The German War: A Nation Under Arms, 1939-1945 - Softcover

One of the New York Times Book Review's 100 Notable Books of 2015
Winner of the PEN Hessell Tiltman Prize
The Observer
[T]his is a beautifully written and, yes, sensitive and subtle portrayal of war. The author deftly weaves individual tales with surprising observation. "
The Guardian
This vivid history of everyday life captures the complex feelings of ordinary Germans under the Nazi regime.... A superb study. "
Kirkus Reviews
[A] massive but thorough meditation.... A well-researched, unsettling social history of war that will prove deeply thought-provokingeven worryingfor readers who wonder what they might have done under the same circumstances.
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Foreign Affairs
Enthralling Stargardt puts together a complex portrait of a nation gripped by patriotism and resentment, thrilled by early military victories, and proud of the fighting skills of the Wehrmacht. "
Economist
[Stargardt's] method of using letters and diaries of ordinary Germans yields unexpected insights, both into the Germans' humanity and their turn to barbarism. "
Spectator, (UK)
Superbly researched and clearly written, The German War is an important and significant book. "
Roanoake Times
Exhaustively researched, well-written... well and unblinkingly told. "
Independent (UK)
Trying to make sense of the mood and thoughts of 80 million-odd people is an immense task but Nicholas Stargardt has made a terrifically good stab at it.

As early as 1941, Allied victory in World War II seemed all but assured. How and why, then, did the Germans prolong the barbaric conflict for three and a half more years?

In The German War, acclaimed historian Nicholas Stargardt draws on an extraordinary range of primary source materials-personal diaries, court records, and military correspondence-to answer this question. He offers an unprecedented portrait of wartime Germany, bringing the hopes and expectations of the German people-from infantrymen and tank commanders on the Eastern front to civilians on the home front-to vivid life. While most historians identify the German defeat at Stalingrad as the moment when the average German citizen turned against the war effort, Stargardt demonstrates that the Wehrmacht in fact retained the staunch support of the patriotic German populace until the bitter end.

Astonishing in its breadth and humanity, The German War is a groundbreaking new interpretation of what drove the Germans to fight-and keep fighting-for a lost cause.