In Search Of Berlin

I bought this book while visiting the Academic Bookstore in Helsinki, Finland. I started reading it while on a long coach bus trip to visit Berlin. I found the book to be quite engaging, especially the sections before 1800. The earlier history of Prussia (and the entities that predate Prussia) was fascinating. The city's "moment of glory" in the years around 1900-1914 was also striking. The later sections covering the 1914 to the present were more familiar but I still enjoyed it.

While the book reads like a history book, it is also a kind of walking tour. The author regularly visits museums, memorials and other sites in Berlin (and nearby areas) and recounts his experiences. I loved that he included the perspective of museum directors show more and other local experts to add to the story. show less

As the name suggests, this book explores themes in Berlin's growth and development over the centuries, rather than trying to define anything definitive. Reading it as someone who has never been to Berlin meant I felt I didn't really understand or could not really imagine what I was reading.