In Search Of Berlin: The Story of Europe's Most Reinvented City by John Kampfner - Non Fiction - Hardback

Details:
Condition: BRAND NEW
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781838954819
Publisher: Atlantic Books

Overview:
In Search Of Berlin is John Kampfner's sweeping history of one of Europe's most compelling capitals. Blending personal reportage with rigorous research, the award-winning journalist traces Berlin's 800-year journey through empire, war, division and reinvention. A Waterstones Best History Book of 2023 and longlisted for the Ondaatje Prize, this hardback is essential reading for anyone fascinated by European history, memory and the resilience of great cities.

About the Book:
Ever since John Kampfner was a young journalist reporting from Communist East Berlin, the city has never left his mind. In this hardback history, he walks the length and breadth of Berlin, delving into archives and speaking with historians, writers, architects and archaeologists to uncover how a single city has lived through so many disasters and reinvented itself so many times. From clambering onto a fallen statue of Lenin to rummaging through boxes of early medieval bones, Kampfner uncovers the extraordinary layers beneath Berlin's streets. He explores its role as military barracks, industrial powerhouse, centre of learning and hotbed of decadence, alongside its darkest chapter as the site of the worst atrocities in human history. The narrative moves fluidly between past and present, showing how a city now home to 180 nationalities continues to attract the world even as it grapples with the weight of its own memory. Kampfner's prose is lucid and absorbing, mixing historical rigour with a traveller's curiosity, never shying away from difficult truths while celebrating Berlin's remarkable capacity for renewal. Praised by Peter Frankopan as offering a masterful portrait, this is both a serious work of history and an intimate love letter to a city that refuses to stand still.

Key Benefits:

• Waterstones Best History Book of 2023
• Longlisted for the 2024 Ondaatje Prize
• Written by a Sunday Times bestselling author and former East Berlin correspondent
• 416-page hardback packed with archival research and firsthand reportage
• Praised by Peter Frankopan, Katja Hoyer and Jonathan Freedland
• Ideal gift for history lovers, students and travellers to Berlin

About the Author:
John Kampfner is an award-winning British author, broadcaster and foreign-affairs commentator. He began his career reporting from East Berlin during the fall of the Wall and from Moscow during the collapse of communism, before editing the New Statesman. He is the author of six previous books, including the bestselling Blair's Wars and the top ten bestseller Why the Germans Do It Better. Since 2019 he has been a Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI, and led the UK in the World programme at Chatham House from 2022 to 2023. He divides his time between Berlin and London.

Why You'll Love This Book:
A masterful blend of history, reportage and personal memory, In Search Of Berlin makes an endlessly fascinating city feel intimate and alive. This hardback edition is a beautiful, gift-worthy volume for history lovers, students and curious travellers alike.

Please Note: Ships as the UK ISBN / UK edition cover as shown.