The Fourth and Richest Reich

by Edwin Hartrich | History |
ISBN: 002548480x Global Overview for this book
Registered by newk of Adelaide, South Australia Australia on 6/28/2004
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3 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by newk from Adelaide, South Australia Australia on Monday, June 28, 2004
Pre-numbered label used for registration.
This was a second hand book shop reject that I got as part of a carton load I bought in a shopping centre car park.
I shopped it round a bit a Megi53 has been kind enough to save it from the bin or wild release in a laundromat.
Sea mail posted 25/6/04. Two to three months. Enjoy

Journal Entry 2 by Megi53 from Danville, Virginia USA on Thursday, September 9, 2004
Arrived in yesterday's mail.

I browsed through the first few chapters and noticed a previous reader has underlined some descriptions of exquisite-sounding German meals.

The book looks well-written and I'm looking forward to reading it if I ever get finished with Neal Stephenson's 900+ page *Cryptonomicon*.

Thanks, newk! Loved the postcard, also.

Journal Entry 3 by Megi53 from Danville, Virginia USA on Sunday, February 5, 2006
This book focused on dozens of fascinating personalities. The author himself was a public relations advisor for Alfried Krupp.

After World War II, the German public was completely concerned with living from day to day, and it was as if Hitler and the Third Reich had never existed, Hartrich postulates. The only concentration camp victim he mentions is socialist leader Kurt Schumacher, who emerged from Dachau emaciated and toothless.

The American military commander, Gen. Lucius Clay, took on heroic proportions in the first section of the book. U.S. Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson were lowered in my estimation, since Hartrich outlined their politically-motivated bad decisions. Hartrich believes late 20th century events were driven by economics rather than politics.

From my 21st-century perspective, the blame for the Weimar Republic's failure can be placed on Hugo Stinnes, not on the Communists. A lot of the responsibility for China's current flooding of the U.S. market with cheap imports goes back to Alfred Schulz and his early postwar craving to industrialize the Asian colossus.

The story of Helmut Schmidt directing flood recovery efforts in Hamburg put New Orleans mayor Nagin to shame. "Herr Oberburgermeister, you are in the way." (page 273)

Reading The Fourth and Richest Reich introduced me to some new interests that I, like the German foreign aid planners, hope will pay dividends.

I should note that neither newk nor I is the previous reader who has penciled in a lot of opinionated side notes.


Journal Entry 4 by newk from Adelaide, South Australia Australia on Sunday, February 5, 2006
ah, the joys of bookcrossing. Matching up a discarded book with a happy reader. Megi53, did you ever finish Cryptonomicon? I have had it for ages but it looks too daunting. I love the author tho.

Journal Entry 5 by Megi53 from Danville, Virginia USA on Monday, February 6, 2006
No, I passed along both the copies of Cryptonomicon that have come my way without finishing them, sad to say. Stephenson is high on the list of authors I want to read when I retire in 10 or 15 years, though.

Mailing The Fourth and Richest Reich to Canada this afternoon.

Journal Entry 6 by idioteqnician from Manchester, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Saturday, February 18, 2006
Thanks for sending this my way, Megi53! Quite a while ago, having visited Auschwitz and done some reading on Communism's undoing in Eastern Europe in the 90s, I got to wondering how we rarely hear stories of life in Germany after WW2. I was curious how Germnay recreated itself into a powerful nation, like Japan did, in the 50 years or so following the War. Megi53 offered to send me this book to answer some of my questions. I think I'll learn a lot considering I don't get a lot of the references she makes in her review. Thanks!

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