Christopher Clark Iron Kingdom : The Rise & Downfall of Prussia, 1600-1947

Winner of the Wolfson History Prize, Christopher Clarks Iron Kingdom The Rise and Downfall of Prussia 16001947 is a compelling account of a country that played a pivotal role in Europes fortunes and fundamentally shaped our world. Prussia began as a medieval backwater, but transformed itself into a major European power and the force behind the creation of the German empire, until it was finally abolished by the Allies after the Second World War. With great flair and authority, Christopher Clark describes Prussias great battles, dynastic marriages and astonishing reversals of fortune, its brilliant and charismatic leaders from the Hohenzollerns of Brandenburg to Bismarck and Frederick the Great, the military machine and the progressive, enlightened values on which it was built. Fascinating ... masterly ... littered with intriguing detail and wry observationRichard Overy, Daily Telegraph A terrific book ... the definitive history of this muchmaligned stateDaily Telegraph Books of the Year You couldnt have the triumph and the tragedy of Prussia better toldObserver A magisterial history of Europes only extinct powerFinancial Times Exemplary ... an illuminating, profoundly satisfying work of historyThe New York Times Christopher Clark is a lecturer in Modern European History at St Catharines College, University of Cambridge. He is also the author of Kaiser Wilhelm II A Life in Power. | Christopher Clark Iron Kingdom : The Rise & Downfall of Prussia, 1600-1947