Majestic and lyrically written, The Conquest of Nature traces the rise of Germany through the development of water and landscape. David Blackbourn begins his morality tale in the mid-1700s, with the epic story of Frederick the Great, who attempted by importing the great scientific minds of the West [...]
In the late 18th century German-speaking Europe was a patchwork of undeveloped principalities. Yet by the early 20th century, unified Germany had become the most powerful state in Europe. This book tells the story of this transformation weaving together political, social and cultural history.[...]