The German Genius

From the end of the Baroque era and the death of Bach in 1750 to the rise of Hitler in 1933, Germany transformed from a poor relative among Western nations into a dominant intellectual and cultural force, more influential than France, Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United States. In the early decades of the 20th century, German artists, writers, philosophers, scientists, and engineers led their newly unified country to new and unimaginable heights, and by 1933, they had won more Nobel Prizes than all other nations combined, surpassing the British and Americans together. However, this genius was curtailed at its peak with the rise and subsequent fall of Adolf Hitler and his fascist Third Reich – a legacy of evil that has since overshadowed the nation's contributions. But how did the Germans achieve their superiority from the mid-18th century onward? In this fascinating cultural history, Peter Watson goes back in time to explore the origins of German genius, how it flourished and shaped our lives, and most importantly, how it continues to shape our world. As he compellingly argues, while we may hold other European cultures in higher regard, it was German thought – from Bach to Nietzsche to Freud – that truly shaped modern America and Britain in ways that still resonate today.