pickReads like a book length tabloid with a great research department. I polished this off in 2 days. Fascinating look at the 1936 Olympics, the people of Berlin, and the Third Reich. A nice companion to The Boys in the Boat which my book club will be reading later this year. This ticks off #SetinthePlaceYouwereBorn for #LitsyBingo The bear is the mascot of Berlin. He's a little older than I am.
I received access to an advance ebook from #NetGalley of #Berlin1936 in return for my honest review.
I was riveted by this, which was translated from the German. My mother is German, I speak it, and have lived there, and know the country, although I was there over 4 decades later.
The research was excellent, and if you read Larsen's book about Ambassador Dodd, you'll appreciate the symmetry. Read this book. Full review on GR.
I worked for the US subsidiary of Bayer, who bought Agfa. We built a plant here in SC to make film, mostly for x-rays. The production floor was lit only by red light. No plant tours because of the darkness. You needed special glasses and training. I didn't know this bit of their history. This is about a lot more than the Olympics, and I'm not even up to page 50 yet. So helpful for teaching!
#Berlin 1936 #NetGalley
This book, which I received an advanced copy of from Netgalley, is fascinating.
This totally cracked me up. It is the definition of bureaucracy AND absurdity. I don't quite understand why it was "technically impossible," but...
I will be tempted to buy this when it comes out. I already know two friends who will be receiving a copy as gifts (history professors).
#Berlin1936 #NetGalley
pickMore German historians are adapting a UK/US style of writing that is supposed to be less scholarly & dry (whil maintaining academic standards) and more accessible to the reader. Good, but Hilmes stepping into that direction seems like a set-back? Other works by him are longer & stuffed with sources but a breeze through to read. Still, a great retelling of the 1936 Olympics and what people experienced during them with special focus on Thomas Wolfe
Berlin 1936: Sechzehn Tage im August | 
