Before the Deluge: Portrait of Berlin in the 1920s, A (1972)

יופי של ספר, מבדר, משכיל מרתק, על הרפובליקה של ווי​ימר ובייחוד על חיי התרבות העשירים על רקע האסון שהו​ ( )

An interesting collection of anecdotes about Berlin during the Weimar Republic. The author devotes each chapter to a year, but really the book is arranged thematically, as he ties each year to some cultural, economic, or political aspect of Berlin life. There is lots of color here, from gruesome crime scenes and assassinations to tales of the lives of famous artists. But you have to overlook several weaknesses: the heavy foreshadowing implied in the title, uneven treatments when themes and years don't overlap evenly, and an irritating proclivity for dropping the names of the famous refugees the author interviewed in the early 1970s. Still, for the kind of manic urban energy that produces really cutting-edge art and really interesting history, Berlin in the 20s was the place to be and this book conveys a strong sense of that whirlwind. ( )

1692 Before the Deluge: A Portrait of Berlin in the 1920's, by Otto Friedrich (read 4 Feb 1982) This is an account by a guy (now with Time magazine) of Berlin from 1918 to 1933. It is a very interesting book to read, though mainly derived from other books and personal interviews. It told me much I had forgotten, and much I never knew before. There is a chapter on each year from 1918 through 1933. ( )

This book chronicles the events of the 1920's that led to the rise of the Nazi state in Germany. It is the best source I have read not only about the social disruptions of that era, but also about the incredible cultural vibrancy of Berlin in the 1920's that was destroyed by the Nazi hegemony. Friedrich explains the reasons behind the terrible upheavals of the 20th century in a way that is clear and engaging. ( )

This is a well-reasearched book that recounts the events in Berlin in the heady days after WWI but before the rise of the Nazis. ( )