Die Deutschen in der Welt

How did Germans live in Minnesota, in South Australia, in Liverpool, or in Brazil's Rio Grande, and how did they shape the local culture, for better or for worse?

When telling German history, one usually operates within the boundaries of the nation-state or focuses on the German imperialism and conquest history of the 20th century, with its lasting consequences. David Blackbourn demonstrates with his eye-opening book how limited this perspective is. He takes a global approach and shows how, for about five hundred years, people, goods, experiences, and new ideas from Germany have been connected to the entire world in diverse ways. Blackbourn looks to America and Asia, to Africa and the rest of Europe. He tells stories of merchants and missionaries, settlers and scientists, explorers, thinkers, and mercenaries. A surprising, grandly narrated new perspective on Germany that shows that one can write not only a world history of the Spaniards, the French, or the English—but also a fascinating German history from a global viewpoint.

With numerous illustrations.