BLOOD AND IRON The Rise and Fall of the German Empire; 1871-1918

The charms of German nomenclature rarely present themselves to an American ear so exquisitely as they do in Natasha Soudek's adept narration of this brief history of Germany's overreaching Second Reich, 1871-1918. Soudek's range and skill as a narrator--her crisp, confident delivery, her highly attuned phrasing and attention to nuance--bring out the best in this German-British author's concise, balanced narrative. In just seven hours, we take a fresh look at a history easily caricatured--with its spiked helmets (which proved a deadly target for the rifles of the twentieth century), its Iron Chancellor and harebrained kaiser, and its foregone conclusion of world war. Edifying and insightful, this well-researched history also proves to be an unexpectedly pleasurable listening experience. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2021]