Author:Günter Grass,Krishna Winston
In 1990, Günter Grass - a reluctant diarist - felt compelled to make a record of the interesting times through which he was living.
Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and the collapse of Communism, Germany and Europe were enduring a period of immense upheaval. Grass resolved to immerse himself in these political debates: he travelled widely throughout both Germanys, the former East and the former West, conducting a lively exchange with political enemies, friends and his own children about all the questions posed by reunification.
His account gives the reader an unparalleled insight into a key moment in the life of modern Europe, seen through the eyes of one of its most acclaimed writers. It also provides a startling insight into the creative process as the reader witnesses ideas for novels occurring and then taking shape.
From Germany to Germany is both a personal journal by a great creative artist and a penetrating commentary on recent European history by someone who was simultaneously an acute observer and a highly engaged participant.
From Germany to Germany contains delightful insights into the process of crafting a novel…the most compelling and enduring evaluation of the complexities of reunification is likely to have come from the pen of Günter Grass the novelist
—— Harry de Quetteville , Daily TelegraphThough Grass spent much of the year engaged in political argument – with others and with himself – there is much else in the book. It is first the record of a man possessed of extraordinary energy, both physical and mental…One cannot but admire his zest for life
—— Allan Massie , ScotsmanFrom Germany to Germany is as earthy and real as The Tin Drum
—— Carole Angier , Literary ReviewThis diary does capture a great moment in time
—— Alastair Mabbott , HeraldThis is a big, noble book by a proper reporter who travels the world and gives the Mr Bigs of global crime a poke in the eye... uncomfortable but compelling reading... You must read it
—— Literary ReviewHorrifying but gripping book...vivid and involving
—— Daily TelegraphA substantial book that features, among a gallery of extraordinary crime scenes, some of the most compelling analyses of the Balkan tragedy and the creation of a post-Soviet economy
—— ObserverWonderful reporting... Glenny's excitement in the chase after global crime, with its often grotesque and always revealing details, makes reading this book a rich pleasure
—— Neal Ascherson , London Review of BooksThis is a well sustained narrative dealing seamlessly, if dismayingly, with the tricks, motives and rewards of the new global underworld
—— Independent on SundayThis terrific expose of big-ticket felonies from China to Brazil is as stuffed with outsize crooks and scams as a smuggler's suitcase with fake Rolex
—— IndependentA fascinating account of global organised crime
—— Scotsman, Books of the YearThis ingeniously constructed history shows that what we think of as personal appetites have largely been constructed by the machinations of empire. The Hungry Empire uses vivid snapshots of meals to tell the story of how Britain's quest for food drove its imperial ambitions. Collingham takes the reader on a powerful journey ... Like Sidney Mintz or Margaret Visser, Collingham is a historian whose writing about food informs larger stories about human existence: about conflict and culture, about economics and politics. I was dazzled by Collingham's writing and her book also left me very hungry
—— Bee Wilson, author of FIRST BITEThe fourth in the grand series of Isaiah Berlin’s correspondence [...] keeps up the flow of high cultural commentary and gossip
—— Jewish ChronicleAffirming is an excellent source for the understanding of Berlin's thought in various contexts. But the letters also show Berlin's capacity for friendship, his sympathetic understanding of characters and viewpoints... At the risk of solecism, Icn bin ein Berliner
—— Brendan McLaughlin , OldieIsaiah Berlin is considered one of the letter-writers of the 20th century... those who give into temptation to flick through will be infinitely rewarded
—— Oxford TimesSparkles with brilliance and generosity
—— Jon M. Sweeney , The TabletMeticulously edited and footnoted.
—— Robert Fulford , National PostAn impressively probing and timely work...Highly engaging
—— Publishers WeeklyScintillating...Age of Anger looks an awful lot like a masterwork. We're only a few weeks into 2017, but one of the books of the year is already here
—— Christopher Bray , The TabletHearts and Minds makes it very plain why Mrs Fawcett deserves her statue in Parliament Square. Robinson has
researched the lives of ordinary suffragists as well as the stars of the movement, and her book is clear-headed,
perceptive and thoroughly engaging. From her narrative it's clear also how important Mrs Pankhurst was in
bringing passion, anger and publicity to the women's cause. I think she deserves a statue too.
That six-week effort, in which rivulets of backpack-toting, banner-carrying suffragists, skirts a daring four inches above the ground, marched from every corner of England and Wales to gather for a mass meeting in London in late July, has never been thoroughly documented. It is nice to see it feature centrally here.
—— Susan Pedersen , London Review of BooksHearts And Minds is a timely reminder of the courage of these unsung campaigners
—— Daily Mail