Hagen Schulze (1943–2014)

In "Germany: A New History", Schultze looks at German history from Roman times onwards. His theme is the way in which the people of this region have identified themselves, and it's a surprise to discover that the term "German" would only have had meaning for them from the mid 19th Century onwards.

Previously, this patchwork of principalities, duchies, bishoprics, counties, imperial cities and military religious districts such as the Knights of the Teutonic Order were part of the "Holy Roman show more Empire" - inheritors of the Roman Empire, with a weak elective kingship and strong neighbouring countries that were happy to keep it that way.

He shows how the Napoleonic invasion sparked ideas of nationality with the concept of Germany only arriving with the Prussian defeat of France in 1871. An unstable nationalist Germany crashed spectacularly (twice) before miraculously becoming the foundation stone of a new democratic European Community.
A first rate book about Germany and its people. show less

Good overview of how nations as we know them emerged in (mostly Western) Europe.

This is a really excellent short introduction featuring outstanding illustrations.

The best, short German history that I have been able to find so far. From the early beginning of Germany (Battle of Teutoburg, 9AD) to the reunification.