches my eye in bookshops). Having
read more direct histories in the past I was expecting this book to be
presented in the same kind of way, with a single flowing chronological timeline
where people come, play their parts and go again but this book offers a much
greater insight into the lives of the people who found themselves both German
and English. Using diaries and written accounts it tells the stories of the
lives of the Monarchs, ambassadors & socialites that had a lasting effect
on the relationship between the two nations.
The book is split into three sections each covering distinctly
different stages in relations between the two nations which makes it easy to
follow and makes it flow well. Starting back in 1613 the first section does a
brilliant job of displaying the admiration the two cultures had for each other and
how it gradually starts to change as the Germany unifies and Wilhelm II becomes
German Emperor. It finishes by looking at some of personal stories of those with
dual parentage or married to the other side during the First World War.
The second part looks at the interwar years and how despite the
huge suffering felt by the Germans in the wake of the Treaty of Versailles personal
relationships started to take a better turn between the two nations up until the
rise of Nazism.
The final part of the book looks at the effect WWII had on
people on a personal level. There are a lot of books, plays and documentaries
covering this type of subject but the author takes a slightly different
approach. By focusing on the individual she is able to show their overall effect
on the drastic situation that was arising in Europe through the thirties and
shows how lives could be torn apart for Germans in England and vice versa
through blanket internments and hate.
This draws me to my only criticism of the book. After
getting to the end of the WWII I wanted to read on into the cold war era and
beyond to get a feel of how Anglo-German relations have changed over that
period as well but I appreciate that not all documents from the era are so
readily available.
The way the author displays how a single individual can change
the course of history is illustrated well. The two cases that stood out to me were
firstly the way a single ambassador lead Wilhelm II to believe that England
wouldn't fight against Germany on account of Belgium and secondly the clerk who
declared an intelligence report revealing German plans to attack Poland as
unreliable.
The whole book is well researched and well written. Like
with all good history books it made me want to go and research more for myself and
find out more about the people and stories (The story of Daisy Pless is
captivating and would make a brilliant novel/Film/series).
On a final note looking back other Miranda Seymour's eclectic
bibliography I instantly remember reading some of her children's books when
growing up. What a varied collection of writing.
