Originally posted by robgski Excellent writer!
After finishing "The Candy bomber" I decided to stick with some Berlin-centric history by reading Anthony Beevor's " Fall of Berlin", which I only read halfway through before being distracted. After that, I have a book about Berlin 1961 and the Wall to complete reading. I was actually in Berlin on two separate occasions in 1989, once before and once after the opening and removal of the Berlin Wall. It was an occasion I did not expect to see in my lifetime, and when I returned to Berlin 12 years after, so much had changed. Now it's been almost 20 years since my last visit, I can't imagine how the city and its people have gone on since.
I have no discipline, so as a result, usually at any time I have about 15-20 books on the go. I am quite interested in German, Austrian history and some of the books on my table , partially read, include The Hapsburg Empire, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, by William Shirer.....about third time I've read this in the past 50 years +,.
Another book is the The Ring of Steel about Germany and Austria prior to and early on ...during WW1. Interesting to read the different perspective of this period in history from the 'other side' as it were.
Also Danubia and Germania which are two books by the same author....Simon Winder.
Another book that looks at the period between the wars, Paris 1919... and reviews at the Paris Peace Conference and the significant effect it had on Germany and Austria, etc, after WW1.....some say this conference it bears some responsibility for WW2
Anyways without getting further into details...these are history books that provide a pretty good background on things from the turn of the last century to mid century....in parts of central and Eastern Europe.